Tomah Chamber & Visitors Center Newsletter February Newsletter | Page 7

Spotlights
On Base at Fort McCoy
by Theresa Fitzgerald
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. An estimated 4,000 people attended the 2018
Fort McCoy Armed Forces Day Open House, also on
May 19.
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.
Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft completed airdrops
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