Area officials and a coalition called Friends of Fort Rucker watch diligently for any movement that might threaten the installation and its mission in the Wiregrass area. It’s not an futile cause; through several base realignment initiatives, an active strategy to underscore the importance of the installation to the surrounding area has gone a long way toward keeping Fort Rucker’s presence secure.

A recent report suggests that’s not the only thing our area has in its favor. The Henry L. Stimson Center released its “The Army Goes to School: The Connection between K-12 Education Standards and the Military-Base Economy,” which cites military leaders’ growing consideration of the strength of local school systems when making decisions about base retention.

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