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Troop training operations are shown in October 2022 at Fort McCoy, Wis.

During October 2022, thousands of service members trained at the installation for weekend and extended combat training as well as institutional training.

Fort McCoy was established in 1909 and its 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.

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti – The 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron participated in a Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA)-led emergency deployment readiness exercise, rehearsing the movement of the East Africa Response Force (EARF) out of Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Nov. 1, 2022. This wasn’t a one-and-done venture, but a reoccurring exercise to ensure CJTF-HOA’s crisis response capability across eastern Africa.

The 75th EAS, also known as Rogue Squadron, always has a C-130H ready to go and is prepared to jump at the first call to get to work.

“The 75th is ingrained with the same reporting standard as the rest of the EARF. They’re part of the package with tactical airlift capacity,” said Capt. Graham Forman, company commander for Charlie Company, 1st Battalion 69th Infantry. “Rogue Squadron is the horse that gets us there.”

A six-hour sequence from beginning to end is the standard for every unit involved with the EARF, with the aim to spend no more than 90 minutes to get the aircraft loaded and ready for takeoff. The cargo can range from communications or medical equipment, and even personnel. Sustainment cargo like food and water is also necessary, as the response team can be out dealing with a crisis for weeks at a time.

“Once we’re hundreds of miles away, it could just be us, the aircraft and the local leaders or embassy,” Forman said. “We have to rely on key capabilities like the 75th’s airlift capacity.”

The dispersed presence on the continent makes mobility, medical support, and personnel recovery capabilities especially important to the mission in the Horn of Africa, and these requirements are expected to grow in the future.

“Joint exercises are the ideal platform for rehearsing interoperability,” said Senior Master Sgt. Joe Amato, loadmaster superintendent for the 75th EAS. “To combine operational capabilities across multiple agencies requires rigorous preparation and planning. At the same time, plans have to remain flexible until they are proven via realistic, practical rehearsals.”

The 75th EAS provides C-130 tactical airlift support to multiple users in East Africa, increasing regional access to generate the right effects, at the right place, at the right time in both contested and austere environments.

“As a tactical airlift squadron overflowing with multi-capable Airmen, the 75th EAS enthusiastically accepts the responsibility of delivering all kinds of capability to the far corners of the U.S. Africa Command,” Amato said. “We reserve a dedicated aircrew and aircraft for the EARF 24/7 so when the call comes in, we are able to fly the EARF to any objective as soon as possible.”

FORT IRWIN, California — 1st Cavalry Division participated in Project Convergence 2022, an experiment offering opportunities to access future warfighting strategies, including how the All-Service and Multinational Force can work together to detect and defeat threats Sep. 29 through Nov. 9 at Fort Irwin, California..

The First Team’s primary mission during the experiment consisted of forming attack positions each morning while moving to the landing departure zone in the M113 Tracked Armored Personnel Carrier, M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams Tank, M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) while fighting the opposing forces. Each day new technology is added to the mission to test the success and practicality of the technology when used in a lifelike scenario.

Electronic assets allowed the unit to conduct reconnaissance and bring out the enemy without endangering Troopers, preserved combat power of larger platforms, scan the battlefield in a minimal amount of time, and allowed the commander to make decisions with less risk.

The assets also allowed rapid communications with allied partners across the spectrum of operations, reducing the time needed for decision making and allowing for more rapid target engagement by the 1st Cav artillery.

The 1st Cav is transforming by integrating these new technologies across the formation to enhance our ability to compete globally, deter adversaries, and win on all-domain battlefields.

“I firmly believe that everything we do here is something that we’ll see throughout the Army over the next 60 years,” said Lt. Col. Brennan Speakes, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, commanding officer. “This is the equivalent of the Army moving from the horse drawn cavalry to the armored formations we know today.”

Army Futures Command established Project Convergence in 2020 as an opportunity for collaboration, experimentation and a way of informing how we fight, how we organize, the talent we need and what we fight with.

