Locomotives at Fort McCoy prepped for Army engineer company rail movement

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Members of the Fort McCoy rail operations team prepare Army locomotives March 14, 2022, for a rail movement for the 485th Engineer Company. Fort McCoy is one of a small number of Army installations where Army locomotives are present. For the many decades of Fort McCoy’s existence, the capability to transport cargo and equipment to and from the installation by rail has always been there. During World War II, for example, the railroad at Fort McCoy was one of the main forms of transportation for bringing troops in for training and home after the war as well as moving cargo and equipment in and out of the installation. And as rail operations continue in the future at the installation, D.J. Eckland with the Fort McCoy Logistics Readiness Center that manages Fort McCoy rail operations said he welcomes each and every opportunity to demonstrate the capability. He said rail is one of the post's strategic transportation missions, and regular rail movements allow the installation to exercise that capability. (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           

Members of the Fort McCoy rail operations team prepare Army locomotives March 14, 2022, for a rail movement for the 485th Engineer Company.

Vehicles and equipment of the Army Reserve's 485th Engineer Company of Arlington Heights, Ill., were loaded on railcars moved by the locomotives March 17, 2022, at Fort McCoy.

The rail movement is part of a deployment for the 485th. Fort McCoy's Logistics Readiness Center Transportation Division assisted with the rail operation.

Fort McCoy is one of a small number of Army installations where Army locomotives are present.

For the many decades of Fort McCoy’s existence, the capability to transport cargo and equipment to and from the installation by rail has always been there.

During World War II, for example, the railroad at Fort McCoy was one of the main forms of transportation for bringing troops in for training and home after the war as well as moving cargo and equipment in and out of the installation.

And as rail operations continue in the future at the installation, D.J. Eckland with the Fort McCoy Logistics Readiness Center that manages Fort McCoy rail operations said he welcomes each and every opportunity to demonstrate the capability.

He said rail is one of the post's strategic transportation missions, and regular rail movements allow the installation to exercise that capability.

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: 03.26.2022 00:42
• Story ID: 417237
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US