Fort McCoy had a busy 2018 supporting active and reserve training throughout the armed forces, as well as assisting local communities. Here's a look back at some of the year's highlights.
January
Nearly 1,200 Marines with units associated with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing completed extreme cold-weather training at Fort McCoy from early January through early February during the Ullr Shield 2018 exercise.
February
Operation Cold Steel II began Feb. 19, qualifying more than 3,000 Soldiers on mounted crew-served weapons during the course of 3 1/2 months. Fort McCoy earned the Silver Award in the 2018 Army Communities of Excellence competition; results were announced Feb. 18.
March
Fort McCoy fiscal year 2017 economic impact of $1.18 billion was announced in March. Combat Support Training Exercise (CSTX) 78-18-03 and the Regional Medic Exercise also began in March, training thousands of Reserve Soldiers to deploy on short-notice and bring capable, combat-ready, and lethal firepower in support of the Army and joint partners anywhere in the world.
April
Dozens of adults and children from the Fort McCoy community participated in the installation's 30th of observance of Arbor Day on April 27 with the planting of more than 400 trees on the cantonment area.
May
Col. Hui Chae Kim became Fort McCoy's newest garrison commander at a change-of-command ceremony May 19 at the installation's Rumpel Fitness Center. Kim assumed command from Col. David J. Pinter Sr., who had held the position since March 11, 2016. An estimated 4,000 people attended the 2018 Fort McCoy Armed Forces Day Open House, also on May 19.
June
More than 6,000 troops from across the United States trained at Fort McCoy for the 86th Training Division's Combat Support Training Exercise (CSTX) 86-18-04 through June 29.
Nearly 60 Airmen from 10 states as well as teams of international service members who are part of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams trained at Fort McCoy for 12 days in late June to early July as part of Exercise Audacious Warrior 2018.
July
Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft completed airdrops at Badger Drop Zone, security forces Airmen and Wisconsin State Patrol troopers held exercise scenarios together at several training areas, and Young Air Assault Strip was a hub of activity for the National Guard's Patriot North 2018 exercise, held July 17-19 at Fort McCoy and Volk Field, Wis.
August
The 86th Training Division at Fort McCoy conducted Combat Support Training Exercise (CSTX) 86-18-02 from Aug. 4-24 at the installation.
Thousands of service members with the Army as well as other military services and foreign militaries participated in the multinational exercise.
Fort McCoy emergency personnel supported local agencies after areas near Fort McCoy received up to 12 inches of rain and high winds during a storm Aug. 27, causing extensive flash flooding and damage in the region.
September
Airmen, Soldiers, and officials with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) were sent to Fort McCoy from Sept. 7 to 14 as part of Exercise Turbo Distribution 18-02, a Joint Task Force-Port Opening (JFT-PO) simulation designed to hone joint service interoperability in austere locations.
The new Fort McCoy public website, https://home.army.mil/, launched at the end of September.
October
Fort McCoy continued to be a high-volume training venue as 148,733 personnel trained at the installation in fiscal year 2018 - just a few thousand under the record number of troops who trained on post in 2017.
Team Fort McCoy sent two teams of runners to the 2018 Army Ten-Miler competition Oct. 7 at the Pentagon and came away with second- and fourth-place finishes in the Reserve Mixed category.
November
Regional Training Site (RTS)-Medical at Fort McCoy ran a Combat Support Hospital/Field Hospital Commander and Command Sergeant Major Course from Nov. 6-8 to help prepare new commanders for the challenges they'll face in the future.
Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security staff prepared for Fort McCoy's upcoming third season of the Cold-Weather Operations Course.
The goal is to train as many as 300 service members during the training season.
December
Maj. Gen. Jody J. Daniels took the helm of the 88th Readiness Division and as Fort McCoy's senior commander when she accepted the unit colors from Maj. Gen. Scottie D. Carpenter during a change of command ceremony Dec. 1 at Fort McCoy.
Soldiers with the 426th Regional Training Institute (Wisconsin Military Academy) fired 21 volleys on an artillery piece while honoring former President George H. W. Bush on Dec. 6 during an artillery salute on the Parade Field at Fort McCoy.
Bush died Nov. 30 at the age of 94.
(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.)
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