This Month in Fort McCoy History — August 2026
Fort McCoy was established in 1909. Here's a look at the installation’s history from August 2026 and back.
80 Years Ago — August 1946
FROM THE AUG. 2, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Dances highlight week’s activity at Service Club (By Newspaper Staff) — Highlights of the week’s entertainment at Service Club 1 are the dances given on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 11 p.m. for the military personnel and invited guests.
The guest list of women includes the WACs, and young ladies from La Crosse, Sparta, and Tomah, who are transported from the nearby towns to the dances by government vehicles, under supervision of chaperones, and who are returned to their homes following the dance.
Guests’ tickets will also be furnished to any G.I. who wishes to bring a civilian from a nearby town who is not included in the invited list. The G.I. must contact the service club hostess, Mrs. Margaret Soule, not later than 6 p.m. on the night of the dance and get the guest card with her signature and the name of the invited guest. He must escort the girl from her home and following the dance return with her to her home.
FROM THE AUG. 2, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Task Force Frost conducts small arms firing program; 1,000 men check carbines, rifles, machine guns (By Newspaper Staff) — Task Force Frost this week conducted a small arms familiarization program which included the firing of U.S. rifle caliber .30 M1; U.S. carbine, caliber .30; Browning Automatic Rifle, caliber .30; automatic pistol, caliber .45; and submachine gun, caliber .45, Col. Rudolph W. Brodlow, Task Force commander, announced this week.
The purpose of the program was to acquaint each man with the gun he is authorized to use and to check arms to ensure that they are in repair for future use. Men of the Task Force will use these weapons in the winter maneuvers which are to come.
Firing on all ranges began each morning at 9 a.m. and continued throughout the day. Each man fired 25 rounds of ammunition, except for those using the Browning Automatic Rifle who shot 50 rounds.
FROM THE AUG. 2, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Armored units of 92nd join task force (By Newspaper Staff) — Five units of the famous “Hell on Wheels” division, Second Armored, are at McCoy training for the winter tests to be conducted by Task Force Frost.
Headquarters Battery, “B” Battery, and Service Battery of the 92nd Armored Artillery battalion have been assigned to the Task Force from Camp Hood, Tex., home of the armored unit.
Other units of the Second Armored with the Task Force here include “B” company of the Sixth Tank battalion which was formed from the 66th and 67th Armored regiments in the first part of May, 1946, and the 31st Ordnance Heavy Maintenance company which is attached to the Second Armored.
Take physical conditioning
The unit’s training schedules include physical conditioning, preliminary marksmanship, AOS training, specialized training, athletics, maintenance of equipment, road marching and inspections.
The Second Armored returned from overseas occupation duty in Germany this January and since that time has been stationed at Camp Hood. Various units became a part of the task forces at McCoy, Alaska, and in the Aleutians. The remainder of the division is still at Camp Hood.
Regular Army unit
“Hell on Wheels” has an admirable record. A Regular Army division, it was activated in June, 1940. Its first training was received at Fort Benning, Ga.
Later it participated in the Tennessee, Louisiana, and Carolina maneuvers in 1941. In August 1942, the division had special training off the Carolina coast under the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force.
The first units left for North Africa in September 1942, and the remainder left soon afterward. Overseas training in North Africa followed. The unit contained the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment; the 66th and 67th Armored Regiments; and the 14th, 78th and 92nd Armored Field Artillery Battalions. The Second Armored has served under the First, Fifth, Seventh, and Ninth Armies.
Unit receives Belgian Medal
On June 12, 1945, the division was listed for a mass citation for the Croix de Guerre, the first foreign division ever to be offered such an honor by Belgium.
In November 1942, under Gen. George S. Patton, the division joined the drive on Casablanca. In the battle for Tunisia, it participated in brilliant action. In September 1943, the Second Armored took part in the invasion of Sicily, landing at Gela and fighting at Butera, Campobello, San Severo/Saselvetrano, and Palermo.
The division transferred to England late in 1943, to refit and train for the continental campaign. In the early stages of the June, 1944, Normandy invasion, the division landed and finally into Germany.
FROM THE AUG. 2, 1946, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: German PW Reeducation Program shows dividends (By Newspaper Staff) — Approximately three-fourths of the 378,000 German prisoners of war brought to this country during the war were at least partially reeducated during their internment and returned to Europe “with an appreciation of the value of democracy and a friendly attitude toward America.”
