Photo By Scott Sturkol | This is a news clipping from the April 28, 1945, edition of The Real McCoy newspaper...... read more read more
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Fort McCoy, Wis., was established in 1909. Here is a look back at some installation history from April 2025 and back.
80 Years Ago — April 1945
FROM THE APRIL 7, 1945, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Former McCoy sergeant earns bars in battle (By Newspaper Staff) — Word of the winning of a battlefield commission in the Philippines by a former station complement sergeant was received at the post supply division headquarters this week.
Sgt. Felix Hunter of Milwaukee, chief of the supply division message center until about 18 months ago, won a second lieutenant commission while serving with the 11th Airborne Division, Miss Muriel Lurs of the supply office learned.
FROM THE APRIL 7, 1945, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Ex-McCoy officer helping Chinese; Capt. Shearer tells of work (By Newspaper Staff) — Former Camp McCoy officers and enlisted men are serving in all corners of the world, but this week came the first news of an “alumnus” in China.
The ex-McCoy man is Capt. V.H. Shearer Jr., former signal officer, who wrote Capt. Benjamin S. Harris, personal affairs officer, that he is now a liaison officer to a Chinese infantry division.
He relates: “I have my own interpreter which enables me to deal directly with the Chinese. I advise the Chinese signal officer on his signal training and help him get his signal equipment. At present I have my hands full supervising a radio and wire school and fairly often I take the class myself with the help of my interpreter.
“Each of our regiments is out quite a distance and each in a different direction. Until a few days ago only one could be reached by Jeep, so I was really getting my share of horseback riding, what with three hours going and three hours returning.
“Our elevation is about 5,700 feet above sea level and there are tall mountains all around us. This mountain air is really invigorating and the temperature has been staying in the 50s and 60s.”
Capt. Shearer also told of some duck hunting he engaged in. He (also) enclosed $20 in Chinese money.
FROM THE APRIL 14, 1945, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Young pheasants released on post; conservation program on (By Newspaper Staff) — An extensive conservation program under the direction of Col. George M. MacMullin, post commander, is being continued this year as in the past, it was revealed this week with the release of young pheasants.
It is hoped several hundred pheasants will be released on the reservation, Col. MacMullin stated.
For the past three years, he pointed out that as many as 35,000 fingerling trout have been planted in McCoy streams annually.
This year a similar number will be planted. In addition, other game will be turned loose on the reservation.
FROM THE APRIL 14, 1945, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Farm mechs’ back to crops after helping LaX shop; aided in repairs of half-tracks, work praised (By Newspaper Staff) — The success of a unique employment plan utilizing skilled workers part-time after their regular jobs and farmers during their slack winter season in vital war work at the ordnance service command shop, La Crosse, was summarized this week in a report to Col. George M. MacMullin, Camp McCoy commanding officer who also commands the ordnance shop, from Maj. Stanley L. Kaufman, personnel division director.
Maj. Kaufman revealed that 75 farmers who served at the shop have now returned to their farms to take up again their important food production. The only previous mechanical experience they had had was repairing farm machinery, but Maj. Kaufman said it was sufficient to make them adapt in the shop.
“With the completion of the half-track repair program Mach 1, these men returned to their farms justly proud to made another real contribution to the war effort in a field of endeavor new to them,” Maj. Kaufman declared. He expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Employment Service offices in Winona, Minn., and Decorah, Iowa, for their original help in securing the farm workers.
FROM THE APRIL 21, 1945, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY: Inspectors praise McCoy’s nurses’ training program (By Newspaper Staff) — Camp McCoy’s nurses’ training facilities received high praise from two officers from the surgeon general’s office, Washington, D.C., who made an inspection here Thursday and Friday.
The officers were Maj. Gertrude Roberts, ANC, and Capt. Murray E. Harden.
Maj. Roberts praised the seriousness of purpose displayed by the officer faculty and nurses in training at McCoy’s school for nurses at the station hospital. “It’s a well-administered program,” she declared.
