This Month in Fort McCoy History — October 2026
Fort McCoy was established in 1909. Here’s a look at the installation’s history from October 2026 and back.
80 Years Ago — October 1946
FROM THE OCT. 4, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Troop questionnaires will provide experts information (By Newspaper Staff) — Officers of AGF Board No. 3 have revealed that the individual soldier will give experts a great deal of the information they require to make a success of Task Force Frost.
Innumerable questionnaires will be distributed to the men and the answers they give will help to shape developments of future Army equipment and to modify equipment already in use. Skilled testing officers will prepare data which will then be sifted by Army and civilian technicians in Washington, where conclusions will be derived as to the worth of the item in question. In cases of outstanding faults, immediate and often on the spot modifications will be attempted. One such modification already made permits the firing of an M1 rifle while wearing mittens.
The questionnaires will be provided with a space for suggestions and in this way a man may aid testing officers in revising important equipment for his own and his buddies good.
As a rule, equipment will be highly praised by 2½ percent of the men, and condemned by another 2½ percent, while the majority take middle of the road views.
However, the deciding factor will not be the number of men disliking an item but the experience of the men, and the valid reasons they can give for the decision. In this way, testing officers will evaluate the questionnaires and, if their judgment warrants it, a special control test will be held. A control test is one in which all material factors will be controlled entirely and the human element controlled as closely as possible.
For example, in-the-field use of ammunition containers, difficulties are encountered in removing ammunition from one particular type container at night. A group of men will be taken out at night and timed as they remove ammunition from the various type containers. This exercise will be repeated until an average time for each type container is determined. Throughout the exercise the men will be observed and interviewed to determine the cause of the difficulty.
Thus soldiers of the future will owe much to those now taking part in Task Force Frost, and men of the Task Force who expect to remain in the Army are helping to ensure better clothing and equipment for themselves as a result of their participation in the tests.
FROM THE OCT. 4, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: McCoy to discharge personnel; initial group of 44 enlisted men alerted, processing begins Oct. 7th (By Newspaper Staff) — A directive received from Fifth Army Headquarters, Chicago, today alerted Camp McCoy officials to prepare to again institute separation facilities and procedures at this station.
According to the announcement all military personnel at McCoy becoming eligible for discharge in the future will be separated here along with all personnel from surrounding installations where medical facilities do not exist. This latter statement has been interpreted to include such activities in the area as recruiting stations, and other units utilizing small numbers of operating personnel.
Discharge own personnel as they become eligible
A subsequent telephone conversation engaged in between Col. Newton G. Bush, post commander, and Fifth Army Headquarters disclosed that separation proceedings will become effective at McCoy on Oct. 7. It was further pointed out that this change in policy also affects every Class I installation in the entire country. Hereafter, the existing separation centers will discharge only overseas returnees, and the remaining posts designated will handle separation of their own personnel plus smaller activities in their respective areas.
There are approximately 44 enlisted men scheduled for separation immediately after the new operation begins. The Camp McCoy station is one of six additional separation points in the Fifth Army area now set up in addition to the Fort Sheridan separation center.
FROM THE OCT. 11, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: GIs may wear ‘civies’ off duty (By Newspaper Staff) — Multi-colored garb now authorized: Many a GI’s dream is coming true. Now Joe can put on his best suit of “civies” and strut down the street with the best of civilians — and still draw that Army pay. Civilian clothes may now be worn by Soldiers during off-duty hours, the War Department announced.
In announcing the new privilege, the Army said that the order applied to military personnel in “the United States, the balance of the Western Hemisphere, including Greenland, and overseas possessions of the United States.”
Not worn on post on duty
Col. Newton G. Bush, post commander, in clarifying the order as it relates to Camp McCoy, stated that civilian clothes may not be worn on the post between the hours of Reveille and Retreat.
Civilian clothes will be allowed to be worn on the post by personnel on their way out of camp or returning from off post to their quarters. Civilian clothes will not be worn to the PXs, mess halls, or theaters on the post during duty hours. Civilian clothes may be worn on the post after 5 p. m. GIs in civilian clothes must carry their class A passes with them at all times.
The Army made it very plain, in the civilian clothes announcement, that the reduced furlough travel rates would be available to men in uniform only. Simultaneously with the Army’s action, the Navy granted the privilege of wearing civilian clothes to Navy personnel in the Western hemisphere and all United States possessions.