This conclusion was based on a recently-completed opinion poll of 22,153 German prisoners from camps in all parts of the country, administered at Camp Shanks, N.Y., during their processing for repatriation. Results of the poll were disclosed in a report by Brig. Gen. B. M. Bryan, the Army’s Provost Marshal General.
Polled in groups of about 2,000 over a period of six weeks, the prisoners tested at Camp Shanks are believed to represent a fair cross section of the total number held here. Maj. Robert F. Richards, Special Projects Division director, said the percentage of favorable answers were remarkably consistent for all groups polled, indicating there would probably have been little deviation had the questionnaire been given to all 378,000 originally interned in the United States.
Analysis of answers to a number of significant questions on ideologies and attitudes, Major Richards said, indicated that 74 percent of the prisoners left the United States with an appreciation of democratic values. Based on the questions resulting in the least favorable percentage of answers, he said were the following conclusions:
— About 33 percent of the prisoners are now definitely anti-Nazi and pro-democratic, compared to an estimated 13 percent before the start of the re-education program; an additional 41 percent are favorably inclined toward democracy; 10 percent are still militantly Nazi, and 16 percent are white not strictly Nazi, but are not favorably disposed toward America or democracy.
75 Years Ago — January 1951
FROM THE AUG. 17, 1951, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Soldier dies as accident toll climbs (By Newspaper Staff) — McCoy’s accident toll continued to climb this week with one Soldier killed and five injured in three motor vehicle mishaps.
Pfc. LeRoy H. Peterson, Battery C, 194th Field Artillery Battalion, was fatally injured early Monday morning when the car in which he was riding crashed into a tree two miles west of Sparta on Highway 16.
Two other Soldiers from the same unit were injured, in critical condition in St. Mary’s Hospital, Sparta. Sgt. Gordon Ostlund, driver of the auto. He received a fractured skull, multiple fractures of the arm, a fractured leg and internal injuries. The other passenger, Cpl. George R. Schaffer, is in the post hospital suffering from internal injuries and broken ribs on the left side.
Two McCoy Soldiers also were hurt and two others escaped injury early Monday when their car rolled over on Highway 14, south of Janesville, Wis.
FROM THE AUG. 17, 1951, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Butler greets 34th Division troops he led in World War II (By Newspaper Staff) — There was a double significance in the welcome given Monday by Brig. Gen. Frederic B. Butler, Post Commanding General, to troops of the 34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division who arrived here for two weeks summer encampment.
It marked the first time the division has trained at this post. It also marked the reunion of the general with officers and men of the 168th Infantry Regiment which General Butler commanded during World War II.
“I owe a debt of gratitude to many of you officers and men here who served me well in the last war,” said the general, addressing a mass formation of the division.
“I am paying particular reference to my 168th Regiment from Iowa,” he added. “I am happy to note in the lineup of troops that it was on the right of the line. I hope they shall ever be on the right of the line.”
In closing his welcome to Iowa-Nebraska troops comprising the 34th, General Butler termed the personnel “the Minute Men of this era.”
65 Years Ago — August 1961
FROM THE AUG. 4, 1961, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Air Guard here in ‘Wolverine’ (By Newspaper Staff) — The time could be any minute, any moment...pilots of the Wisconsin and Missouri Air National Guard pace the squad rooms in Milwaukee, Madison, and Volk Field near Camp Douglas. Their fighter jets stand in the runways gassed and ready.
Then comes the call...
“Scramble!”
Cigarettes are dashed out; helmets and gear quickly donned. Airmen hop in their jets and zoom off to intercept the simulated aggressor, B-57 bombers of the Michigan Air National Guard from Battle Creek, whose target area might be anywhere in the state of Wisconsin.
The motivation for such bustling and hustling is triggered by exercise “Wolverine.” This combat simulated exercise is a part of this year’s two-week training for Air National Guardsmen.
One of the three Air Force radar units who “Scramble” and control the interceptor jets is the 133rd Aircraft Control and Warning Flight from Fort Dodge, Iowa, presently at Camp McCoy for the training exercise.
The self-sustaining mobile unit, commanded by Lt. Col. Elroy H. Novak of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, detects, locates, and identifies aircraft with long-range radar equipment. When an “aggressor” is identified, a message is quickly flashed to the waiting pilots in Milwaukee, Madison, and Volk Field. On the word, “Scramble,” pilots hurry to their planes with one objective... to become airborne. Once in flight, they receive the plan of attack.
