Women’s History Month 2018: Many women among students in grueling Cold-Weather Operations Course at Fort McCoy

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Sgt. Victoria Walters with the 107th Support Maintenance Company, Detachment 1 of the Wisconsin National Guard in Sparta and a student in Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) Class 18-02, participates in cold-water immersion training Jan. 17, 2018, at Fort McCoy, Wis. In addition to cold-water immersion, 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. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

03.16.2018

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                        

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Completing Fort McCoy’s Cold-Weather Operations Course is no easy feat, whether you’re a man or a woman. The course includes miles of ruck marching in the cold, building shelters and bivouacking in snow and freezing temperatures, and jumping into freezing lakes for cold-water immersion training.

“This course will test how tough you are — no doubt about it,” said Instructor Bill Hamilton.

Many women were among the more than 200 students who’ve completed the Cold-Weather Operations Course, or CWOC. These women were both Marines and Soldiers who came from areas across the United States.

The CWOC is modeled on the Cold-Weather Leader Course taught by the Army Northern Warfare Training Center (NWTC) at Black Rapids, Alaska. CWOC students learn skills in skiing and snowshoe training as well as how to use ahkio sleds, said Instructor Joe Ernst. 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.

Cpl. Denee Taylor with Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28 of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., was a student in CWOC Class 18-01. She said the course helped her build stronger skills as a leader and as a Marine.

“From adapting to below-freezing weather conditions in a military setting to learning survival skills to keep me and others alive, this course helped me (build) my skills a lot,” Taylor said. “You can’t lead properly if you’re not certain of the steps you need to take to preserve lives and accomplish the mission. … I was really satisfied with what this course taught me.”

Taylor added that she appreciated learning how to start and maintain a fire and how to operate with the right types of clothing and gear in the cold.

“We learned to dress in layers to be able to be comfortable with the amount of physical activity we had to do in the course,” Taylor said.

Army ROTC Cadet Molly Brown with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, a student in CWOC Class 18-02, said she appreciated all of the training.

“Everything you need to know to succeed in (cold-weather) is taught in this course,” Brown said. “This course significantly prepared me and taught me the skills needed to (operate) and survive in a cold-weather environment.”

Brown, who will be an Army officer in the future, said the best and toughest parts of the course included the cold-water immersion and staying out in the cold.

“Everything you need to succeed is taught in this course,” Brown said. “The best parts about this course is the immersion into the cold-weather environment and the level of the attention to detail that is taught.”

For Class 18-02 student Sgt. Victoria Walters with the 107th Support Maintenance Company, Detachment 1 of the Wisconsin National Guard in Sparta, attending CWOC training was a valuable experience.

“Spending five nights in the field gave me the hands-on experience needed to work in cold-weather conditions,” Walters said. “I feel I now have the skills to be a subject-matter expert in cold-weather training for my unit. I definitely gained confidence in working in extreme environments, and I think I am capable of recognizing and treating cold-weather injuries.

“CWOC was challenging, but extremely worthwhile,” she said.

And during Women’s History Month in March, the achievements and challenges of women are recognized throughout the Department of Defense (DOD). In a DOD memo by Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Robert L. Wikie, women, like those who attended CWOC, are honored.

“Women have served our military since before the formation of the United States, supporting American troops as early as the Revolutionary War,” the memo states. “Dr. Mary Walker was a surgeon who provided medical care to wounded soldiers during the Civil War, and later became the first and only woman to receive the Medal of Honor. … Women remain integral to our national defense and military operations — promoting troop readiness; providing humanitarian relief; helping to deter war, resolve conflict, and promote peace; and supporting civil authorities and missions around the world.”

For more information about the Department of Defense observance of Women’s History Month, visit https://www.defense.gov/news/special-reports/Womens-History. Learn more about Fort McCoy online at www.mccoy.army.mil, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”

• Date Taken: 03.16.2018
• Date Posted: 03.16.2018 12:49
• Story ID: 269672
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US