FROM THE OCT. 11, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Gen. Craig to arrive next week; inspect task force — task force review scheduled, all units to participate (By Newspaper Staff) — Maj. Gen. Louis A. Craig, deputy commander of the 5th Army, will be in Headquarters in Chicago, will arrive at Camp McCoy on Tuesday, Oct. 15, for an inspection of Task Force Frost.
A review will be held in the general’s honor and in the afternoon several demonstrations will take place. Mass firing of small arms, firing of recoilless shoulder weapons, an infantry tank attack, and Artillery firing by “B” Battery, 92nd Arm'd Field Artillery will be among the special events.
Inspected force earlier
General Craig made a rapid tour through inspection of Task Force Frost early in September when he watched members of Co. B, 6th Tank, and Co. “C”, of the then 2nd Infantry Regiment, perform in the field, and then visited orderly rooms, warehouses, and repair shops.
The general commanded the 9th Infantry Division in the ETO during the war. At the end of hostilities, he became commander of the 20th Corps. He returned to this country last fall and assumed command of the 7th Service Command at that time.
General Craig holds numerous foreign decorations from Belgium, France, England, Russia, and Ecuador. Some of the decorations he is entitled to wear are the World War ribbon with 4 stars, the ETO ribbon with 4 battle stars, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star.
FROM THE OCT. 11, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Model plane meet scheduled (By Newspaper Staff) — Plane enthusiasts, Staff Sgt. Thomas Henshelts, Pfc. Anthony Boss, Sgt. Wilfred Wierman and Clemens C. Bigger have been working on plane models in the gymnasium on 11th and P Streets and have completed some.
Their club started at Camp Hood, Texas. It was reorganized here at Camp McCoy and will welcome new members. They do most of their work during off-duty hours.
This club is always in contact with a very active club at La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Everyone is invited to attend the model exhibition at the athletic field behind the theater, October 27th. Dogfights, stunts, and speed exhibitions by radio-controlled planes, and planes with control lines are all Club specialties.
At this time the club is working on a radio-controlled scale model piper cub plane with a 7-foot wingspan.
FROM THE OCT. 11, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Radio men at work (By Newspaper Staff) — Headquarters’ radio section has been very busy in the last three months here at Camp McCoy, attending classes, going out on field problems, and ironing out kinks in radio operation for the Task Force Frost winter operations.
Most of the men in this section are experienced in this field. Communications chief, technical Sgt. James E. Watson has been men in his section. Master Sgt. Mallokin Koch and Wallis L. Buckner are instructors.
Tech. Sgt. George M. Glowjack is the radio repair man, and Sgt. Daniel chief radio operator. Other radio operators are T-5 Demara Hewitt, Pfc. Anthony Bosco, T/5 Willifred M. Hush, T/5 John Stazil, Pfc. Donald McGowan, T/5 Henry D. Metzger. Most of these men are C.W. operators.
Because of the great importance of communications in the Task Force, Headquarters radio section will have a large role in the winter test operations.
FROM THE OCT. 11, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: It’s Your Uniform — Wear It Properly (By Newspaper Staff) — There it is fellows (referring to related photos)! That’s the way it’s SUPPOSED to look. It may not be a drape shape with a neat pleat, but Sgt. Lester Miller, of the M. P. Company, looks mighty sharp, doesn’t he? And, you know, that could be you with just a little pressing, a dab of shoe polish, and heeding the following advice from Capt. Carl Tabor, the Provost Marshall.
“I believe that this is the time of the year that a great number of us wonder about uniform regulations. The pros and cons are somewhat confused by local policy, which is changed from year to year. We do want to comply with the uniform regulations and to remove any question from anyone’s mind. This is what the Post Commander expects. Class “A” uniform on the reservation is construed to be wool O. D. trousers, wool O. D. shirt, woolen field cap or Pershing bill hat, tropical worsted or khaki tie. Khaki shirt will not be worn with the field jacket or as an outer garment.
“Off the Camp McCoy reservation, class “A” uniform only will be worn, outer garment to be wool shirt, blouse, or battle jacket. Class “B” uniform (fatigues) is to be worn on the Camp McCoy reservation only when actually working or engaged in athletics. The headdress will habitually be worn at all times except when engaged in athletics.”