Capt. Harden was impressed by the complete training facilities and personnel to prepare the nurses for overseas service. “The program seems to be well carried out,” he commented.
The inspecting officers were escorted through the camp and hospital by Lt. Col. Nellie McGovern, chief of nurses, and Maj. Jensen, nurses’ training director.
40 Years Ago — April 1985
FROM THE APRIL 4, 1985, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: Post directorates get new names (By Crystal Laureano) — Several Fort McCoy organizations changed their names this week. The changes were the result of an Army-wide standard installation organization (SIO) project.
“This is an attempt by the Department of the Army to organize all installations the same way throughout the Army,” explained Al Fournier, McCoy administrative executive officer. “It will result in some name changes and, in other areas, realignment of functions,” he added.
Having all similar functions organized under the same directorate throughout the Army and using the same title for each directorate or activity will have a significant impact on the flow of information Army-wide.
“The alignment of like functions will facilitate program planning, improve control and introduce cost efficiency,” said Fournier.
The approved changes now in effect are:
— The title garrison commander is to be used instead of installation commander.
— The Law Enforcement Activity is now the Provost Marshal Office.
— The Comptroller is now the Directorate of Resource Management.
— The Directorate of Industrial Operations is now the Directorate of Logistics (DOL).
— The Directorate of Facilities Engineering is now the Directorate of Engineering and Housing (DEH) and the family housing function is transferred to that directorate. The bachelor housing and furnishings management functions will remain with DOL.
— The Automated Management Office is now the Directorate of Information Management (DOIM).
The scope of SIO is much broader than these changes now in effect. “There are still SIO issues that have not been decided,” said Fournier.
fournier added that a special study committee, of which he is chairman, is addressing those issues. The committee will evaluate the impact of remaining DA reorganization proposals on mission accomplishment at Fort McCoy. In those areas where operating effectiveness and
efficiency will be affected, exemptions to the SIO will be requested by the Garrison Commander.
30 Years Ago — April 1995
FROM THE APRIL 14, 1995, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: 88th EOD workshop focuses on safety (By Rob Schuette) — Bomb disposal may seem like a fast-paced, high-profile job, but in truth, it is careful, tedious work, done step-by-step in a low-key manner to ensure everything goes according to plan.
“If you know your very next step may be a wrong step and kill you, you're going to take your time and do it right,” said 1st Lt. John Williams, incoming commander of the 88th Ordnance Detachment Explosive Ordnance Disposal (88th EOD).
Members of the 88th EOD sponsored a two-day workshop March 30-31, which was attended by about 50 law-enforcement personnel from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.
The purpose of the seminar was to familiarize the civilians with military explosives and improvised explosive devices. A highlight of the training was hands-on experience in detecting and disarming simulated military and civilian explosive devices in fields and in buildings. The exercise was conducted near the former residence of the post commander, building 5050.
Jim Huff, a police officer with the Kenosha, Wis., Police Department, said the seminar was valuable because his department doesn't often deal with military explosives. The explosive devices they see most often are land mines and bottle bombs.
“It’s nice to learn a little bit about military explosives,” he said. “They are out there in the general public.”
Mike Keefe, of the State of Iowa Fire Marshal Office, said the training provided good hands-on experience for members of the police departments or bomb squads.
One of the highlights was a chance to see the $71,000 EOD robot, Andros, in action. Andros is an electrically powered, tracked all-purpose “vehicle.” It can travel up to 2mph and is equipped with a video camera that monitors its movements.
FROM THE APRIL 14, 1995, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: Era of coal heat comes to a close (By Rob Schuette) — One warm day in the near future a fire at Fort McCoy will go out for the last time, and with it, a 50-year era will end — the era of coal heat and boiler tenders.
