Career counselor to Fort McCoy ACS director: Kevin Herman retires after decades of supporting Army family

There was never any doubt that Kevin Herman loved coming to work every day as the director of the Fort McCoy Army Community Service (ACS) Office since 2015.

“My highlights as an ACS employee were being able to meet so many great people,” Herman said. “And my top enjoyment was presenting information on the Thrift Savings Plan along with federal employee retirement options.”

Herman officially retired from government service May 18 in a ceremony at McCoy’s Community Center at Fort McCoy. He had served 15 years as a government civilian, and prior to that approximately 25 years as a Soldier. That’s 40 years of serving in many different areas — all of which he said were worth it.

Herman’s Army career first began as a Soldier on Dec. 3, 1982, when he joined the Army Reserve while still in high school in Waukon, Iowa. After graduation, he went to basic training and joined the active-duty Army.

During his first seven years as a Soldier, Herman said he was a truck driver but wanted to do more.

“I started out as a truck driver for seven years, and then I volunteered to become a recruiter because then I, as a young soldier had a pivotal point,” Herman said. “I didn't want to stay a truck driver. And I also didn’t want to get out of the Army. So, I volunteered to be become a recruiter.”

Herman served as a recruiter for awhile and then transitioned to becoming an Army career counselor.

So from 1992 to 1995, I was a recruiter in Pennsylvania,” Herman said. “(There) instead of recruiting civilians into the Army, I retained Soldiers who were already in the Army. So that’s how I got into becoming career counselor.”

Once becoming a career counselor, Herman served at Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort McCoy; and with “The Old Guard” — a ceremonial unit at Arlington National Cemetery that escorts the President of the United States located in Myer/Henderson, Va.

“I left my family here (at Fort McCoy,” Herman said. “My wife was the commander’s secretary. So, my wife stayed here with the two boys, and I went to D.C. for 2 and 1/2 years. And then I came back here right and retired.”

Herman retired from the Army in 2005. On the day of his retirement from the Army, he said he began work with VT Griffin as a contractor on Fort McCoy at the Mobilization Unit In-processing Center, or MUIC. He later moved over to the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works as a contracts officer.

Herman began his civil service career in March 2008 with the 181st Infantry Brigade as a mobilization officer, and quickly moved over to Fort McCoy ACS in August 2008 into a permanent position as the mobilization/deployment program manager.

In February 2013 he took over as the ACS financial readiness program manager until he assumed his current position as the director of ACS in August 2015 until his retirement in May.

Herman said having the experience of helping Soldiers as a career counselor transitioned well to helping people at ACS.

“It all boils down to one thing and that’s taking care of the Soldier,” Herman said. “Take care of the Soldier, and then you’re taking care of the family, which is a combat multiplier. … The great thing about it is … when you’re talking to a young Soldier in the Army and he or she is 21, 22, and up on their first enlistment. They’re wondering, do I stay in or do I get out? … And so we as career counselors need to guide and direct those Soldiers into making the best decision for them based on their qualifications and what’s available.

“Likewise, when a Soldier comes into ACS, we need to triage the situation, find out what’s going on, what are they looking for, and figure out how can we help them to best minimize their issues,” Herman said. “Whether it be stress or death in the family, financial issues, or a PCS, … we have 14 programs here at ACS that cover a whole multitude of things.”

Herman also said he’s proud of what ACS provides to the Army community — especially in the time he has served there.

“This is the place where we provide education and training,” Herman said. “It prevents financial hardships and mental hardships. It allows that Soldier to be able to do their jobs and for commanders to better rely on the Soldiers. So that’s why I say we are a combat multiplier by reducing the stress and anxiety of a Soldier coming in or a family coming in.

Are you stressed about where they're going to live? How are they going to be able to pay their bills if they’re getting financial hardship or if they have an emergency?” Herman said. “You know, we are the one-stop shop to provide help and get them out of here as expeditiously as possible. ACS can help with transitioning at the new duty station. Be it a Soldier or even a Department of the Army civilian. We'll help them equally.”

Herman said he’s really enjoyed his time working with the Fort McCoy community as well.

“I lived on four continents … and in many states,” Herman said. “The one thing I think that is unique to Fort McCoy that other installations just simply might not have is the bonding, the unity of togetherness of family of cohesion. We have generational employees here. Soldiers who come here kicking and screaming and then go kicking and screaming trying not to leave here.”

In retirement, Herman said he hopes to continue to support the Soldiers and families of Fort McCoy community in a limited capacity along with getting more involved in real estate.

“Most importantly I want to try to live each day to its fullest and give back to the community which has given so much to myself and my family,” he said.

Hear more of a full audio interview with Herman about his career by visiting https://www.dvidshub.net/audio/74259/interview-with-fort-mccoy-army-community-service-director-kevin-herman-career-fort-mccoy.

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.