“1-7 Cav is going to be the best trained squadron in the Army by next summer,” said Maj. Gen. John B. Richardson IV, 1st Cavalry Division commanding general. “You are building an incredible reputation right now across the Army.”

Project Convergence is designed to aggressively advance and integrate the Army’s contributions to the Joint and Multi-National Force and ensure that the Army, as part of the Joint and Multi-National partner’s fight, can rapidly and continuously converge effects across all domains including air, land, sea, space and cyberspace, to overmatch our adversaries, increase operational tempo and generate decision advantage over our adversaries.

Convergence means integrating efforts across all echelons, from the tactical to the strategic level, to deliver optimal lethal and non-lethal effects across all domains.

“Project Convergence 2022 is good for not only the training value for the squadron, but to learn the use and capabilities of this new technology,” said Sgt. Kyler Tackett, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, bradley gunner. “Hopefully PC22 will help with the further development of these vehicles, and to help solve problems for the future of the Army.”

Through Project Convergence, the Army is demonstrating new technologies continuously throughout the year to ensure we can fight and win as one Joint, Multi-National team by framing objectives within the Joint Warfighting Concept and Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) network.

These experiment demonstrations and future modernization capabilities inform Army emerging technologies, future concepts and future formations.

“Hopefully we leave our mark as a contributor to future technologies that are going to help the Army fight our future wars,” said Cpt. Rannie Lintag, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, human resources officer.

Looking to Project Convergence 2023 and beyond, the Army will continue to expand it’s alliances and demonstrate the impact modernization will have in various theaters of our geographic combatant commands.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the team that’s out here,” said Speakes. “This team is making things happen, and I’ve seen a stark improvement in not only their capabilities, but also their leadership potential.”

The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is offering a reward of $5,000 for credible information leading to the identification of the vehicle and person(s) involved in an accident in August resulting in the death of a Fort Hood Soldier.

Investigators are looking for a silver or dark gray 2004-2008 sedan model Acura TL. The vehicle would have sustained damage to the front passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle may have already been repaired.

On Aug. 13, Sgt. Jesse Cruz died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident after leaving Joker’s Bar and Grill in Killeen, Texas. Cruz, from Fort Hood, Texas, was heading north on Clear Creek Road. Just before the intersection of Clear Creek Road and Mohawk Drive, Cruz lost control of his motorcycle, and was thrown from the motorcycle onto the road and struck by a passing vehicle which fled the scene.

The Central Texas Field Office is working jointly with the Killeen Police Department on this case. Any persons having information regarding this incident should contact the Army CID Central Texas Field Office at 254-319-0718, crime stoppers at 254-526-8477 or online at https://www.cid.army.mil/report-a-crime.html.

Persons wishing to remain anonymous will be honored to the degree allowable under the law and the information will be held in the strictest confidence allowable.

No additional information of this incident is being released to protect the integrity of the investigation.

For more information about CID, visit www.cid.army.mil.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s senior enlisted leader encouraged veterans to talk about their experience of service to friends, family and even strangers, no matter where the opportunity arises.

Command Sgt. Maj. Finis A. Dodson told a group of faculty, students and alumni at the Alabama A&M University, Nov. 8, during their Veterans Day program that veterans sharing their stories can inspire future generations to serve the nation.

“Today, only 1 percent of our nation serves in the military, and 61 percent of those who serve are more likely to have been exposed to military life through friends and family,” Dodson said. “Veterans have firsthand knowledge of the benefits of a military career and can bridge the gap between those who are familiar with military life and those who have never considered the military as a career.”

All around the country these veterans serve as teachers, doctors, engineers, social workers, community leaders, first responders, elected officials and more, Dodson said.

“They continue to serve our communities by making positive contributions, building stronger futures and inspiring future generations,” he said.

Veterans Day is an important day for the country to recognize all who have served the nation with honor and distinction, Dodson said.

“We honor the brave men and women from all walks of life who have stepped forward to defend our nation throughout our history,” Dodson said. “Generations of patriots have dedicated themselves to the defense of our country to make us stronger and more resilient as a nation.”