FROM THE OCT. 18, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Post library offers much (By Newspaper Staff) — Did you ever get that certain feeling that you would like to just sit down with a good book or magazine, and spend an evening at ease? You can quench that desire at the Post Library, located in Service Club 1.
There you will have at your disposal daily newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. You can even consult the “Career Monograph Papers” to decide what you will do with your life when you are discharged. And after you choose your career, you can pick the college you will attend from a complete collection of college catalogues. For a select book, maybe one of the following will suit your taste.
Top Books Offered • “Last Chapter”—by Ernie Pyle—An accumulation of all Ernie Pyle’s notes as a war correspondent. • “Stop or I'll Scream”—And before me, you will scream when you read this album of Collier’s famous cartoons. • “The Unforseen”—by Dorothy McCardle—As mysterious as it sounds, is this novel of the supernatural . . . predicting the unpredictable! • “Mixture for Men”—These compiled stories are entirely different . . . elaborating on unheard of personages who have affected our civilization. • “Psychopathic Dog”—by John Phillip Sousa — A tale of a beer-drinking dog . . . both “amoozin and confoozin.”
Don't waste your time fellows. Spend a profitable evening at the post library!
FROM THE OCT. 18, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: 1,200 men expected by Oct. 31; to be reassigned from here (By Newspaper Staff) — If current reports prove to be correct — the very near future may see a hustle and bustle of activity in the 1700 block at Camp McCoy.
Door blocks will be taken down, lights turned on, smoke will start curling from the chimneys and an echo of voices will be heard throughout the area.
According to information received this week by Col. Newton G. Bush, post commander, from the G-1 section of Fifth Army Headquarters, Chicago, a group of men may be sent to Camp McCoy prior to Oct. 31 for quarters and rations.
The group … will be made up mostly of new inductees and a few short-term men who have yet to serve less than six and more than three months.
Men classified here
These men are being diverted by the War Department from overcrowded training centers. They will be classified as qualifications, be given MOS numbers, and then be sent in groups to other installations to replace men who are being discharged or sent overseas. It is expected that some of the men will be used for replacement here for those Regular Army men eligible for overseas service.
Although there is as of yet no definite assurance that the men will be sent to McCoy, it seems likely from information received that such action will be taken. It is expected that the school for Bakers and Cooks, Ft. Sheridan, Ill., will furnish men.
Officers of the post complement will be used to classify the men and act as interviewers. It is anticipated that the former counseling building will be utilized for testing procedures.
FROM THE OCT. 25, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: FROST IN FIELD; Troops return today or Saturday (By Newspaper Staff) — Men of Task Force Frost will return from the field Friday night or early Saturday morning to close the second five days of Task Force maneuver draws to a close.
On Tuesday, all units participating in a 9-mile conditioning march from their McCoy Co. C, 6th Infantry Regiment maneuvering … and others in the 92nd A.F.A. conducted an ASP. Meanwhile, an armor attack and advance and attack was staged by troops of the 6th Tank Co., 1st Tank Bn., and McCoy, Cav. and 1st Platoon, 6th “C” LST.
Wednesday, a Tank-Infantry attack was held with troops of “C” Co., 7th Inf. and the 6th Tank Co. participating, along with the 92nd A.F.A. lending support.
Also active during the maneuvers proved were Firing “A,” and “C” Co., 10th Engineer; 3rd Ammunition Platoon of the 38th Ordnance, and the Med. Clearing Platoon.
Friday morning all units participating in a coordinated attack of infantry, tanks, and artillery. As time passes, and the weather grows colder, maneuver periods will be lengthened, for the majority of items will be tested.
It will be then that the men of the Task Force will be called upon to give opinions and suggestions concerning their equipment and the information they give to testing officers will greatly influence future development of Army Ground Force cold weather clothing and equipment.
FROM THE OCT. 25, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Army accepts disabled vet enlistments (By Newspaper Staff) — In another move to bring skilled personnel into the United States Army and also to offer the Army as a career to many men heretofore barred from such an opportunity because of disability caused by honorable service, the War Department announced today that certain categories of disabled veterans would be accepted for enlistment in the Regular Army.
5,000 to be accepted
Recognizing that many men disabled in service are desirous of an Army career and that many of these men have proven themselves able and skilled by winning over their handicaps, the War Department has directed that an initial 5,000 partially disabled veterans will be accepted for service in the Regular Army.