The 133rd, a part of Tactical Air Command, would in the time of emergency travel as a mobile unit to troubled areas for the purpose of controlling high speed jet fighters. The 239 Citizen-Soldiers of the unit are, in the words of their commander, “a most vital link in air defense, or for that matter, in the total defense of our country.”
Last year the 133rd participated in an exercise similar to “Wolverine,” “Operation Pinecone” at Fort Lee, Va. The unit was organized in June 1948 and placed on active-duty November 1, 1951, to serve in the Korean War. They will leave Camp McCoy on the 12th of August.
FROM THE AUG. 11, 1961, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: 103rd Infantry Division arrives Sunday (By Newspaper Staff) — Climaxing the summer training period for 1961, over 15,000 Citizen-S0oldiers will arrive here during Aug. 12-19. This will be the largest number of troops entering two weeks training at Camp McCoy for 1961.
The 103rd (Cactus) Infantry Division, from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa, with over 9,000 men, will be the largest single unit to train here this year. Commanded by Maj. Gen. Louis D. Burkhalter, Jr., the 103rd Headquarters is located in Des Moines, Iowa.
Infantry Battle Groups of the 103rd are made up of manpower from the metropolitan areas of Madison, Wis.; Council Bluffs and Iowa City, Iowa; and St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn.
Other units which will boost the Camp McCoy population during the final two big weeks are the 5063rd U. S. Army Garrison and 5091st Reception Station from Milwaukee; 395th Evacuation Hospital and 446th Medical Detachment from Gary, Ind.; 289th Ordnance Company (Direct Automotive Support), Waterloo, Iowa; 258th Quartermaster Company (Bakery), Fort Snelling, Minn.; and the 463rd Quartermaster Battalion, Headquarters & Headquarters Detachment from Camp McCoy.
The 463rd is the only U.S. Army Reserve unit having its headquarters at Camp McCoy throughout the year. Personnel of this unit come from the Tomah and Sparta area.
FROM THE AUG. 18, 1961, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Army Vice Chief of Staff visits post (By Newspaper Staff) — Gen. Clyde D. Eddleman, Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army, made a short visit to Camp McCoy, Thursday.
General Eddleman and party: Mrs. Eddleman; Lt. Gen. Bernard H. Leman, Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations, Department of the Army; Brig. Gen. William T. Ryan, Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations for Research and Development, Department of the Army, arrived at Volk Field, Camp Douglas, Thursday morning. The party then transferred for the remainder of the journey here.
On his arrival here he was welcomed by Maj. Gen. Lloyd B. Moses, Deputy Commanding General, Fifth U.S. Army; Maj. Gen. Louis D. Burkhalter, Commanding General, 103rd Infantry Division, and Col. W. H. Thomes, Post Commander, Camp McCoy.
Forty enlisted men and two officers from the 586th Signal Company formed an honor guard while the 103rd Infantry Division Band provided music for the ceremonies in which the general received a 17-gun salute.
This was the first time in more than six years that Camp McCoy has been host to the Chief of Staff.
General Eddleman is a native of Orange, Texas, and was graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1926. During World War II, the general served with the VI Army, South Pacific Theatre and received the Silver Star for valor in the operations at Biak, Leyte, and Manila.
The general was promoted to his present four-star rank in 1955, and given command of the United States Army in Europe. He assumed his present position as Army Vice Chief of Staff in October 1960.
The visit at Camp McCoy was part of an inspection tour of Reserve Training Installations and Civilian Defense facilities in Wisconsin and Michigan.
55 Years Ago — August 1971
FROM THE AUG. 13, 1971, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: The God Squad (By Chaplain Spencer M. Nygaard) — Not long ago I saw a quotation that has impressed me for each time I’ve reflected upon it. It suggested a trio of man’s needs. We often live by cliches and slogans, even though we may do so unconsciously. I hope it is not too oversimplified, but I’ll pass it on to you for what it’s worth.
There are three basic things in life that everyone needs. They are: (1) something to do, (2) something to love, and (3) something to hope for.
Something to do. Man was made for work. In the opening chapters of the Bible we are told that in a garden. He was a caretaker of that garden and his work was enjoyable. We often think of our work as a job or as a toil. People speak of the old “sweat shop.”
