Fort McCoy hosts Community Leader Engagement event; included installation tour, hands-on training experience
Community leaders from western Wisconsin visited Fort McCoy on Oct. 15 to learn more about the installation’s military training mission, economic impact, and role in supporting Soldiers and the surrounding communities.
Representatives from the chambers of commerce and respective cities of Sparta, Tomah, La Crosse, and Black River Falls participated in the Community Leader Engagement (CLE) event, which included an installation tour, opportunities to meet with military and civilian leaders, and hands-on experiences with training simulations.
Coordinated by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office and U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy leadership, the event brought together community representatives and installation personnel to strengthen relationships, increase understanding of Fort McCoy’s mission, and explore how the installation contributes to the region.
During the visit, participants toured several locations across the installation, including South Post Housing, Whitetail Ridge Ski Area, Pine View Campground, and the Commemorative Area. The itinerary also included an overview of Fort McCoy’s history and a visit to the History Center and Equipment Park, where visitors could learn more about the installation’s military heritage and development.
The tour provided an opportunity for community leaders to see the variety of facilities and activities at Fort McCoy beyond its primary role as a military training installation.
Participants also visited the installation’s simulations training facilities in Building 221, where they took part in hands-on experiences with the Reconfigurable Virtual Collective Trainer and Engagement Skills Trainer. The demonstrations offered insight into how Soldiers use simulation-based systems to practice skills, develop proficiency, and prepare for military operations.
The visit also included opportunities to engage with Fort McCoy leaders from the garrison and the 88th Readiness Division, the itinerary shows. Discussions gave community representatives a chance to learn more about installation operations, ask questions, and better understand the coordination required to support military training and readiness.
Fort McCoy’s relationship with surrounding communities is an important part of its continued success. The installation relies on regional infrastructure, businesses, services, and a skilled workforce to help support its mission, while its operations contribute to economic activity throughout western Wisconsin.
Fort McCoy’s economic impact has been substantial locally. The installation reported an estimated $1.6 billion economic impact for fiscal year 2024, up from $1.38 billion in fiscal year 2023.
Workforce payroll, operating costs, and other expenditures accounted for more than $398 million in fiscal year 2024, illustrating the connection between the installation’s operations and the regional economy.
Community engagement events also help local leaders gain a clearer picture of how Fort McCoy operates and how its military mission connects with surrounding communities, according to the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office’s Melissa Dubois, public affairs specialist for community relations. These visits also provide opportunities for installation leaders to hear directly from community representatives and continue building relationships with local governments, chambers of commerce, and other regional partners.
The Oct. 15 event concluded with a luncheon at McCoy’s Community Center, where participants had additional opportunities for discussion and engagement with installation leadership, including Maj. Gen. Kevin Meisler, commanding general of the 88th Readiness Division and senior commander of Fort McCoy; Col. Sarah Fraticelli, commander of U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy; Lt. Col. Chad Holder, deputy garrison commander; Command Sgt. Maj. James Riddle, garrison senior enlisted leader; and numerous garrison and tenant organization leaders and directors.
At the luncheon, Holder opened the remarks, “This is the first event we’ve had like this in five years, so it’s good to kind of get this back together and get you guys here to kind of see what we’re doing at Fort McCoy and how the growth at Fort McCoy is impacting your communities.
Each leader of the respective chambers of commerce spoke about their organization, and Holder described what followed those introductions.
“We’ll introduce our senior leaders, and they’ll describe what their vision is for the next year or so and then their vision for long term for Fort McCoy and how that impacts our communities,” Holder said.
Meisler discussed a variety of subjects.
“I came from Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. Prior to that, I was in Hawaii for a couple of years,” Meisler said.
“So, over the next two years … we are expanding,” he said. “We have multiple new units coming on board. By March, I should have 80 additional families coming on. By probably next October, I’ll have an additional, just in my headquarters, about another 30, 35.”
The Fort McCoy senior commander further described more of the installation’s capabilities and related issues and information affecting local communities. Meisler thanked everyone for being a part of the event.
“We appreciate everybody being out here,” Meisler said. “I look forward to working with everybody over the next two years.”
The Community Leader Engagement event was supported by multiple Fort McCoy directorates and staff members who helped coordinate the tour, demonstrations, facilities, and other activities throughout the day.
“We appreciate all the support to make this event successful,” Dubois said. “Our guests were able to see and learn a lot about Fort McCoy in their visit.”
Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.” The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”
And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”
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 athttps://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on DVIDS by visiting https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/FMPAO on DVIDS.
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.”
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