Nearly 400 attendees including Wiregrass city leadership, local business owners, and service men and women from Fort Novosel filled the Enterprise Civic Center Thursday for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Fort Novosel - Wiregrass Chapter General Membership Meeting.

“We are proud to have the home of Army Aviation in our backyard, to have the sound of freedom flying overhead day in and day out, and to have our soldiers and their families call our city ‘home,’” Mayor William E. Cooper said.

Maj. Gen. Michael McCurry, who served as the keynote speaker, said that last year, Fort Novosel aviators flew 223,354 hours.

“For perspective that is 36% of all flying hours flown in the Army around the world, right here, with only 13% of the army aircraft,” McCurry said. “That does not happen by accident. It is enabled by the people of the Wiregrass and your unending support for what we do.”

McCurry said when he was assigned as the Commanding General of the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE) and Fort Novosel nearly two years ago, “it was a dream come true” because his family’s roots run deep in the Wiregrass.

“It has been an honor and pleasure to serve as the Commanding General of USAACE and Fort Novosel for the past two years, but the Army recently announced it will reassign us this summer. My great friend, a tremendous Army leader, Maj. Gen. Clair Gill and his lovely wife, Fran, will be joining you all here to partner even stronger,” McCurry said.

Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill, who currently serves as Deputy Director for Regional Operations and Force Management, J-3, Joint Staff, Washington, DC will assume command this summer.