It can be a real drudgery, and can sap us of all our energy. But for Adam, work was part of his nature, and his activity gave him fulfillment. It was not until the fall into sin that work became difficult. God said to Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life … In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread.” (Gen. 3:17-19).
Since that time, man has felt most fulfilled and relaxes best after a tough day on the job. He gets restless if he has nothing to do.
The child of God — who has learned of God’s love, redemption and true purpose for him—now turns to his work and considers it his vocation, literally, his “calling.” He is called to serve. Those in the military should reflect upon their “call” into the “service” and defense of their fellow man.
Unhappy is the man who trains merely for a high-paying job, rather than for work which he likes. I have often defined a successful man as “one who does what he wants to do and still gets paid for it.”
Something to love. Another of man’s basic desires is something or someone to love. He needs a treasure. He must have something of value, something which appeals to his aesthetic nature. He will not be satisfied with the mere practical or everyday side of life. He needs something beautiful and something of quality. Here he confronts his greatest danger. He may pursue that which he loves to the point of idolatry (worship of idols) and may turn worship of the true God and Creator into worship of the creature. He will have to establish priorities for his love in harmony with the Ten Commandments, namely to love God above all and to love one’s fellow man with the same degree as he loves himself.
Something to hope for. Man is a spiritual being and as such he needs something beyond himself and beyond this life. A man who has a goal that lifts him a few steps forward, keeps him moving ahead. The same is true of the man who has a hope beyond this life. There is no thrust to his life without hope.
FROM THE AUG. 20, 1971, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Army Under Secretary tours camp facilities (By Newspaper Staff) — The Under Secretary of the Army visited Camp McCoy from Aug. 12-13 to tour post facilities and to observe reserve components undergoing annual training.
Thaddeus Beal arrived at Camp McCoy on Thursday afternoon and was given a briefing by Col. Richard A. Crecelius, camp commander, as to the mission and scope of the camp’s operation.
His tours began with a visit to the 652nd Engineer Company and to the Squaw Lake Recreation Area. Mr. Beal was joined Friday morning by Lt. Gen. William Peers, Chief of Reserve Components, and Maj. Gen. Ward Ryan, deputy commanding general of northern area reserve forces, in a visit to the 205th Infantry Brigade (Separate), where they were briefed by the brigade commander, Col. John McKee.
Following the briefing, Mr. Beal, Lt. Gen. Peers and Maj. Gen. Ryan were given a tour of six of the brigade units, starting with the 205th Support Battalion. Direct fire training by the 3rd Battalion, 14th Artillery and retrograde movements by the 1st Battalion, 410th Infantry were observed by the secretary and the generals until mid-morning.
Demonstration of airmobile operations by the 1st Battalion, 409th Infantry, field fortification training by the 492d Engineer Company and movement to contact training by the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Infantry completed the morning’s activities.
40 Years Ago — August 1986
FROM THE AUG. 7, 1986, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: TMP in tune with vehicle needs; keeps fleet up and running (By Julie Smith) — Keeping Fort McCoy on the go is a bigger job than many people think.
The Transportation Motor Pool (TMP) in building 2173 is responsible for approximately 420 vehicles. Half are on post while the rest are strung out across a five-state area including North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
“It takes a lot of coordination with everyone because vehicles are hand-receipted off-post,” said Eddie Rudolph, motor officer of the TMP. Those who check out vehicles have to keep track of their maintenance and utilization of the vehicles as part of the agreement, she said.
“We also support any of the training units on post year-round along with meeting the installation’s day to day needs,” Rudolph continued.
The TMP is divided into two parts, the Commercial Vehicle Repair Section (CVRS) which is part of the Consolidation Maintenance Division (CMD), and the Dispatch office.
“Without close coordination between the CVRS and TMP, it would be impossible to keep all this going. One depends on the other,” said Rudolph.
The CVRS, under Capt. Paul Medina, services the installation’s commercial fleet of vehicles such as four-ton vans, buses, carry-alls, pick-ups, sedans, station wagons, and semis. According to Henry Paulin, maintenance foreman, about 60 vehicles a month come through the CVRS. Four permanent and one temporary mechanic replace mufflers, tune engines, and do scheduled maintenance. The CVRS also employs an inspector and a supply clerk.
