Florida Educators Visit Camp Rudder

On Thursday, June 21st, Brigadier General Mike Ferguson, US Army (Retired), accompanied a group of local educators to meet the Rangers at Camp Rudder on the Eglin Air Force Base Reservation. The trip’s primary purpose was to inform local individuals about the specialized training being conducted in Northwest Florida.

|The Visitors

The Host

Camp Rudder is the third and final stage of training and evaluation for young men wanting to earn the designation of United States Army Ranger. The Army facility has been on the Eglin Reservation for several decades and literally thousands of Army Rangers have had the pleasure of visiting this exotic piece of heaven.

"Basic Tools" of the Ranger trade

Ranger trainees out for a trip on the river

Visitors enjoy a hot cup of coffee, but not the Ranger.....

The Ranger candidates usually parachute into the Camp Rudder drop zone. This drop in is followed by a week of 20 hour days of living in the wild. Most candidates manage to loose 10 to 12 pounds of body weight during the week. No bed, no showers, no hot meal. Just a fun filled week in Florida.

One of the most important items that General Ferguson wanted to see was the new mechanic facilities that had been constructed since Hurricane Ivan.

Original Motor Pool Building

New Post Ivan Motor Pool

All of the educators came away with a greater understanding of what our American fighting men have to endure to protect us back home.