The disabled enlistee is needed to fill the positive need for skilled manpower in the Army, and in its utilization will allow the Army to release physically-fit Soldiers for more strenuous duties.
The action also permits the War Department to accomplish material with the Army the rehabilitation placement of certain disabled veterans, a program it has long sponsored in civilian placement.
May go overseas
A portion of those qualified disabled men may go overseas for duty. Enlistment of other than the physically perfect admittedly has its disadvantages but the War Department study of the project indicates that the advantages provided by such enlistments far exceed the disadvantages, and afford the Army the opportunity of repaying in part those men who sacrificed their health when our nation was at war.
75 Years Ago — October 1951
FROM THE ARMY HISTORY ARCHIVES: The U.S. Army’s official Fort McCoy history records that Camp McCoy again became a reassignment and separation center in October 1951.
The installation continued serving in this capacity until January 1953. During that period:
— More than 15,000 service members were separated from military service.
— Another 18,000 service members were reassigned to other posts.
— The camp was also supporting the Army's Korean War-era training and mobilization mission.
— Oct. 4, 1951 — Army searchlight demonstration took place. Two searchlights from the 988th Engineer Searchlight Company of Fort Bragg, N.C., demonstrated their capabilities at Camp McCoy. The Army described the equipment as an 800-million-candlepower searchlight capable of illuminating a battlefield or projecting a beam nearly 20 miles into the night.
— Oct. 27, 1951 — Civilian workforce reductions canceled. Camp McCoy canceled planned discharges for 100 civilian employees, keeping them on the payroll. Another 80 employees previously discharged under a civilian workforce reduction had found private-sector jobs and were not to be replaced, according to civilian personnel director Franklin Skogstad.
40 Years Ago — October 1986
FROM THE OCT. 30, 1986, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy Command Group — Accomplishments (fiscal year 1986)(By Newspaper Staff) — Fiscal year (FY) 1986, the year of contingency studies, reviews and what could possibly happen next. As I will point out, numerous very positive objectives were accomplished in FY 86, despite the impacts of the National Guard study, Army Reserve Readiness Training Center (ARRTC) and Civilian Personnel Office relocation studies, German-Rudman-Hollings budget cuts, changes in the Federal Retirement program and fluctuating civilian employment levels which caused an environment of great uncertainty throughout the Fort.
The analogies of Alvin Toffler’s 1975 bestseller “Future Shock” caught up with Fort McCoy in 1986. Stress and anxiety factors became an area of genuine concern throughout the workforce early in the fiscal year. Then steadily and surely we began to confront the great instabilities and continued to turn in one of the best installation performance records in Forces Command (FORSCOM) while supporting the highest-tempo training densities in Fort McCoy’s history — 17,000 more than the record-setting 103,000 soldiers in 1985.
Last year it was stated that, “we’re going to have to do more with less and do it better.”
We have done more:
— We supported the greatest number of troops in our history—the equivalent in excess of one million training man-days. — We responded to an extraordinary number of external staffing requirements. — We made significant progress in the Commercial Activities process. — We justified the prioritization of 28 military construction projects over the next five years totaling $81 million in new facilities including: — a new self-contained ARRTC school complex; — a multi-purpose training range; — a central vehicle wash facility; — a 65-unit housing complex; — a commissary; — a child care center; — a vehicle maintenance center; — an electrical substation; — an airfield central fuel storage; — an automated data processing and maintenance facility. — We made numerous improvements to current facilities such as the Main Gate, roads, signs, and upgraded 52 buildings on post. — We conducted formal technical, supervisory and self-improvement training for the greatest number of employees in Fort McCoy history. — We have done it with less.
The Fort McCoy FY 86 base operating budget was virtually the same as allocated in FY 85. The number of military and civilian personnel in support of the mission has increased 10 percent.
We are doing it better. In keeping with the Army philosophy of leading, caring, training and maintaining, the installation has proven itself by:
Leading
— We are the largest reserve component mobilization station in the Army. — We have the largest off-post support mission which includes the second largest Finance and Accounting Office in the Army. — We have the best Standard Installation Management System in the Army. — We have the most profitable club system in the Army. — We won the FORSCOM Fourth Estate Award for Journalism Excellence. — A Fort McCoy soldier was selected as FORSCOM’s NCO of the Year.