The garage, built in 1940, can hold 15 vehicles and has a tire shop, wash rack, lube rack, battery room, a tire alignment section and a supply area.
“The garage is busy all year around and it gets hectic at times. But we have some hard-working boys,” said Paulin.
Across the lot from the CVRS is the Dispatch Office. John Berens, dispatch supervisor, explained that the TMP also has three over-the-road drivers who deliver vehicles, equipment and personnel in the Fort McCoy support area.
“It’s like having a personal trucking service around here!” he said.
Berens also does a lot of coordinating with units. If anything goes wrong, they come to him first. Although most of the planning is done in advance, some things get overlooked. If people don’t get a vehicle or don’t get one far enough, they often get angry and start yelling, said Berens.
“Sometimes you have to bite your tongue and explain things nicely, but we usually are able to support them in some way. Units have to remember I only have so many vehicles and I will help them out as much as I can,” he said.
According to Rudolph, “The only time we get a new vehicle is when the Army makes money available and contracts for a new one. TMP has no input of when or how many it will get.”
“Although it becomes difficult at times to do things with olde vehicles, all our vehicles run, they are safe and they are serviceable,” she added.
FROM THE AUG. 21, 1986, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: Company operates field fuel point (By Mike Orrico) — It has been said that an Army moves on its stomach, but without the petroleum products used to fuel the troop transports, tanks, aircraft and other vehicles the Army uses, movement comes to a screeching halt.
The mission of the 425th Quartermaster Company, Jeffersonville, Ind., is to provide fuel to units in a tactical environment. “Without us it can’t happen—tanks won’t run, helicopters won’t fly and trucks won’t move,” said Lt. William A. Priest, company commander.
“We are a petroleum supply company,” Priest said. “We receive, store and issue large quantities of bulk petroleum,” he explained.
Priest said the company is equipped to store over two-million gallons of fuel at any one time. The Fuel System Supply Point (FSSP) the company brought with them for their training at Fort McCoy is capable of handling 60,000 gallons, he said.
The FSSP is a collection of hose, pumps, filters, valves and large vinyl storage bags. Fuel is pumped from fuel tanker trucks through the pumping system and ends up in the storage bags, Priest explained. Once fuel is in the bags it can then be pumped to the equipment being refueled.
“The standard set-up time for the 60,000-gallon system is eight hours,” Priest said. Depending on how the system is set up, the company can handle all the types of fuel the Army uses.
“Safety has to be the key to this entire operation,” Priest explained. “We have to ground everything, tankers, pumps and the filter unit,” he said. “Also near every piece of equipment is a fire extinguisher.”
When a tanker comes in, all spark producing items are turned in at a check point. “This is especially important during hot weather when more fumes are produced by the fuel,” he said. Priest said one of their major combat missions would damage control. This involves moving fuel from damaged bags to good bags, repairing damaged bags and putting out fires.
“As part of the damage control process berms are dug around the storage bags to contain leaks,” Priest explained.
Fuel is frequently checked and filtered several times to prevent contamination.
“Helicopters don’t run on water,” Priest said. “If we supply them with bad fuel the birds won’t fly.”
The 425th is a self-contained unit with a mess section, bulldozer and forklift operators, maintenance section and several fuel handlers.
30 Years Ago — August 1996
FROM THE AUG. 16, 1996, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: Equipment Park grows again; efforts of many help showcase post’s history (By Newspaper Staff) — Fort McCoy’s Equipment Park is growing again. Eight pieces of equipment, including a Huey and a Cobra helicopter, recently were placed at the historic site on the installation’s 800 block.
According to Installation Executive Officer Al Fournier, who has served as the project coordinator for the park, the site was established to permanently display both tactical and support material representative of that used on the installation from the pre-World War II era to the present.
“The park’s purpose is to provide a link to the past,” Fournier said. “We want to showcase the various pieces of equipment soldiers have trained with so people can see how the Army has evolved and changed over the years. As a major installation and training site for America’s Army since 1909, we have a unique opportunity, through this Equipment Park, to tell a very important story. The park will serve as a lasting legacy to the thousands of men and women who have trained here for these last 87 years and will help to educate future generations.”
The park is open to visitors daily during daylight hours throughout the year. Visitors will find signs describing each piece of equipment on display at the park. A park brochure provides additional information regarding the equipment’s characteristics also will be available at the site.