Fort McCoy will install gas heating or tear down the last three buildings that rely on coal heat later this year Dean Potter, a Directorate of Public Works (DPW) boiler tender, is the last boiler tender from a work force that once totalled more than 100 seasonal employees. The boiler tenders watched over heat 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week in more than 400 buildings during their heyday.
“It could be cold, dirty work along with fighting the weather elements, but I worked with a lot of great guys in the almost seven years I was here,” Potter said. “It was a lot of fun, even when it was cold.”
Steve Pedersen, Heating Equipment Mechanic supervisor, said the boiler tenders encountered and overcame many obstacles keeping people on post warm. The heating season generally ran
from late September to mid-May. A few people were kept on during the summer to do maintenance work.
Since they were seasonal, temporary employees, it wasn't unusual to have to train 50-60 new employees — a turnover of 50 percent — for a new heating season.
“It always amazed me that we trained these people in the basics, and they could go out and do the job efficiently,” he said. “Their actions affected their trucks, the buildings and the boilers, worth many thousands of dollars.”
Potter said the work remained constant. Boiler tenders drove trucks to check the boilers and the fires in them. If their trucks wouldn't start in cold weather, they would have to walk to get help or to complete the rounds of their buildings.
The work also was physical and required carrying coal from the bins and shoveling it into the boilers. Cold weather and darkness also played a role in the work. Potter said cold weather could cause slippery areas to work in, as well as icicles hanging from the buildings.
20 Years Ago — April 2005
FROM THE APRIL 22, 2005, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: 724th Engineers concentrate on weapons firing during split AT (By Rob Schuette) — Concentrated weapons training was the focus for members of the 724th Engineer Battalion during the first week of a split annual training (AT) session, which was held in early April.
Members of the combat engineer and heavy equipment Army National Guard unit headquartered at Hayward, Wis., benefited greatly from the concentrated training, said Staff Sgt. John Quednow, a heavy equipment operator and equipment section sergeant for the 724th.
“This is the first time we’ve ever done a split AT,” Quednow said. “We saw a lot less nonqualifiers on the weapons because of the training.”
Quednow said the unit served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and returned to the United States in 2004, so the training helped keep their skills current in the weapons they used overseas.
Mark Stelzner, Fort McCoy supervisory scheduling specialist, said the training also benefits McCoy’s scheduling because it brings training to the installation at a nonpeak time.
“It allowed us to offer them many weapons training opportunities not normally available at peak training times,” Stelzner said. “It helps fill a training void for us, and it’s good customer service to give the customer the latitude to do weapons training at their convenience.”
Sgt. 1st Class Steve Sitte, the 724th Operations sergeant and an Active Guard/Reserve Soldier, said the battalion commander planned the split AT to allow unit members to spend one less weekend training and spend more time with their families.
“It’s nice to block out a week where we did nothing but fire weapons,” Sitte said. “Soldiers can never have enough of weapons firing.”
During the next week of the AT, to be held later this summer, the unit will conduct troop projects and a team-building event, he said.
The team-building exercise will include training on the confidence course, land navigation
and a rucksack march. Scores from the weapons qualifications and the unit’s Army Physical Fitness Test scores also will be included.
Unit personnel will go through the Soldier Readiness Center to have their records reviewed and updated as necessary, Sitte said.
“We haven’t gone through the procedure since we returned in 2004,” Sitte said. “This will allow Soldiers to get everything ready to go and to maintain a high standard of readiness.”
The activities also allow newer Soldiers to get their paperwork in order so they are prepared for any potential future deployment, he said.
Pfc. Amber Frost of the 724th said she gained valuable experience firing the .50-caliber machine gun and the M-16 during the training.
“I had never shot the .50-caliber before,” Frost said. “It’s good to have a lot of time on the weapons.”
15 Years Ago — April 2010
FROM THE APRIL 9. 2010, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: McCoy’s economic impact exceeds $1.4 billion (By Newspaper Staff) — Th e total economic impact of Fort McCoy for fiscal year (FY) 2009 was an estimated $1.416 billion, up from an estimated $1.127 billion for FY 2008.
