Camp James E. Rudder (Camp Rudder) is host to the third and final phase of a nine week training course, dubbed the "swamp phase", of the U.S. Army Ranger School. The camp is located on the Eglin Air Force Base reservation, co-located with Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #6 / Biancur Field, approximately fourteen miles northwest of the main Eglin AFB airfield.
The Florida Ranger Camp was established November 15, 1951, by then Major Arthur "Bull" Simons who was named the Commander of the Amphibious/Jungle Training Committee at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #7 / Epler Field, which was the initial location of the camp. Colonel Simons was later the commander of the prisoner of war rescue attempt on Son Tay, North Vietnam. The Florida Ranger Camp remained at Field Seven for 20 years until it was moved to Field Six in January 1970.
The current Camp Rudder was named for Major General James E. Rudder, USA in June 1974. MG Rudder commanded the 2d Ranger Battalion when it scaled the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, France, during the 1944 D-Day Normandy invasion.
Coordinates: 30°37′36″N 86°44′43″W / 30.626686°N 86.745343°W / 30.626686; -86.745343
Read more about Camp Rudder: History
Famous quotes containing the words camp and/or rudder:
“When the weather is bad as it was yesterday, everybody, almost everybody, feels cross and gloomy. Our thin linen tents—about like a fish seine, the deep mud, the irregular mails, the never to-be-seen paymasters, and “the rest of mankind,” are growled about in “old-soldier” style. But a fine day like today has turned out brightens and cheers us all. We people in camp are merely big children, wayward and changeable.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“And when we can with Meeter safe,
We’ll call him so, if not plain Ralph,
For Rhime the Rudder is of Verses,
With which like Ships they steer their courses.”
—Samuel Butler (1612–1680)