Caring
— We have the lowest Military Personnel Records (SIDPERS) production/processing error rates in FORSCOM. — We have the lowest Civilian Personnel Records (CVPERSINS) production/processing error rates in FORSCOM. — We have the lowest Reserve Pay error rate in FORSCOM. — We have the lowest individual and overall crime rate in all categories among FORSCOM installations.
Training
— We provided support and training opportunities to approximately 120,000 soldiers during FY 86. — We supported a record number of students through the Army’s only Reserve Readiness Training Center. — We provided direct support to the largest Reserve Component exercises in the Army: (REFORGER 86, Sentry II—dependent, TAMEX 86, and Bold Cactus II).
Maintaining
— We were a first place winner of the Department of the Army’s 1986 Energy Conservation Award. — We support the Army’s largest Equipment Concentration Site (ECS). — We have the best Base Operations (BOS) program in terms of low cost per rates and production ratios. — We have the best stock fund section in productivity and accuracy in FORSCOM. — We have the FORSCOM model warehouse and maintenance facility for the complex Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES).
— The Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (old Property Disposal Office) is an annual contender for World’s Best. (All accomplishments listed per the garrison commander.)
30 Years Ago — October 1996
FROM THE OCT. 11, 1996, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: Members of McCoy-based unit to support U.S. efforts in Bosnia (By Lou Ann M. Mittelstaedt, Triad Staff) — Family members, friends, and media members gathered Sept. 23 at the Sparta/Fort McCoy Airport for a brief ceremony to say goodbye and good luck to four soldiers departing the installation in support of Operation Joint Endeavor, the Bosnian peacekeeping effort.
Four members of the Fort McCoy-based Company B, 2nd Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment departed the installation at noon for their mobilization site, Fort Benning, Ga. At Fort Benning, they will undergo final preparations for deployment to either Heidelberg, Germany, or Naples, Italy, where they will serve nine-month tours of duty.
Company B, 2nd/228th, is a 16-member unit that recently was reassigned to Fort McCoy from Glenview Naval Air Station, Ill. The unit’s stateside mission is to provide fixed-wing aircraft support for a variety of military missions using C-12 fixed-wing aircraft, the newest of its type in the Army fleet.
The unit already has eight of its personnel deployed in support of Operation Joint Endeavor, said Capt. M. Brian O’Tu’el, unit commander. “The soldiers deploying today will be able to walk right into the mission and help,” he said.
Personnel departing Fort McCoy Sept. 23 were Capt. Mark Smith, Warrant Officer 4 Bruce Anderson, Warrant Officer 4 Paul Herrick and Warrant Officer 3 John Schmidt.
Installation Commander Col. Harold K. Miller Jr., who addressed the gathering at the airport, said the soldiers’ deployment was another example of how the Army Reserve increasingly is being relied upon for its expertise and talents in support of military missions worldwide.
Each year, approximately 20,000 Army Reserve Soldiers deploy, Miller said, citing Army Reserve support to missions such as Uphold Democracy in Haiti as well as Joint Endeavor. These missions and many others, both stateside and OCONUS (outside the continental United States), clearly demonstrate the nation’s reliance on the Army Reserve.
“Army Reservists are Citizen-Soldiers, all volunteers, who take pride to keep America free. Today’s Army Reserve is trained, ready and willing. We are all grateful men and women who answer the call to the colors.”
To the Soldiers and their family members who gathered at the ceremony, Miller pledged the support of the Fort McCoy community and the Army Reserve.
“We will provide whatever support you need to help your families through this time of need. We also are very grateful to your families — your spouses and your children — who shoulder this burden of your absence and who support your endeavor of ‘making the world a better place.’ Few words can help these families find comfort today as they say goodbye to their Soldiers until the mission is complete. However, we will stand by your families as they contend with your absence.”
In closing, Miller said freedom always has had a price.
“Our nation has paid that price in the past and is committed in the future to doing what is necessary to preserve the freedoms of our country and the freedom of the world.”
“To the soldiers of Company B, Second Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, we salute you, wish you godspeed, a safe mission, a speedy return and good luck.”
FROM THE OCT. 11, 1996, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: Archaeological study examines post’s soil (By Rob Schuette, Triad Staff) — Someone digging below the surface of Fort McCoy today would find the soil composition very similar to what it was 9,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Ty Sobin and Garry Leonard Running IV, employees of the U.S. Geological Survey, presented the findings of their research project Sept. 18 at Fort McCoy. The project was done to determine those areas of Fort McCoy that may need further archaeological studies.
