FORT RUCKER, Ala. (Oct. 22, 2015) -- Enhancing the quality of life of Soldiers and families on the installation is a top priority, and one way Fort Rucker does that is by providing a top-notch housing experience through Corvias Military Living.
The three housing communities on Fort Rucker -- Munson Heights, Allen Heights and Bowden Terrace -- achieved top marks, receiving the A-List Awards for Customer Service Excellence having achieved a "best-in-industry" rating for the highest level and quality of service.
Fort Rucker's housing received the highest score of any installation overall, and was one of only five military installations to be placed on the Top-10 list of properties to receive the award, snagging three spots for all three of its communities, according to results of the 2015 Headquarters Department of the Army Residential Communities Initiative Resident Survey.
"We're extremely honored to have received such praise from our residents and our installation teams deserve credit for their hard work," said Chuck Parker, Division President of Corvias Military Living in a press release.
"We're very eager to review the survey's findings to see how we can improve the service we provide to service members and their families, which remains our priority."
Fort Rucker received the Crystal Installation Award for an overall score of at least 85 and a response rate of at least 20 percent, and, along with scoring the highest, was one of only two installations to receive this distinction.
Although the awards are a welcome surprise, the results are no surprise to Command Sgt. Maj. William Hayes, 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Brigade command sergeant major, who has lived in Munson Heights with his family for nearly two years.
"The home is very adequate and they really support our needs," said Hayes, whose mother also lives in housing in one of the handicap-accessible homes, equipped with ramps, rails and a host of amenities to support her needs.
Hayes said that moving from installation to installation can be one of the biggest hassles of Army living, but his experience moving onto Fort Rucker was hassle free.
"When we told them about my mother, they told us before we even moved here not to worry, that they had the right accommodations to accommodate my mother, and it just provided us with peace of mind," he said. "Our transition to this installation was seamless, and it took a lot of stress off of me and my family."
Another plus of on-post living has been the proximity to everything available on the installation for not only him, but his family, as well, said the command sergeant major.
"My youngest son is 14 and our proximity to the youth center has made it his second home -- he's always there," he said. "The convenience of the post exchange and the commissary and everything is great, not to mention the shorter commutes for me and my family. When they're happy, I'm happy. We've become very accustomed to a certain quality of life here on the installation."
That quality of life also extends into the realm of safety, which Sgt. 1st Class Brody Ishmael, Headquarters Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 223rd Aviation Regiment, and his wife, Stacey, said is unbeatable.
"We had just talked about this with our friends," said Brody. "We have friends who aren't in the military and they asked if they would be able to go trick or treating on post with us because even they said they feel it would be safer for their children, especially lately since people have to go through some checks and balances before they can even come on post -- it's like living in a gated community."
For the Ishmaels, who have four children themselves, that sense of safety isn't anything they feel they could find anywhere off the installation.
In addition to the safety aspect, they said the overall quality of life, as well as financial savings, can't be beat.
"(Corvias) has always taken care of any concerns or needs that we have as far as maintenance needs or lawn care, and they're really fast to get things done. When you have four children, that's amazing," said Stacey. "It's been excellent living here. There is a real sense of community and that's what we love -- we really love that homey feel."
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