Fort McCoy Cold-Weather Operations Course students practice ahkio sled use

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Fort McCoy Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) Class 22-05 students practice pulling an ahkio sled as a squad March 7, 2022, at a training area at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES

03.25.2022

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                             

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Students in Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-05 completed hours of field training carrying rucksacks and pulling ahkio sleds of equipment, including March 7, 2022, at a training area on South Post at Fort McCoy, Wis.

Thirty-five students in class 21-03 — 25 of which were Airmen — trained in using loaded ahkio sleds while moving as a squad throughout their class in late February and early March 2022. Their training was similar to hundreds of students who trained before them in the course.

CWOC Instructor Hunter Heard said teaching over-land movement techniques like are vital.

“Those techniques are part of the skill set we teach at CWOC,” Heard said. “Moving through snow-covered or other terrain can be detrimental to units who are unprepared. Being able to efficiently move through the snow or operate and move in cold weather could be the difference in mission success instead of failure.”

Students also complete miles of ruck marching in the snow and cold during the course. Sometimes students move in snowshoes and skis covering dozens of miles.

Students also complete training on terrain and weather analysis, camouflage and concealment, and risk management as well. They also learn about properly wearing issued cold-weather clothing and how to prevent cold-weather injuries.

Sgt. 1st Class Francisco Medina with the C Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas, and a class 22-05 student, said he learned a lot operating as a squad and overall during the CWOC training.

"Having the field experience of working in a cold environment and feeling the actual effects of operating in low temperatures was the biggest benefit to this training," Medina said. "That is an experience that is hard to reproduce at other duty stations. ... The training learned from this course definitely enhances our lethality and survivability in extreme-weather conditions. I am confident that I can go anywhere in the world and perform successfully."

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 the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, 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.

• Date Taken: 03.25.2022
• Date Posted: 03.25.2022 23:02
• Story ID: 417232
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US