He said the Army is focused on its people and is committed to taking care of its Soldiers’ health, readiness and development both personally and professionally.

“In the Army, we know our greatest asset is our people,” Dodson said. “Our all-volunteer Army is a credit to Americans of all races, genders, and creeds. And our common commitment to the defense and love of country binds us together and unifies us.”

The U.S. now has the largest population of young veterans since the Vietnam War, Dodson said.

“Duty to our country is a prime reason people want to serve in the Army, but the Army is great career,” Dodson said. “We owe it to these men and women to make sure they transition from active-duty careers with skills and experiences to find meaningful employment.”

Dodson reminded attendees that the nation did not unite and support its veterans during the Vietnam War.

“Unlike previous wars, this one came up close and personal to those at home who watched news coverage of the war on television, something not readily available in prior conflicts,” Dodson said. “We must remember those who served and sacrificed for our country.”

On Veterans Day, and every day, Dodson encouraged attendees to thank veterans for their service.

“As a nation, we must ensure that the service and sacrifices of our veterans are never overlooked or forgotten,” Dodson said. “As we all know, freedom is not free.”

Flickr photo set: https://www.flickr.com/photos/armysmdc/albums/72177720303536447

Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) partnered with the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (86 AES) to conduct a Mass Casualty (MASCAL) emergency response training exercise, Nov. 2.

The exercise, the second of its kind at LRMC since 2019 due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, aimed to refine interoperability with military partners while increasing readiness.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Noe Muniz, chief of LRMC’s Commander’s Initiative Group, said the exercise allows LRMC to increase synchronization between local U.S. forces and rehearse capabilities for a mass casualty event that could strain medical assets.

“This MASCAL operation is helping integrate medical readiness with aeromedical evacuation, as well as LRMC’s emergency response,” Muniz said.

The event also addressed Individual Critical Task Lists (ICTLs), skills identified as essential to combat readiness for specific military occupational specialties to determine individual deployment capability, while fine tuning process flow, and patient transport and tracking. The exercise simulated a regional hostile event where nearly two-dozen casualties required evacuations, transport, on-site medical treatment, and hospital care using LRMC’s Emergency Operations Center to manage all medical assets. More than 170 participants were involved

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“Practicing a MASCAL is vital because you are training for a scenario that overwhelms your resources. For LRMC, which serves three continents (Africa, Europe and Middle East), our expectations must be very high because we must support such a large and diverse mission,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Daniel Moseley, staff anesthesiologist at LRMC.

LRMC’s recent response during Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome – the U.S. military withdrawal and evacuation of eligible Afghans from Afghanistan – presented opportunities to partner with host nation medical facilities, a capability LRMC continues to foster.

Army Master Sgt. Eric Holman, Noncommissioned Officer in Charge for Readiness and Integration at LRMC, said this exercise helps medical staff learn how to work under pressure.

“LRMC has a heightened awareness of regional threats, which helps us focus on how we train. By conducting battle drills and collective task training we have increased our interoperability between sister services and NATO partners,” Holman said.

Landstuhl Regional Medical Center is the only forward-stationed medical center for the U.S. and Coalition Forces, Department of State personnel and repatriated U.S. citizens. LRMC is also the evacuation and treatment center for all injured U.S. Service Members and civilians, as well as members of 56 Coalition Forces serving across Europe, Africa and the Middle East in support of four combatant commands.

For five decades, Paul Woodhouse has worked as a Civilian employee for the U.S. Army.

The 72-year-old was recently recognized for his dedication and received a 50 years of service award.

The Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics (G-4) of the Joint Munitions Command, which is based at the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, appreciates the fact others have noticed his longevity.

“It’s one day at a time. It’s been quite a while,” Woodhouse said. “I found challenging assignments in the Army and the change in the successive commands over the decades.”