According to Fournier, the park is becoming increasingly popular with sightseers. “In addition to our Public Affairs Office-sponsored tours for school groups, veterans organizations and retirees, we are noticing soldiers, as well as post visitors, stopping by to view the equipment.”
The park currently is located adjacent to a group of five buildings the post has developed in its World War II Commemorative Area. The site for the Equipment Park presently was selected so visitors could make one stop to view both the Commemorative Area and the Equipment Park.
“Another advantage to the area is that it has a nice natural backdrop, and there is sufficient space to allow for expansion as we continue to acquire more pieces of equipment,” Fournier said. “We are underway to use both the park and the Commemorative Area as the hub of activities for Fort McCoy’s 1997 Armed Forces Day Open House celebration, set for May 17.
“A project like the Equipment Park has been talked about for several years,” Fournier said. “I have been especially pleased to have been part of the work surrounding these efforts that has gone into making this vision a reality.”
“Many, many people have made significant contributions to this project,” he said. “To list individual contributions would diminish the team effort demonstrated during this project. I do, however, want to publicly acknowledge the contributions of several organizations”:
• Directorate of Logistics — helping acquire items for display (Supply Division); preparing, painting and placing the equipment for display (Installation Material Maintenance Activity).
• Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security — preparing equipment display signs (Training Support Center Devices Section), helping acquire items for display (Aviation Aircraft Maintenance Section) and preparing Maintenance Section.
• Directorate of Public Works — surveying the area (Planning and Engineering Branch); landscaping (Grounds Maintenance Section), constructing the display pads (Roads and Railroads Branch), putting up display signs (Roads and Railroads Branch and Carpentry Shop).
“It was just last year that we took the first steps toward establishing the park by concentrating on the first six pieces of equipment on display,” he said. “Today, we have 25 pieces on display and are in the process of adding four pieces of equipment this fall. I’m confident plans call for building 15 more display pads to hold additional equipment acquisitions. The park’s development also will include planting grass between equipment display pads and landscaping to enhance the area’s appearance.”
“The hard work of this great team already is paying dividends, based on comments received from park visitors,” Fournier said. “We hope this Equipment Park will help tell Fort McCoy’s story of providing quality support to America’s Army for nearly 90 years.”
20 Years Ago — August 2006
FROM THE AUG. 25, 2006, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: New locomotive to support mission (By Rob Schuette) — A new, battery-powered locomotive is moving full speed ahead to further modernize Fort McCoy’s capability to perform its rail missions.
Joe Schneider, the field service manager for Railpower Hybrid Technologies Corp., of Erie, Pa., which fielded the locomotive to the installation, presented orientation instruction to locomotive crew members in early August. The new locomotive, road number 6003, features lead-acid recharge able cell batteries; a small, 165-horsepower diesel engine which recharges the batteries, and about 2,000 horsepower of traction motor effort (about 500 horsepower per axle), Schneider said.
“The new locomotive has more horsepower than the current locomotive has,” Schneider said. “The new locomotive also will be more environmentally friendly. It will save 40 to 50 percent of fuel use versus a straight diesel-powered engine. It also will have up to a 60 percent reduction in emissions.”
Fort McCoy is the fourth Army installation to receive the locomotive, Schneider said. The others are at Barstow, Calif.; Fort Lewis, Wash., and Fort Sill, Okla. Each of those locomotives has been in service for about a year.
Jane Schmidt, Fort McCoy Installation Transportation Officer, said the process to acquire the new locomotive began about two-and-one-half years ago during a site visit by the Installation Management Agency Northwest Region Chief of Transportation.
“Although we have access to the locomotive owned by the 1152nd Transportation Company of the 88th Regional Readiness Command, I felt we needed to have our own locomotive because of our mission as a power-projection platform,” Schmidt said. “The chief of Transportation pushed for us to get it.”
The 1152nd and 88th have been very cooperative in scheduling the use of their locomotive and have been supportive of Fort McCoy’s mission, Schmidt said.
But with the uncertainty existing in the Army Reserve structure, the process will work more smoothly if Fort McCoy has its own locomotive, she said.
The current plans are to keep the 1152nd and 88th’s locomotive at Fort McCoy, Schmidt said. The engineer crews of both locomotives will be responsible for operator maintenance. Personnel from the Installation Materiel Maintenance Activity (IMMA) will perform unit-level maintenance for the new locomotive, Schmidt said.
