Congressman Jerry Carl visited Fort Novoselle last week and met with base commanders and military officials responsible for the 63,000 acres of land in Alabama's Wiregrass region that serve as the U.S. Army's aviation headquarters.

Novosel, formerly known as Fort Rucker, first opened in 1942. Rep. Kahl (R-Mobile) said he has heard firsthand how the facility is aging.

“I spent two days with Commander Michael McCurry and his team to learn more about the needs and challenges they face. Thanks to the hard work of Senator Britt and Chairman Mike Rogers, , Fort Novosel will receive more than $60 million from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), most of which will be used to improve the hazardous living conditions in many barracks for installation.

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“I proudly support the NDAA and support its funding going to Fort Novosel because this is a huge step forward for our military members,” Karl added.

Fort Novosel is anchored in Dale County and straddles Coffee, Geneva, and Houston counties. Designated a U.S. Army Aviation Center in 2008, the base is home to numerous aviation brigades that support combat missions and military personnel around the world, including the 110th Wing, 128th Wing, and 1st Wing. I am putting

The base and U.S. Army Aviation itself reflect Alabama's contributions to combat aviation dating back to World War II and the significant mobilization of U.S. human resources and engineering technology since then.

“Alabama has a lot to be proud of and Fort Novosel ranks high on this list.^th Fort Novoselle, the largest employer in Alabama and one of the largest employers south of Montgomery, is the backbone of the Wiregrass and surrounding communities. “Fort Novosel not only employs approximately 15,000 people, but also provides assistance to an additional 113,000 veterans,” said Congressman Karl.

“There is still much work to do to modernize and grow Fort Novoselle. We will continue to fight for them and all military sites in Alabama, because we have the power to protect and fight for our country. Because we have an obligation to provide food to military personnel who are registered in the United States.''

Grayson Everett is the state and politics editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270