When Woodhouse began his career in government, the Vietnam War was taking place. Woodhouse presumed he wouldn’t get drafted once he graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1972 and choosing the path he did was a way to give back.

“In 1973, I pulled No. 332 in the Selective Service lottery, so I was basically not going to be called into the draft,” Woodhouse said. “Along with the need to have a job and to try to contribute to what was going on at the time in the Vietnam engagement, I thought I’d do my thing for four years or so and see what else materialized in the meantime.”

Woodhouse found his calling, it turns out, and he’s not planning on retiring any time soon.

What advice does Woodhouse have for new Civilian employees?

“Training and involvement,” he said. “Jump in, figure it out through communications with other people — get it done. Don’t expect a syllabus to be handed to you that says this is the path. There’s a lot of discovery that must go with any assignment.”

Woodhouse’s dad influenced career choice

Woodhouse began working at the Ammunition Procurement and Supply Agency in Joliet, Illinois, in the summer of 1972 as an engineer intern.

His father, who worked as a safety engineer for the operating contractor of the facility, suggested Woodhouse should apply there, as it was close to his family’s home in Lockport, Illinois.

The following year, Woodhouse relocated to Rock Island when the Munitions Command merged with the Weapons Command to form the Armaments Command, and he served as a project engineer.

“I was working on modernization and expansion projects,” said Woodhouse, who has worked under every commander of each of ARMCOM’s realignments through its current successor, JMC.

Woodhouse ended up in “The Lone Star State” in 1974, where he served as project engineer at the Army Ammunition Plant in Texarkana, Texas.

Two years later, Woodhouse returned to Rock Island, and the move was a career developmental decision.

Woodhouse, who has held numerous assignments and performed a variety of roles on Arsenal Island, was named to his current position in 2014.

What does Woodhouse do?

The G-4 was created the same year Woodhouse was named its director, and what exactly does he have a hand in?

“We’re basically focused on property — personal property, general equipment and real property,” Woodhouse said of his department. “We try to help the installations maintain complete and accurate property records for the real property structures, land and the general equipment that they have.

“We also take care of Building 350 from the standpoint of routine and emergency maintenance work orders,” Woodhouse added. “We run consolidated supply provisioning for all of headquarters JMC in the building.”

FORT GORDON, Ga., – The U.S. Army defines Warrant Officers as technical experts, combat leaders, trainers, and advisors who specialize, throughout an entire career, in a specific technical area. Warrant Officer Corps comprises less than three percent of the total Army strength. And, although small in size, the level of responsibility is immense and only the very best become US Army Warrant Officers. The Warrant Officers serves as the technical and tactical experts, as the leader of a team, and are highly trained in their field. And the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command is right on board with that, as we will explore in a series of articles, the importance and necessity for Warrant Officers in NETCOM.

One such Warrant Officer, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jose Estrada, Senior 255A Information Systems Technician was unique in that he made the journey to becoming an Army Warrant Officer by branching two services.

Born in Brownsville, Texas, and raised in El Paso, where he went to High School, Estrada a first-generation Mexican American had a passion to serve his country. “I enlisted right out of High School in 1997,” said Estrada. “I loved the opportunity to serve my country, travel the world, and get both a military and College education. I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where I served for almost 8 years; I then enlisted in the Army in 2006 with the goal of becoming an Army Signal Warrant Officer.”

Estrada realized what he wanted while serving during a combat tour. “When I was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq in 2004, as a Marine communications NCO [Non-commissioned Officer] I saw firsthand the role of Warrant Officers and how they were the technical experts in their filed. Everyone relied on the Warrant Officers and their expertise to be successful.”

Already well on his way becoming a technical expert in his field, the move was not as hard as it could have been. “My first enlisted MOS [military specialty] was a Marine 2018, Computer Electronics; then when I enlisted in the Army, I was a 14E, Patriot System Air Defender; when I became am Army Signal Warrant Officer with MOS 255A, Information Systems Technician. I chose the Signal Corps because I have always been interested and passionate about Information Technology as a whole but specially about communication systems,” said Estrada.

