Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker) is a United States Army post located primarily in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It is named in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel, an Army aviator and Medal of Honor recipient.[2][3] It was previously named for a Civil War officer, Confederate Colonel Edmund Rucker.[4] The post is the primary flight training installation for U.S. Army Aviators and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE)

The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence is the dominant military facility at Fort Novosel. 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 is home to the U.S. Army Aviation Technical Test Center (ATTC), which conducts developmental aircraft testing for Army Aviation.[9] The United States Army Operational Test and Evaluation Command’s Test and Evaluation Coordination Office and TH-67 Creek primary and instrument training are both located at Cairns Army Airfield.

Fixed wing pilots are trained on Grob G120TP and King Air Series airplanes at nearby Dothan Regional Airport.

Allen Stagefield – Robert Lloyd Allen joined the Naval Reserve in October 1942 and served on active duty until June 1944, when he was discharged to accept a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He served with the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing during the Okinawa campaign in World War II. He also served in Korea. On 7 October 1960 he was commissioned in the Army and began service as an Army Aviator. He served at Fort Rucker until June 1963, when he was assigned to the U.S. Army Arctic Test Center. He died 10 August 1964 at Brooke Army General Hospital, Texas, as a result of burns and injuries from a plane crash on 4 August in Alaska.

Toth Stagefield – Captain Toth died in the service of his country in a CH-21 U.S. Army helicopter crash during the early evening hours on a small island just south of Ben Tre, Republic of Vietnam. Medical reports from the scene of the accident indicate all seven members aboard the aircraft died instantly. Religious services were conducted on 14 January 1964 in Saigon. This stagefield receives electrical service from the Wiregrass Electric Cooperative.

Hooper Stagefield – First Lieutenant Ono D. Hooper served with the 38th Infantry, 3rd Division, during World War II. Hooper stagefield is in use with AH-64 Apache training.

Knox Army Heliport is used for training pilots who fly the CH-47 Chinook helicopter.