Community effort paid off with the restoration of a pedestrian bridge over Tarr Creek with the official opening and ribbon cutting June 1 at Fort McCoy.
The project was a collaboration among Boy Scout Derek Poss and Boy Scout Troop 7 of Sparta, Wis.; the Wisconsin National Guard Challenge Academy, a Fort McCoy tenant unit; and the Directorate of Public Works (DPW) at Fort McCoy. Poss, a military family member, helped coordinate, plan, and build the project as an Eagle Scout project.
The bridge over Tar Creek was originally built in 1998 by an engineer unit between what is now the IHG Army Hotel and Rumpel Fitness Center. The restoration project, which was completed between March and June of this year, replaced the walking surface and handrail system, according to DPW.
An earlier project that cleared and resurfaced a walking trail will, in conjunction with the restored bridge, allow a safe path for service members and other guests to travel between the hotel and fitness center without forcing them to walk on road shoulders, said Operations and Maintenance Division Chief Nate Sobojinski with DPW. The trail can also be used by Wisconsin Military Academy students. Challenge Academy cadets and DPW staff partnered to clean up the walking trail in fall 2020, and the cadets will continue to maintain it in the future.
Poss said the project was intended to give back to the Fort McCoy and military community while helping both cadets and scouts develop important skills for the future.
“It will benefit Soldiers and civilians … while visiting Fort McCoy to allow them a direct walking pathway between the hotel and gym, saving several miles instead of walking on the roadway around the woodlands,” Poss said.
Poss said he worked with DPW under the mentorship of Maj. James Lavelle, Fort McCoy Garrison Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Mantha, garrison command sergeant major, to ensure the new bridge met DPW specifications. He also helped coordinate volunteer work from Challenge Academy cadets and members of Boy Scout Troop 7.
“It’s important to volunteer and serve our local community,” Poss said. “Volunteering and community service are part of the Boy Scout outdoor code, Scout oath, and Scout law.”
Community service and volunteering are also an important part of the Challenge Academy tenets, said Deputy Director Keith Krueger with the Challenge Academy.
“Service to community is one of the eight core components that all cadets must complete during the residential phase of the Challenge program,” Krueger said. “During a cycle, each Cadet normally completes 60 to 70 hours, and we are always looking for sound projects that support the community.”
The volunteer work gives cadets a sense of giving back to the community, Krueger said. The June 2021 class spent an average of 31 hours per cadet volunteering for Fort McCoy community projects specifically.
Mantha lauded the community effort that went into restoring the bridge and noted that of the 80 hours of labor that went into the project, more than 45 were provided by Challenge Academy cadets.
“All these young adults have come to Fort McCoy as volunteers to give themselves an opportunity for future success; this already says a lot of each of their individual characters,” Mantha said. “The skills taught to these cadets while working the bridge project will be additional tools for them to carry with them back to the homes and their communities to make them stronger as individuals and teams.”
The walking trail and bridge are both located northeast of IHG, building 51. The trail may also be used for recreation by Fort McCoy community members.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, 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.
Social Sharing