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Students pick up cold-weather equipment Jan. 20, 2022, at the Central Issue Facility during operations for Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-03 at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. The Fort McCoy CIF operates out of a 62,548-square-foot facility that opened in 2015 at the installation. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
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Students pick up cold-weather equipment Jan. 20, 2022, at the Central Issue Facility during operations for Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-03 at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. The Fort McCoy CIF operates out of a 62,548-square-foot facility that opened in 2015 at the installation. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
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Students pick up cold-weather equipment Jan. 20, 2022, at the Central Issue Facility during operations for Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-03 at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. The Fort McCoy CIF operates out of a 62,548-square-foot facility that opened in 2015 at the installation. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
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Students pick up cold-weather equipment Jan. 20, 2022, at the Central Issue Facility during operations for Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-03 at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. The Fort McCoy CIF operates out of a 62,548-square-foot facility that opened in 2015 at the installation. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
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Students pick up cold-weather equipment Jan. 20, 2022, at the Central Issue Facility during operations for Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-03 at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. The Fort McCoy CIF operates out of a 62,548-square-foot facility that opened in 2015 at the installation. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
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Students pick up cold-weather equipment Jan. 20, 2022, at the Central Issue Facility during operations for Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-03 at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. The Fort McCoy CIF operates out of a 62,548-square-foot facility that opened in 2015 at the installation. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
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Students pick up cold-weather equipment Jan. 20, 2022, at the Central Issue Facility during operations for Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-03 at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. The Fort McCoy CIF operates out of a 62,548-square-foot facility that opened in 2015 at the installation. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
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Students pick up cold-weather equipment Jan. 20, 2022, at the Central Issue Facility during operations for Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-03 at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. The Fort McCoy CIF operates out of a 62,548-square-foot facility that opened in 2015 at the installation. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
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Students pick up cold-weather equipment Jan. 20, 2022, at the Central Issue Facility during operations for Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-03 at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. The Fort McCoy CIF operates out of a 62,548-square-foot facility that opened in 2015 at the installation. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
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Students pick up cold-weather equipment Jan. 20, 2022, at the Central Issue Facility during operations for Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) class 22-03 at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. The Fort McCoy CIF operates out of a 62,548-square-foot facility that opened in 2015 at the installation. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
(Photo Credit: Scott Sturkol)VIEW ORIGINAL
As students train through the Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) each winter at Fort McCoy, one of the first stops for many students will be the Fort McCoy Central Issue Facility (CIF) to get their cold-weather gear.
“Here, Reserve Soldiers can be permanently issued their cold-weather gear and learn how to use it in training at the same time, … which is one reason why Fort McCoy is so well suited to support the cold-weather training,” said CIF Property Book Officer Thomas Lovgren. Other students can sign out equipment that is required for course participation.
More than a dozen items make up the Army Extreme Cold-Weather Clothing System, or ECWCS, that are issued to Soldiers. The system includes a lightweight undershirt and underwear, midweight shirt and underwear, fleece jacket, wind jacket, soft shell jacket and trousers, extreme cold/wet-weather jacket and trousers, and extreme cold-weather parka and trousers.
“It’s a layered system that allows for protection in a variety of climate elements and temperatures,” Lovgren said. Each piece in the ECWCS fits and functions either alone or together as a system, which enables seamless integration with load-carrying equipment and body armor.
For each CWOC class, Lovgren said the CIF supports the students with ECWCS equipment issue on one of the opening days of training. “They receive their ECWCS items as well as other items, such as gloves, hats, and related gear,” he said.
CWOC Instructor Hunter Heard, who works for contractor Veterans Range Solutions and teaches the course with fellow instructors Joe Ernst, Manny Ortiz, and Brian Semann in support of the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, said the CIF’s support for the course is what helps make the training successful.
Students spend a large amount of their time in the field training, Heard said. They use the gear they receive from the CIF extensively, and they receive several hours of classroom training about the equipment as well.
Operating out of a 62,548-square-foot facility in building 780, CIF personnel have plenty of space to store equipment and support customers.
“We’ve been in this building for (several) years now, and our customers have more space to process through and receive equipment,” Lovgren said. “We have two waiting areas near the entry and exit areas and a streamlined setup that helps create a smooth flow for CIF operations.”
Lovgren added that since 2011, the Fort McCoy CIF has been issuing Reserve Soldiers their entire Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment needs.
“Our facility makes the issuing process a nice experience for Soldiers as they visit here to receive their equipment, especially at busy times,” said Lovgren.
CWOC students also appreciate learning about and using the CIF-issued ECWCS equipment.
Cadet Wyatt Groves with Missouri State University, a student in CWOC class 22-02, was like many students who enjoyed learning about the latest version of the Extended Cold-Weather Clothing System (ECWCS).
“This course showed me how the seven-layer ECWCS works and how to properly wear it,” said Groves, who plans to take the clothing system skills learned and teach it to others.
Spc. Jacob Ball with the Army Reserve’s 652nd Engineer Company of Ellsworth, Wis., said learning about the ECWCS was also important for him.
“I will be teaching my fellow Soldiers how to properly use and layer the ECWCS system,” Ball said.
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.
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