“My first enlisted MOS was a Marine 2018, Computer Electronics; then when I enlisted in the Army, I was a 14E, Patriot System Air Defender; when I became an Army Signal Warrant Officer with MOS 255A, Information Systems Technician,” Estrada said. “I chose the Signal Corps because I have always been interested and passionate about Information Technology as a whole but specially about communication systems.”

“The most prominent lesson I have learned by serving in the Signal Corps is how important the role of the Signal Branch is in support of combat operations,” said Estrada. “Soldiers are thought that to be successful they need to shoot, move, and communicate. The Signal Corps is instrumental in providing the ability to communicate to all Army Units and thus succeed in battle.”

Estrada attributes his success to the people he had worked with and for. “I recalled how my first Marine NCO Jason Foster, now a Marine Chief Warrant Officer 5, in my first unit and first duty station in Okinawa, Japan was instrumental as my first role model and supervisor to show me what a successful military member looks like.”

“Along the way, I had several people help me succeed in the Army, being my mentors and role models; among them, my Warrant Officer Basic Course ACE, Chief Warrant Officer 4 (ret) Louis Nash, my 4th ID CAB BDE S6 Lt. Col. (ret) Richard Michael, my 1AD CAB BDE S6 Lt. Col. (ret) Charles Woodruff, my 2/1 AD BDE S6 Lt. Col. Ernest Tornabell, and my current boss and supervisor, the 7th Signal CMD (T) G5 Steve Middleton and the deputy G5, Lt. Col. Stephen Marshall,” said Estrada.

Estrada’s current assignment with the 7th Signal Command is demanding but satisfying. “Some of my key responsibilities and duties as a senior 255A Chief Warrant Officer 4 in the 7th Signal Command’s include providing the 7th Commanding General necessary information to make critical decisions concerning Command, Control, Communications,” said Estrada. “Computers, and Intelligence systems and Department of Defense Information Network Army within the CONUS [continental United States] Theater for elements encompassing more than 84 percent of the Army’s strategic communication assets.”

“I also enable and synchronize the C4I capabilities of 3 Signal Brigades and 81 Network Enterprise Centers across 38 US States, and Puerto Rico, enabling multi-domain capabilities for US Southern Command, Forces Command, Training and Doctrine Command, Army Material Command, all CONUS based Army Service Component Commands, Corps, Divisions and Brigade Combat Teams.”

Estrada’s expectations are at the top just like his performance. “While assigned to the 7th Signal Command, I expect to be able to provide communications capabilities to our theater of operations and to the Army as a whole by designing, implementing, operating and maintaining the 7th Signal Command’s Commercial Solutions for Classified technology which currently provides services to over 1500 users in CONUS and around the globe.”

What he expects is “… to be able to operationalize and lead Army Commercial Solutions for Classified capabilities (CSfC) which will in turn provide the means for the United States Army to modernize its SIPRNet infrastructure,” said Estrada.

“Chief Warrant Officer 4 Estrada is definitely a huge asset and deserves to be recognized at every level,” said Chief Warrant Office 5 Kathleen A. Mahoney, 7th Signal Command (Theater) Command Chief Warrant Officer. “His outstanding support and dedication running all things CSfC is what has made it so successful.”

When looked at closely, it is easy to tell why Estrada is so successful. It’s all about the team and the people, and he best summed it up in closing. “My leadership style is fairly simple, it all starts with the golden rule: treat others like you would like to be treated,” said Estrada. “I have always believed that to be a leader you have to set the example. A leader leads from the front.”

“I have never and never will order a subordinate to do something that I haven’t done or wouldn’t do myself. I believe in asking, telling, and then ordering. I take the services part of my Information Services Technician MOS to heart. I am and will always be a service provider and to support my unit.”

For more news on NETCOM please visit: https://www.army.mil/netcom

Not all heroes wear capes, but the Quilts of Valor Foundation showed how some heroes wear quilts.

