U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy was among many garrisons that recently earned the Army Superior Unit Award for mission excellence in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021.

Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Sheyla Baez officially presented the award to the garrison during a townhall meeting Oct. 24 in building 905.

“As you look around, we have civilians who have been here for a long time because they love their job, and they do it very, very well,” Baez said. “Thank you for your service. … As an organization, the Army changed in their practice, in their policies. … Many installations across the globe shut down and closed and stopped doing what they were doing. … Fort McCoy continued to work. We had some diminished capacity in some sections, but Fort McCoy did not shut down.

“Fort McCoy did not close the gates, did not close the door. Why?” Baez said. “Because we have people who are committed. Because we had the space to take the measures that we could take to do the separation between people. … This award is for every one of you. So, a big round of applause.”

The citation for the award states fully what the award was all about.

“Army Superior Unit Award. By order of the Secretary of the Army, United States Army Garrison-Fort McCoy, demonstrated superior performance and devotion to duty from Feb. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021,” the citation states. “United States Army Garrison-Fort McCoy, conducted an exceptionally difficult and challenging mission under extraordinary circumstances that resulted in safe communities and preservation of lives across the Coulee Region, including Sparta, Tomah, Black River Falls, and Fort McCoy, consisting of 37 tenant units and 1,500 Soldiers and Department of Army civilians.

“The collective effort and selflessness of each individual and unit to serving Soldiers, civilians, families, and retirees will have a lasting impact for years to come,” the citation states. “The dedication and outstanding performance of United States Army Garrison-Fort McCoy is in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon themselves and the United States Army.”

Baez said the citation is posted at Fort McCoy Garrison Headquarters for anyone who wants to see it.

In September 2020, former Garrison Commander Col. Mike Poss reviewed what the installation had completed to stay open from the start of the pandemic until that point. When Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Michael D. Poss took command of the garrison on June 10, 2020, he was likely the first to assume that role while the country was responding to a global pandemic.

“I was experiencing the pandemic like everyone else,” said Poss, who prior to coming to Fort McCoy was the chief of staff for the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command at the Army Reserve Center in Wichita, Kansas. “We were undergoing probably the same thing that everyone else was dealing with. We were trying to figure out how to operate in this new environment.

“I was coming in every day working 12-hours with a small team, and we were trying to plan out the training requirements that were coming up,” Poss said. “In addition, I was simultaneously planning my transition to Fort McCoy that was certainly unique with some challenges from COVID.”

The COVID-19 pandemic had been ongoing for more than two months when Poss took the reins of the garrison. Many services and facilities were closed at that time, and training was at a standstill. However, he said the Fort McCoy team did a great job bringing many important services and capabilities back online.

“I think it helped us as an Army collectively to learn that we can operate in an environment such as this,” Poss said. “We have been trained in the Army that sometimes you have to operate in less-than-perfect conditions. … So, this was a new situation where we had to learn how to operate in the COVID environment. … I started asking was what sort of services here on Fort McCoy can we look to open up in a safe and effective manner?”

One of first places to reopen on post was Pine View Campground.

“The installation first opened the campground for recreation,” Poss said. “It’s a place that is outdoors so you can socially distance fairly easily out there.”

Then Poss said the installation needed to reopen the Child Development Center (CDC) and the School Age Center/Youth Center because those facilities directly support military and civilian workforce members on post.

“We wanted to look at opening up the CDC, and I was there on opening day to see how it would go. Prior to that, we had visited the center quite extensively and talked with the staff. … It was great to see the employees bringing the children. It was a new environment, but we adapted with new procedures.”

As services began to reopen, strong COVID-19 protective measures had to be installed. The post already had policy letter 37 in place, which enforced sanitation and hygiene procedures for the Fort McCoy community and workforce. Next, the Fort McCoy team worked to create policy letter 38. “Policy 38 spells out how we will operate and train in a COVID-19 environment,” Poss said.

With the policies in place, chapel services operated by the Religious Support Office resumed, and Rumpel Fitness Center reopened as well.

According to a story by Victoria Eby at https://www.army.mil/article/221267/army_superior_unit_award, Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards), dated June 25, 2015, describes the Department of the Army policy, criteria, and administrative instructions concerning individual and unit military awards and describes the Army Superior Unit Award as follows:

The Army Superior Unit Award was established by the Secretary of the Army on April 8, 1985, to recognize outstanding meritorious performance by a unit during peacetime of a difficult and challenging mission under extraordinary circumstances.

“Circumstances may be deemed to be extraordinary when they do not represent the typical day-to-day circumstances under which the unit normally performs, or may reasonably be expected to perform, its peacetime mission,” the article states.

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.”