The data indicated that only about the top one-meter of Fort McCoy soil has changed very much during the past 9,000 years, Running said.
“The area has a lot of sand,” Running said. “You can’t farm it. The military training during the past 90 years hasn’t affected the underlying soil composition. In short, this is a good place for a fort, and it can support the Army’s training mission.”
The fact that only the top one-meter of the soil has changed much during the past 9,000 to 10,000 years also has made it an excellent site to study the history of the area, he said.
Dell Greek, Fort McCoy archaeologist, said he knew something special was happening several years ago when he found 9,000-year-old stone artifacts near modern ordnance on the soil surface and at shallow soil depths.
“It’s common to find artifacts about 400 to 1,000 years old in these locations,” Greek said. “I knew it was out of the ordinary to find material 9,000 years old (in those areas).”
At the time Greek found the 9,000-year-old materials, the USGS was helping Fort McCoy with a survey for petroleum contaminants. Greek presented his findings to the U.S.G.S personnel and asked for their assistance to make a geomorphical map/model of the post that shows how the land formed over time.
Geomorphic surveys are done with existing information, field surveys using a geoprobe drilling technique into the soil, and laboratory analysis of the results. Among the results the study found about soil composition at Fort McCoy were:
A solid, underlying bedrock formation has resisted weathering or other significant changes for the past 10,000 years.
Much of the post is lowlands, although it does have abrupt slopes and mountainous-type land. The soil is covered with mostly sand that is only a few meters thick. Some areas on post have small sand dunes.
An abundance of green grass cover. This has helped keep the slopes stable and protected them from erosion.
Abundant groundwater
“The results will be used to manage environmental and land-use programs,” Sobin said. “One of the things we found was with the amount of sand, the incredible variety of vegetation speaks well for the amount of water underneath the surface.”
Sobin said the study is being recognized as a landmark study not only for the region, but for the state.
Because Fort McCoy is in the southwestern part of the state that wasn’t affected by glaciers during the ice age and connects to several important areas, the information will help state experts understand the formation of lands throughout the state, he said.
20 Years Ago — October 2006
FROM THE OCT. 27, 2006, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: General Purpose Warehouse facility construction approved (By Newspaper Staff) — Construction of a new General Purpose Warehouse, which will replace World War II-era warehouse buildings in the 2100 block at Fort McCoy, has been approved.
Solicitation bids are being accepted through Nov. 21. The project is estimated to have a price tag between $10 million and $25 million and will be paid for by Military Construction, Army Reserve funding. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) will oversee the project, which is a designed facility.
Roy Brewer, the ACOE resident engineer for the Fort McCoy district, said project construction should tentatively begin in the spring of 2007 with a construction time of about 18 months. The project will include 80,000-square-feet of floor space, enclosed in a three-story high building, said Dave Gundlach, Directorate of Support Services (DSS) project manager.
Administrative offices will be located to the front of the facility on a single level. The warehouse will be a high bay storage area and is designed to allow several tenants to divide and securely store their items.
The storage areas will have a flexible partition system that will allow the space to be adapted for current and future needs, Gundlach said.
The building will be of tilt-up concrete panel construction, according to the Federal Business Opportunities listing.
Gundlach said the facility also will include a loading/unloading dock and a large outside open storage area, which will be enclosed by a fence.
Rick Whitley, installation chief of Supply and Services for DSS, said the facility will house various DSS tenants, including Retail Supply, Classification, Transportation, Training Support Section, Engineer Supply, and Services for DSS.
FROM THE OCT. 27, 2006, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: Engineer unit to support Iraqi Freedom (By Loni Witscheber, Triad Contributor) — After three months of training at Fort McCoy, the 186th Engineer Company (Combat Support), an Army National Guard unit headquartered in Dothan, Ala., is prepared to provide support for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
The unit is made up of approximately 160 Soldiers, with 30-percent of the unit being cross-leveled from the 877th Engineer Battalion and 1151st Engineer Battalion. A smaller number of Soldiers also are from Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi.
“The unit has integrated very well,” said Capt. Clay S. Strickland, commander of the 186th. “We have worked closely with the 877th before, so our Soldiers already knew one another prior to our arrival at Fort McCoy.”