The 1152nd will continue to do unit-level maintenance for the older locomotive. The Defense Generator and Rail Equipment Center of Hill Air Force Base, Utah, will continue to do an annual inspection for the old locomotive. Schmidt said the organization also will add the new Fort McCoy locomotive to its schedule to perform an annual inspection.
The Fort McCoy locomotive will be used to support the mobilization and demobilization of military equipment and for any units that send their equipment by rail to Fort McCoy to support their training here, she said.
Rail power has been in the business of producing new or refurbished locomotives since the late 1990s. Schneider said the company generally starts with the chassis of an old locomotive and uses anything that is still serviceable or can be brought up to operational standards for the Army locomotives it builds. The old locomotive chassis have proven to be very durable and will provide a long lasting locomotive, he said.
“We saved a lot of money by using the existing chassis and any serviceable parts we could,” he said. “We’ve added the new technology available to make it better.”
The new locomotive features computer technology, which will make it easier to diagnose any maintenance needs. The basic workings of the new locomotive should be about the same as the older one so general maintenance needs will remain about the same, he said.
10 Years Ago — August 2016
FROM THE AUG. 12, 2016, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Chief of Army Reserve visits McCoy (By Scott T. Sturkol, Editor) — Chief of Army Reserve (CAR) and U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC) Commanding General Lt. Gen. Charles D. Luckey visited Fort McCoy July 17-20 to meet with installation staff , tenant organizations, and service members participating in several exercises on post.
Luckey began duties in the dual-hatted position June 30. As the CAR and USARC commanding general, Luckey leads a community-based force of more than 200,000 Soldiers and civilians located in 50 states, five territories, and more than 30 countries.
This was Luckey’s first official visit to Fort McCoy in this position.
“It’s good to be back in Wisconsin,” Luckey said during his initial briefing with Fort McCoy staff July 17. “I’m not coming here to inspect. I’m coming here to inspire.”
On day one of his visit, Luckey was briefed by Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. David J. Pinter Sr. and dined with Army Reserve and Fort McCoy senior leaders at McCoy’s Community Center. Day two’s itinerary began with Luckey participating in a physical-readiness training (PRT) session alongside staff , cadre, and students with Regional Training Site (RTS)-Maintenance at the Fort McCoy Physical Fitness Training Site.
Afterward, Luckey visited with 86th Training Division and 75th Training Command offi cials about Warrior Exercise (WAREX) 86-16-03 and reviewed several of Fort McCoy’s simulation training facilities, including the Reconfigurable Vehicle Tactical Trainer, Engagement Skills Trainer, and the Virtual Clearance Training Suite.
“The tour provided Fort McCoy the opportunity to show him our state-of-the-art simulation training facilities, equipment, and medical training aids and how effectively these training enablers are used to support a commander’s training objectives to improve individual and unit collective-training proficiency,” said Training Support Officer Rob Weisbrod with the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security (DPTMS).
“It also demonstrated how our simulators are effectively incorporated into (Army Reserve) Combat Support Training Program events, such as WAREX.”
The importance of utilizing training simulators to support Fort McCoy’s vision to establish a live-virtual-constructive integrated training environment and become a satellite mission training complex also were highlighted, Weisbrod said.
Luckey then visited the Logistics Readiness Center Central Issue Facility (CIF). At the CIF, Luckey and staff members received an organizational clothing and individual equipment issue and toured the facility.
Paul Jackson, chief of the Installation Property Book Section within the Supply Division of the Logistics Readiness Center, briefed the general and his staff about the overall CIF operation, to include the support provided to Reserve Soldiers training at Fort McCoy.
“Fort McCoy is the only post that has this capability to support the Reserve Soldiers during exercises,” said CIF Property Book Officer Thomas Lovgren. “Having a CIF that Reserve Soldiers have access to during their training is another reason why Fort McCoy is so well suited for supporting these major Reserve training exercises.”
Day three had Luckey at the Staff Sgt. Todd R. Cornell Noncommissioned Offi cer Academy (NCOA), 88th Regional Support Command and its Equipment Concentration Site-67, the DPTMS Medical Simulation Training Center, RTS-Medical and RTS-Maintenance facilities, and to the field to observe training in WAREX and the Red Dragon and Joint Task Force Port Opening exercises.