Fort McCoy supported a training population of 105,736 personnel for FY 2009, which ran from Oct. 1, 2008-Sept. 30, 2009. The training population included reserve- and active-component personnel from throughout the military and troops processing for mobilization/demobilization.
Workforce payroll, operating costs and other expenditures were $442.4 million compared to
$352.3 million for FY 2008.
The total FY 2009 work force payroll was $188.96 million, operating costs were $242.55
million, and other expenditures were $10.88 million.
The work force payroll broke down to $85.21 million for civilian employees and $103.75 million for military personnel. Operating costs included utilities, physical plant maintenance, repair and improvements, new construction projects, and purchases of supplies and services.
Salaries for civilian contracted personnel working at McCoy also are included in operating costs.
Other expenditures included $309,863 to local governments (including land permit agreements and school district impact aid) and $10.57 million Soldier discretionary spending in local communities.
An additional $54.9 million was spent on facility maintenance and repair in FY 2009. New construction projects from FY 1990-2009 have totaled $230.1 million.
A gross multiplier index (GMI) of 3.2 was used to determine the overall eff ect of the
expenditures in the local economy. The GMI the number of times a dollar turns over within a region. About 4,300 personnel worked at Fort McCoy in FY 2009 — 1,687 civilians, 1,250
military and 1,366 contracted employees.
10 Years Ago — April 2015
FROM THE APRIL 10, 2025, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY: Iowa engineer battalion completes weapons qualification at McCoy (By Scott T. Sturkol) — Soldiers from the Iowa Army National Guard’s 224th Engineer Battalion completed four days of unit training at Fort
McCoy in late March.
The 224th, headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa, brought more than 400 Soldiers — the entire battalion — to complete mandatory qualification training on both individual (M16 and M4
rifles, M9 pistol, and M249AR squad automatic weapon) and crew-served weapons (M249 light machine gun, M240B medium machine gun, and M2 .50-caliber automatic rifles).
In the past, the battalion Soldiers completed individual weapons qualifications at Camp Dodge, Iowa, and the crew-served weapons training at Fort McCoy. Th is year, all of the training was done at Fort McCoy, said Battalion Training Officer Capt. Kiel Archer.
“For us, this was a huge training event,” Archer said. “It allowed us to maximize our time and effort.”
The battalion occupied several of Fort McCoy’s 31 live-fire ranges to complete qualifi cation with the M16, M4, M9, M249, M240B, and M2.
“Completing this training is an annual requirement for us, but we chose Fort McCoy because we get treated so well here,” said Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McElwee, battalion supply sergeant. “For us, this also is one of the closest areas for us to convoy into and get our qualification training done. We could go (to other installations) but this place serves us well.”
The seven-hour convoy from Iowa to the installation included more than 60 tactical vehicles. Archer said the drive provided an additional training opportunity.
“Not only were we able to get all of our weapons training done, we were also able to cover other topics of training we might have been able to do in Iowa on a larger scale,” Archer said. “This included convoy training, which is very important for platoon leaders.”
Sgt. Deyla Sanders, 224th property book noncommissioned officer (NCO), said she qualified on the M16 and M249. As a new NCO, she said the battalion-level training provided good insight into her new responsibilities.
“It’s always a new opportunity (when we) come here,” she said. “During this trip, I learned to further my skills as a leader.”
Mild weather helped the unit make sure everyone qualified on their weapon systems, said 2nd Lt. Thomas Bentley, platoon leader for the 832nd Mobility Augmentation Company (MAC) of Keokuk, Iowa. Th e 832nd MAC is a subordinate unit of the 224th.
Bentley directed training on Fort McCoy’s Range 2 for Soldiers qualifying on the M2 with support from Sgt. 1st Class James Roller, 832nd platoon sergeant. Both Bentley and Roller
said Range 2 was perfect for the M2 operations.
“This is a good range to do this — it has ample space and has all that’s needed to do this training,” Bentley said.
