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On February 1,1955, the Army Aviation Center was officially established at Rucker. In the same year during the month of October, the post was given permanent status and changed their name from Camp Rucker to Fort Rucker. Before the mid-1950s, the Air Force had provided primary training for Army Aviation pilots and mechanics.
The helicopter battalions are often grouped into aviation brigades. There are also a few fixed-wing aircraft battalions, consisting of training aircraft, Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail operational aircraft, and Beechcraft C-12 Huron / Cessna UC-35 transports for VIP personnel.
Training, doctrine, and testing are all key parts of the center's mission to develop Army Aviation's capabilities. All Army Aviation training has been undertaken at Fort Novosel since 1973, as well as training of United States Air Force (USAF) and ally helicopter pilots and air crew. The center was home to the U.S. Army Aviation Technical Test ...
The aircraft of most army aviation branches consist mainly of helicopters which means that the emphasis naturally lies in training pilots to fly the various aircraft. However, some army aviation branches also employ fixed-wing aircraft , used mostly for aerial reconnaissance and liaison purposes, so prospective pilots may also be trained to fly ...
The grade of Aviation Cadet was created for pilot candidates and the program was renamed the Aviation Cadet Training Program (AvCad). Cadets were paid $75 a month ($50 base pay + $25 "flight pay") – the same rate as Army Air Corps privates with flight status [ 13 ] : 31 – and a uniform allowance of $150.
After the creation of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service in 1947, Army Aviation continued to a degree that warranted a new badge for Army Aviators (who piloted light observation and liaison airplanes and helicopters). The result was the creation of the Army Aviator Badge, which is a modified version of the U.S. Air Force Pilot Badge.
In 1951 the Army began organizing five helicopter transport companies and training warrant officer pilots. There was, however, an ongoing rivalry between the Army and the Air Force concerning responsibility and resources for the aerial support of ground forces.
Although the Army Aviation Badge is intended for enlisted personnel, in rare cases the decoration can be awarded to officers. For non-rated Army members who qualify for the Astronaut Badge, but have not yet participated in a qualifying spaceflight, the Army Aviation Badge may be awarded with the astronaut device appearing on the central shield.