First commander looks forward to growing 98th ARRTC mission at Fort McCoy
The 98th ARRTC officially activated Oct. 21 during a ceremony in Building 50 at Fort McCoy, marking a new chapter in the organization's long history of training Soldiers and developing leaders. Collins said he is looking forward to building the organization, strengthening its connections, and continuing the legacy of the 98th Division.
“It’s an extremely honoring and humbling experience, especially as the very first commander of this organization,” Collins said.
The activation brings together established training organizations under the 98th ARRTC, creating a unified structure to support institutional training across the Army Reserve and the Total Army.
Collins said the organization is part of the Army’s broader transformation efforts. Although the activation marks a new organizational chapter, the schools under its command have already been conducting training.
“The really interesting part of this is that these schools work,” Collins said. “They have been running. But what this organization did is they took those schools that I talked about. They brought them together. They’re one group.”
Collins said he arrived at Fort McCoy in June and began working to bring the organizations together. The activation ceremony, he explained, symbolized the transition toward operating as one school organization under a common command.
The 98th ARRTC includes the Noncommissioned Officer Academy and training organizations at Fort McCoy, along with additional training centers at Fort Devens and Fort Hood, Texas, and the Engineer and Chemical Training Center at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Its responsibilities encompass a variety of training programs designed to prepare Soldiers for increased responsibilities and leadership positions.
At Fort McCoy, the training mission includes civil affairs, psychological operations, personnel services, ordnance training, and noncommissioned officer education.
Collins said the center will help enlisted Soldiers progress through their careers by providing the knowledge and skills expected at each level of responsibility.
“They learn the job that’s expected of that rank,” Collins said. “And as they move on, they go back to their unit, and they're able to train their soldiers on how to be that job.”
He summarized the mission as Soldiers training Soldiers, with the knowledge gained through institutional training carried back to units throughout the force.
The training is intended to provide Soldiers with a foundation in Army doctrine, standards, and responsibilities that they can apply in different operational environments. Collins said that foundation helps Soldiers adapt to changing situations and continue developing their skills after they return to their units.
“We come here, we learn doctrine,” Collins said. “We learn what is expected of us.”
He said Soldiers can then apply those lessons in their units, reinforce them through continued training, and return to institutional courses as they advance in rank and responsibility.
The 98th ARRTC’s establishment is also intended to complement other training conducted at Fort McCoy, including larger collective training exercises. Collins compared institutional education to a continuing progression of schooling, with courses building the skills Soldiers need throughout their military careers.
The organization currently has approximately 200 Soldiers, Collins said, with plans to grow to about 270 personnel as the formation develops. In addition to assigned personnel, the center anticipates supporting approximately 400 to 600 students at a time, potentially more. Collins said the organization’s current training requirements encompass approximately 6,000 to 7,000 Soldiers.
Along with developing the center’s training mission, Collins said he wants to preserve and carry forward the organization's historical legacy.
The 98th ARRTC inherits the heritage of the 98th Division, whose history dates to World War I and evolved over time into an institutional training mission. Collins said that history provides a foundation for the new organization rather than something separate from its current responsibilities.
“We're not starting from new,” Collins said. “We’re taking the 98th Training Division. It has a long history from World War I. We're continuing that mission. We're continuing that legacy.”
Collins also highlighted the connection to the organization’s alumni and historical associations in New York, describing his opportunity to lead the 98th ARRTC as an important link between the unit's past and future.
The unit’s shoulder sleeve insignia also represents the importance of bringing different organizations together. Collins said the symbolism reflects how distinct elements of the Army can unite around a shared mission and purpose.
For him, preserving that heritage means more than recognizing historical milestones. It also means building an organization in which Soldiers and training professionals understand their place in the larger Army mission.
During the activation ceremony, Col. Michael Child, deputy commanding officer of the 102nd Training Division, emphasized that institutional training provides the technical foundation and professional education Soldiers carry back to their formations. He challenged Collins and Command Sgt. Maj. Justin Tranberg, the center's first command team, to establish high standards, develop personnel, and build a culture of professionalism and disciplined execution.
Collins said the activation represents an important step in bringing the training organizations together, but the work of building the command will continue as the center grows and develops.
With the formal activation complete, Collins is focused on helping the 98th ARRTC establish itself at Fort McCoy, support the Soldiers who attend its courses, and maintain the standards associated with its history.
The goal, he said, is to ensure Soldiers leave training better prepared for their responsibilities and able to carry those skills back to their units.
Through the combined efforts of its training organizations and personnel, the 98th ARRTC should continue its mission of developing Soldiers and leaders while contributing to readiness across the Army Reserve and the Total Army.
Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.” The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”
And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online athttps://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
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