The unit’s in-theater mission will consist of such work as building berms, roads, fuel points, entry control points, parking lots, and motor pools at Forward Operating Bases (FOB).
“This unit has been deployed together for various missions before, such as Hurricanes Rita and Katrina,” said Master Sgt. Martin S. Tillery, a member of the 186th. “This is the first time that this company itself has been mobilized.”
To prepare for its mission in-country, the unit has undergone long days of Theater Immersion training.
Theater Immersion is a training approach advocated by First Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, and it is the cornerstone for priming Soldiers for deployment. Theater Immersion training places Soldiers in an environment with situations that replicate, as realistically as possible, those they will experience overseas.
To mirror the FOB environment that Soldiers will occupy in country, the unit lived in tents at Tactical Training Base (TTB) Freedom and TTB Liberty, which were surrounded by concertina wire, entry control points and guard towers.
Soldiers traveled in convoys and encountered role players posing as civilians on the battlefield or opposing forces.
10 Years Ago — October 2016
FROM THE OCT. 14, 2016, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Law-enforcement team practices scenarios at Urban-Assault Course (By Scott T. Sturkol, Newspaper Editor) — An Illinois law-enforcement team made a three-day visit to Fort McCoy in late September to train at the Range 41 Urban-Assault Course on the installation’s North Post.
The team of 13 officers combined from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Dixon Police Department is called the Joint Operations Group. Its purpose is similar to a special-weapons-and-tactics team, said Officer Lincoln Sharp, a team member with the Dixon Police Department.
“This was our first trip to Fort McCoy as a team,” he said.
The team trained almost exclusively at the Urban-Assault Course.
The course has several stations and structures for personnel to train with blank ammunition, Simunitions (detergent-filled training ammunition), and live-fire rounds, said Range Scheduling Supervisor Mark Stelzner with the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security (DPTMS).
Sharp said the course was “exactly what they needed” to complete their training.
“We don’t have structures like this available for us to train where we are, so this (was) new to us and a nice surprise,” Sharp said.
Scenarios practiced during training used the latest law-enforcement-specific tactics, techniques, and procedures.
“This also was a great opportunity to build our team skills,” Sharp said.
The team used barracks space for lodging while at Fort McCoy. Sharp said the accommodations, training venues, and support from the installation staff were excellent.
“It was nice to be able to come here and take advantage of your nice facilities,” Sharp said. “They worked out perfectly for our training scenarios.”
Law-enforcement personnel regularly conduct urban-style training at Fort McCoy.
The facilities used often include two fully instrumented urban training sites, a 25-building Combined Arms Collective Training Facility, a 20-building Collective Training Facility, and three wireless-instrumented Combat in the Cities facilities.
FROM THE OCT. 14, 2016, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Artillery Soldiers complete battery marksmanship improvement (By Scott T. Sturkol, Newspaper Editor) — Soldiers with the Wisconsin National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery Regiment (1st, 121st) completed five days of Battery Marksmanship Improvement Training on five weapons at Fort McCoy in late September.
“Soldiers gain (proficiency) on multiple weapons that they might not normally use,” said 1st Sgt. Scott Hale, Battery A first sergeant and battalion operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the 1st, 121st. “This was our first attempt at conducting the course, and our hope is this will lead to more training of this kind in the future.”
The entire training effort included 21 Soldiers — 18 of whom were students. The Soldiers trained on the M4 rifle; M240, M249, and M2 .50-caliber machine guns; and the Mark 19 grenade launcher. The Soldiers trained primarily at Fort McCoy’s Range 26, one of the installation’s 31 live-fire ranges. Sgt. Fredrick Wuhrman, training noncommissioned officer for 1st, 121st Battery A, said the training went well.
“The students soaked up the training,” Wuhrman said. “Throughout the training, we were identifying solutions for improvements for future classes, too.
“Also, since this was essentially a ‘train the trainer’ course, the Soldiers who completed this training will be able to share what they’ve learned with other Soldiers throughout the unit,” Wuhrman said.
Hale said the training helps Soldiers to be better shooters and also better trainers so they can help increase proficiency in unit marksmanship and weapons-related tasks.
“We worked for a while to get this training set up,” Hale said. “I was glad to see how well it worked out.”
Future versions of this training likely will take place at Fort McCoy, Hale said.