Roller added, “We had many Soldiers who went through their training on this range, and it worked great.”
In addition to live-fire qualifications, many Soldiers used Fort McCoy’s Engagement Skills Trainers.
“It’s great that Fort McCoy has not only the live-fire ranges, but also the simulation training areas,” McElwee said. “Everything combined allowed us to get a lot of our training done
simultaneously.”
All the Soldiers completed weapons qualifications in this training visit, Archer said. Th e 224th will focus more on engineer tasks during its annual training (AT) at Fort McCoy in June. “This was good training in preparation for our AT,” he said.
Engineering units such as the 224th are equipped to support the Army’s needs in many areas, including supporting public works, energy, combat engineering, and construction projects.
Support is provided through engineering services, construction management, emergency contracting support for life-saving and life-sustaining services, and emergency power support.
5 Years Ago — April 2020
FROM THE APRIL 10, 2020, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Fort McCoy police stepping up to continue mission through pandemic response (By Scott T. Sturkol) — Since the start of the installation’s response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) Police Department have been at the forefront of maintaining installation security and doing their part to prevent the spread of the virus.
“In my opinion, the DES team is working well together to accomplish the mission and provide security and law enforcement to the installation,” said Fort McCoy Police Chief Brian Bomstein with DES. “We have enacted personal protective measures to assist with reducing the exposure to the public and community who could pass the virus to first responders.”
People entering Fort McCoy can only do so through the Main Gate. Once stopping at the Main Gate, security personnel stay back at least 6 feet and complete a series of screening criteria for everyone entering.
The screening criteria follow a self-assessment that each person is asked to do before going to the post. They include:
* Have you had close contact with a confirmed positive COVID-19 individual?
* Are you sick or do you have any of the following symptoms — fever (99.5 Fahrenheit/37.5 Celsius or greater), cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, muscle fatigue, or diarrhea?
If anyone answers “yes” to those questions, they are asked to stay home, seek medical care, to contact their supervisor, and follow local health authority guidance. People with any of those symptoms may not be allowed access to the installation. Access control point screening criteria went in effect March 26.
“These measures are in place to protect ourselves and the rest of the workforce from the spread of COVID-19,” Bomstein said. “We ask that people please continue to conduct a daily self-assessment prior to arriving at the post. Your honest answers are important for the health and safety of our workforce and America’s warfighters.
Protection and safety are paramount to the department’s personnel, Bomstein said. And while more than 50 percent of the installation’s workforce is completing their jobs through telework, Fort McCoy police have to be on post.
“Telework is a minimal option in the DES as there are few administrative positions in the directorate,” Bomstein said. “Most of DES is composed of first responders who are required to maintain training and certifications in order to respond to the installation’s call for law enforcement at a moment’s notice.”
Throughout the ongoing response to the pandemic, Bomstein said, they all are remaining flexible and adapting to a changing environment.
“The ongoing response by the Fort McCoy Police Department is commendable,” Bomstein said. “Especially since a pandemic is an unprecedented incident and not one that can be readily trained for or usually exercised during an annual exercise. Each officer — to include supervisors — are responding to the best of their ability and in accordance with the direction and guidance provided.
“The (DES) Law Enforcement Division is functioning well as a team and is maintaining flexibility as we move through this pandemic,” Bomstein said. “It is a great team.”
Members of the DES Police Department will continue to do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe.
“I ask the community to remain flexible as officers at the Main Gate ask them daily about their self-screening, as it can be repetitive, but it is in the best interests of the installation and the community,” Bomstein said.
Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Hui Chae Kim has also said community members should remain flexible during this time.
“We recognize that this is a very dynamic situation, and conditions are constantly changing,” Kim said. “We will continue to make fully informed decisions and actively communicate those decisions to our personnel and community.”
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,” 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.”
| Date Taken: | 04.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.04.2025 00:40 |
| Story ID: | 494549 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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