FORT NOVOSEL, Ala. -- A stalwart of Fort Novosel, Program Director for Morale, Welfare, and Recreation, Evy Bludsworth hangs up her many hats after serving families over 45 years.
The year was 1978, nearly all active-duty soldiers on Fort Novosel were yet to be born, and Bludsworth applied for her first position on what was then Fort Rucker.
“Like everybody else, I had to eat. I was looking for a job, but I never intended to stay. My bachelor’s degree is in education, so I planned on staying here a year and heading to go back into teaching, but I just enjoyed the work,” Bludsworth said, “I enjoyed meeting people and serving people. Customer service was something I thought I did well, and I just enjoyed it. “
Working 45 years on the same installation is a remarkable accomplishment. Fort Rucker/Novosel became not just the home of Army Aviation to Bludsworth, but truly home. She donned many hats during her lengthy career, some more memorable than others.
“Deputy Director was my favorite position. I was able to produce all the events and watch them grow. I have seen Oktoberfest go from a hundred people to thousands, and Freedom Fest go from just some fireworks to what it is today. I also had all Non Appropriated Fund (NAF) major and minor construction, so I was able to go in there and watch things build and expand. The development and growth have been amazing to watch,” said Bludsworth.
Family is the primary focus of the Directorate of Family Morale Welfare and Recreation, and to Bludsworth, military families became her most treasured part of the job.
“I like to see children excited. Whether it’s Santa showing up to the tree lighting or finding Easter eggs at Children's Fest. I like the excitement because they are our future.” Bludsworth said, “Kids will just tell you how it is, and I enjoy that.”
Having a career focused on serving military families is bound to come with challenges along the way. No challenge, however, was as difficult to overcome as those that came with the global pandemic in 2020, according to Bludsworth.
“The amount of data coming in, we could not read it fast enough before it changed. Our program managers did an incredible job opening one by one by one in ways that honored the restrictions but still provided services for our families in a time that they really needed to be served. The library impressed me the most. They put kits together for the people to pick up, and started the story walk around Beaver Lake. They put sidewalk chalk out and let families come create art. The resiliency of our staff totally amazed me,” expressed Bludsworth.
Bludsworth has been a positive influence on many MWR employees throughout her career, a leadership trait that was modeled to her along the way.
“I must tell you that God influenced me the most because I didn’t get that teaching job, but I got the clerk job which put me into this job. God put me in that position. In each position I was placed in, each manager helped develop me into the next position,” said Bludsworth. “Mr. Laster, former DFMWR Director, pushed me the most as a supervisor. He moved a lot of people around and put me in as the deputy director. He provided a lot of development whether he believed it or not and put me in places where I was able to grow and learn and really enjoy.”
The legacy that Bludsworth leaves behind is visible in the employees across Fort Novosel MWR. Her physical absence will be replaced with the wisdom and knowledge spread to the lives she has influenced at the Home of Army Aviation.
Bludsworth gives this advice to her fellow civilian employees, “When people ask you if you want to serve on a committee, go serve. If they ask you to do a task and as long as it’s not immoral, illegal, or unethical, you’re good. Read your PD [position description] the first time and throw it away. I never really looked at it. I could care less. I’m getting paid the same amount. Go in and do the absolute best you can with the task you are given. Try to make a difference with those tasks. You never know what little thing can lead to a big thing. You never can tell what growth you may have and what you can learn from those tasks.”
“I never had experience with single Soldiers, and I got involved with the BOSS program and watched them go from the worst in the Army to the best in the Army,” Bludsworth said. “But because we listened to them and helped develop them, which in turn helped develop us. Listen to people. If you stay in your comfort zone that’s where you will remain, you’ll never grow. “
Bludsworth plans to celebrate the culmination of a career of service in the most magical way possible, a trip to Disneyworld with her family. She looks forward to volunteering her time with her church community, spending time with her beloved husband and two grandchildren. She said that she is grateful for her time spent serving here and is ready for all that is ahead.
“I appreciate the opportunity that was given to me. Not everyone gets that. I appreciate the advice and leadership that people gave me. I have a lot of people behind me, and I hope that I have helped them come up, and I just hope that I have made a difference. The mark of the next generation is doing better, there is always room for improvement and DFMWR will continue to grow and innovate always.”
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