Col. Tina L. Kirkpatrick, commander, 475th Quartermaster Group, U.S. Army Reserve, received a custom-made quilt during a public display of appreciation conducted Nov. 3, 2022, at the International Quilt Festival in Houston.

“It’s an overwhelming experience to receive a quilt from the very person who made it,” said Kirkpatrick, who, in her civilian capacity, serves as the suicide prevention program manager for the 75th Innovation Command. “The feelings of comfort, support and gratitude literally embraced me with fabric sewn by love and generosity.”

Since 2003, the Quilts of Valor Foundation has covered veterans and service members touched by war with handmade quilts made by one of more than 10,000 Foundation members spread throughout the country. The Foundation achieved a major milestone when it produced its 300,000th quilt in April 2022.

“Not everyone answers the call to serve our country,” said Lori Thompson, executive director, Quilts of Valor Foundation. “… We’ll never know exactly what each veteran experiences and how they are touched by war, but we can welcome our veterans home, support them and their families, and thank them for their service whenever possible.”

Donna Swanson, New Hampshire state coordinator, Quilts of Valor, presided over the ceremony minutes after the exhibit halls opened on the first day of the International Quilt Festival, a four-day convention that attracts more than 50,000 visitors every year.

“Our quilters know that freedom is not free,” said Swanson, whose husband served in the Vietnam War and whose sons currently serve in the Army and Marine Corps. “… This quilt is meant to say thank you for your sacrifice … It is meant to comfort you and to remind you that, although your family and friends cannot be with you at all times, you are forever in our thoughts and prayers.”

Swanson first met Kirkpatrick in September at the Chicago Midway Airport United States Overseas Center as they awaited to board their respective connecting flights.

“I was on my way to a wedding and [Kirkpatrick] was on her way to a change-of-command ceremony,” said Swanson, who has increased the number of Quilts of Valor sewing clubs in New Hampshire from two to six in four years. “She had never heard of Quilts of Valor, but, before we left the USO, she submitted an online application to receive one.”

In addition to keeping cozy snuggling with her handmade gift of honor, Kirkpatrick sees opportunities to integrate quilting into her resiliency program at the 75th Innovation Command.

“The mental and emotional benefits of art therapy offer a powerful addition to a Soldier’s resiliency toolkit,” said Kirkpatrick. “I love to provide practical applications of art therapy during the 75th IC’s Battle Assemblies. Each Soldier could sew a small piece of fabric, and together they could create a quilt that visualizes their teamwork, resilience and creativity.”

“Quilts are a catalyst for healing,” said Swanson, who currently resides in Nashua, N.H. “They put smiles on people’s faces. Knowing people are happy when I show up and even happier when I leave them with their newly received quilts is the best part about my job.”

Learn how Quilts of Valor can honor veterans in your local community at www.qovf.org.

Railcars that were loaded by Soldiers with the Army Reserve’s 411th Engineer Company with military vehicles and equipment Nov. 2, 2022, are shown at Fort McCoy, Wis.

Overall the company loaded 128 items on to railcars over the multi-day rail movement at the installation to deploy the equipment eventually to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Five personnel with the Fort McCoy Logistics Readiness Center (LRC) assisted with the rail movement and its coordination.

The 411th is the latest of many units over the last decade to hold rail movements at Fort McCoy. As a matter of fact, 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.

And it’s a capability that will continue, Fort McCoy LRC officials said. 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 for moving cargo and equipment in and out of the installation.

The 411th is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Overall the company loaded 128 items on to railcars over the multi-day rail movement at the installation to deploy the equipment eventually to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Five personnel with the Fort McCoy Logistics Readiness Center (LRC) assisted with the rail movement and its coordination.

The 411th is the latest of many units over the last decade to hold rail movements at Fort McCoy. As a matter of fact, 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.

And it’s a capability that will continue, Fort McCoy LRC officials said. 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 for moving cargo and equipment in and out of the installation.

The 411th is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Fort McCoy was established in 1909 and its 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.