The 1st, 121st is part of the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, which is based out of Milwaukee. Attached to the 1st, 121st is Battery A located in Sussex, Wis.; Battery B in Plymouth, Wis.; and the 108th Forward Support Company, also located in Sussex.
The 1st, 121st operates the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
5 Years Ago — October 2021
FROM THE OCT. 22, 2001, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: 116,053 troops train at Fort McCoy during fiscal year 2021 (By Scott T. Sturkol, Newspaper Editor) — Nearly doubling the troop training total from fiscal year 2020, Fort McCoy supported the training of 116,053 troops on post during fiscal year 2021.
During fiscal year 2020, 60,054 troops trained at Fort McCoy because training was scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During fiscal year 2021, with existing COVID-19 mitigation measures in place, the installation brought back training levels to beyond 100,000 troops.
Larry Sharp, chief of the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security (DPTMS) Training Coordination Branch, said the training numbers include Army Reserve Soldiers; National Guard service members; and active-duty troops from not just the Army but also other services, such as the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
Training statistics reflect many types of training opportunities that take place at the installation by active- and reserve-component forces and other governmental agencies, according to DPTMS.
During fiscal year 2021, training included several Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) sessions; battle-drill (weekend) training; annual training; mobilization; institutional training; and numerous exercises, including a Warrior Exercise, Combat Support Training Exercise, Diamond Saber, Global Medic, and the level III Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) mobilization exercise Pershing Strike ’21.
Pershing Strike included an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE), two units preparing for deployment, and additional units completing training to “stress” Mobilization Force Generation Installation (MFGI) capabilities, said Fort McCoy DPTMS Director Mike Todd.
“This exercise enables Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) to prepare their system for a unit to deploy,” Todd said in July, noting it helps the command and units make sure everything such as personnel and equipment are ready for a deployment while at the same time helping refine the MFGI capabilities.
DPTMS Mobilization/Demobilization Branch Chief Kurt Bruggemeyer, who directly supported Pershing Strike ’21, said in many cases an EDRE, which was held the second week of July at Fort McCoy and Volk Field, and a mobilization exercise are held separately. But for Pershing Strike ’21, the EDRE was intertwined with the exercise.
“Mobilization exercises vary in levels, with some only being table-top exercises and others integrating numerous units that may or may not actually be deploying into a theater of combat operations,” Bruggemeyer said. “During this mobilization exercise Pershing Strike, FORSCOM injected an EDRE into the mobilization exercise flow of units to do several things. First, it tested and evaluated the deploying unit’s ability to deploy/redeploy. And secondly, the EDRE unit’s Soldiers helped to stress the Fort McCoy MFGI enterprise’s ability to support mobilization operations on a larger scale.”
DPTMS personnel document the training statistics each month of the fiscal year, Sharp said. This involves combining numbers of the entire transient training population, which encompasses reserve- and active-component military forces as well as other training agencies, such as law-enforcement agencies or the Wisconsin Challenge Academy.
Fort McCoy Food Program Manager Andy Pisney with the Fort McCoy Logistics Readiness Center said the installation’s food-service team definitely noticed the increased level of training throughout the fiscal year.
“Food is universal to every operation, and our team really worked hard to support everything that took place at the installation,” Pisney said. “And we’ve also done our support with COVID-19 still being a factor in our operations. The whole team — the Food Program Management Office, Supply Subsistence Management Office, and contractors and suppliers — had a role in our successful support of the training mission. I’m very proud of our team.”
All of the training also plays a role in the economic impact the installation has on local economies. According to the Fort McCoy’s Plans, Analysis and Integration Office, in fiscal year 2020, Fort McCoy’s total economic impact for that fiscal year was an estimated $1.479 billion.
Training customers appreciate their training experiences at Fort McCoy, as well. For example, Marine Capt. William Myers with the 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company said in February that he appreciated the individualized instruction of CWOC, and he said all the instructors are highly knowledgeable and approachable. He said building improvised shelters and the proper wear of cold-weather clothing are skills he planned to train others on in his unit.
Myers also said Fort McCoy is a great place for cold-weather training. “Fort McCoy mirrors the climate of many of the NATO countries where (our unit) conducts major exercises, thus providing a good exposure to cold weather we might experience in training or conducting operations over there,” he said.
DPTMS officials project similar training numbers or higher at the installation in fiscal year 2022.
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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