U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin made a brief visit Aug. 10 to view ongoing construction projects and observe some of the training at the installation.

Baldwin visited one of the completed transient training four-story barracks in the 1600 block of the installation. Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works Director Liane Haun described to Baldwin about the ongoing work in the 1600 block and the transformation that has been taking place there.

The new barracks, of which two are completed for the 1600 block and two more are planned, are four stories tall and can house 400 people in approximately 60,000 square feet, according to building specifications from Fort McCoy DPW. The barracks buildings also are built with the latest in construction materials and includes state-of-the-art physical security and energy-saving measures.

Baldwin also visited simulations training in the 200 block at Fort McCoy, specifically the Engagement Skills Trainer (EST). There she saw Army Reserve Soldiers from a Wisconsin-based unit completing weapons qualifications at the trainer.

Training Support Officer Rob Weisbrod with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security said the EST is one of the most used simulations facilities on post.

“The EST, on average, has more than 11,000 Soldiers complete qualifications training on it at Fort McCoy annually,” Weisbrod said.

The senator also later visited neighboring Volk Field and other areas.

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.

(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.)