Photo By Scott Sturkol | A child has his face painted by a Soldier with the 181st Multi-Functional Training...... read more read more
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The annual Armed Forces Day Open House is May 18 at Fort McCoy, and the 2019 event will have a good mix of old favorites and new activities.
Armed Forces Day is the third Saturday in May. It was created Aug. 31, 1949, to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.
Fort McCoy celebrates the day by hosting its annual open house, allowing the surrounding communities and members of the public to learn more about its mission, purpose, and day-to-day activities. This year, activities will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 18 at the post’s Commemorative Area.
“We have a lot of old favorites returning,” said Public Affairs Specialist Theresa Fitzgerald with the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office. These include bus tours of the installation, camouflage face painting, the Natural Resources Branch display of native animals, military vehicles and equipment, and unit and tenant displays.
Activities and displays offer options for the entire family, Fitzgerald said. Children will enjoy the rock wall and inflatable slide provided by the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (DFMWR), as well as face painting and the chance to see inside military vehicles.
Adults will enjoy learning about the installation’s activities and history.
Vehicle and equipment displays are some of the most popular displays at open house, Fitzgerald said. This year, the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle will be on display in additional to a variety of other vehicles used at Fort McCoy. Regional Training Site-Medical and Medical Training Support Center will have medical displays set up. The sea cadets will also return with a pool display for underwater drones.
The Fort McCoy Commemorative Area, where the open house is held, features the History Center, World War II-era buildings and historical displays, the Equipment Park, and Veterans Memorial Plaza.
History displays will also be set up in building 905 by the 88th Readiness Division historian, Monroe County History Room, and more.
Food will be available to purchase, prepared by DFMWR, or families may bring lunch to eat at the Commemorative Area pavilion. Bag/container size is limited to 22 by 14 by 9 inches, so plan accordingly if packing a lunch.
The event is open to the public. Visitors will enter open house through Gate 15, which will be marked on Highway 21 when approaching from Sparta or Tomah. Adults must be prepared to show valid ID.
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 each 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.”
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2019 09:53 |
| Story ID: | 319369 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 550 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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