NCOA Commandant Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Dryer said staff , cadre, and students participated in a PRT session with Luckey. Afterward, he toured the NCOA’s training complex.
“It was refreshing to have the commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve Command visit … (and) showcase one of the premier (NCO) Professional Development System learning institutions in the entire Army to him,” Dryer said. “The importance of the visit did not go unnoticed by the staff, cadre, and students. He left a great impression upon them. The commanding general was engaged, enthusiastic, and motivational to all who he came in contact with.”
Capt. Scott Sumbles, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Garrison Fort McCoy, served as an escort officer for Luckey’s visit.
“As his escort offi cer, it was my duty to ensure timely arrival to scheduled locations and to provide the general and his staff with diverse types of support promptly and professionally,” Sumbles said. “It was a privilege. I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to interact and learn from (them).”
5 Years Ago — August 2021
FROM THE AUG. 27, 2021, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Chief of Staff of the Army makes ‘historic’ visit to Fort McCoy (By Staff Sgt. Sarah Zaler, 326th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) — U.S. Army Soldiers were seeing stars, and lots of them, while conducting annual training at Fort McCoy when Gen. James C. McConville, the 40th Chief of Staff of the Army, visited the post for the first time Aug. 11.
As if four stars weren’t enough, McConville was also joined by Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, Chief of the Army Reserve and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command; Gen. Michael Garrett, commanding general, U.S. Army Forces Command; and Brig. Gen. Maria Juarez, deputy commanding general, 88th Readiness Division. The generals gathered for a morning briefing with garrison leadership that showcased the installation’s capabilities before departing on a tour of the training areas to see Soldiers in action.
This was the first time in recent history that the Army’s top military leader visited Fort McCoy. It also followed a previous visit to the post by Army’s top enlisted leader — Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston.
While touring the 18th Field Hospital, which was participating in a Global Medic exercise, a Humvee arrived at the emergency department and a distraught Soldier fell to the ground, screaming for someone to help her injured military working dog. McConville watched as the Soldiers sprang into action to receive and triage the patients. Once stabilized, they worked with the veterinary detachment on site to determine further care.
It was a notional training scenario, of course, but bystanders would be hard-pressed to tell the Diesel Dog Manikin was not real as it panted and whimpered in pain. “Diesel” is one of the advanced simulation capabilities of Fort McCoy’s Regional Training Site-Medical, one of only three within the Army Reserve’s Medical Readiness Training Command.
“The simulators (equipment, manikins, etc.) give a level of realism that cannot be captured with PowerPoint presentations, classroom discussions, or videos,” said Col. Amy Sanders, the deputy commanding officer of 1st Medical Training Brigade and a veterinary corps officer who served as the chief of the operations group for Global Medic. “A room full of Soldiers fighting back tears when they hear simulated cries is a very powerful and sobering experience.”
Exercises like Global Medic test the units’ ability to execute their missions in a field environment, refine their skills and enhance their capabilities to sustain combat power. Sanders said operating in a mostly virtual training environment last year due to COVID-19 affected morale and readiness, but seeing senior leadership interested and involved helps the troops feel appreciated.
“The time he spent with the group, which was well beyond what was scheduled, really drove home how much he cares about the well-being of the Soldiers, their concerns, and how much he appreciates their talents,” Sanders said.
McConville went on to visit with Army Reserve Soldiers participating in a Combat Support Training Exercise and Diamond Saber, as well as with Airmen participating in Patriot Warrior 2021, an Air Force Reserve exercise. There were more than 4,100 service members at Fort McCoy between all four exercises during his visit.
Fort McCoy’s mission is to strengthen Total Force readiness by serving as a training center, a Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and a strategic support area.
McConville’s historic visit possibly emphasizes the importance of the post, the only Army installation in Wisconsin, and the essential role it plays in preparing the U.S. armed forces for large-scale combat operations in a multidomain operational environment.
Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” 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 at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. (Scott Sturkol with the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office contributed some information to this article.)
Fort McCoy has supported America’s armed forces since 1909. Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The post’s varied terrain, state-of-the-art ranges, new as well as renovated facilities, and extensive support infrastructure combine to provide military personnel with an environment in which to develop and sustain the skills necessary for mission success.
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 at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on DVIDS by visiting https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/FMPAO.
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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