Fort McCoy celebrates Army's 242nd birthday

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Lt. Col. Tammy Farrell with the Regional Training Site-Medical and Spc. Dustin Schrader, a student at Regional Training Site-Maintenance, cut the cake during the Fort McCoy observance of the Army’s 242nd birthday June 14, 2017, at McCoy’s Community Center at Fort McCoy, Wis. Hundreds of people from the installation community participated in the birthday celebration that included events and activities throughout the day. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

06.23.2017

Story by Aimee Malone 

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

The Fort McCoy community celebrated the Army's 242nd birthday June 14 with a variety of events and activities throughout the day.

Festivities started in the morning with the Commander's 5K Challenge at Rumpel Fitness Center and a free drive-thru breakfast (and birthday T-shirt) at McCoy's Community Center.

The highlight of the day was the Army birthday ceremony at McCoy's Community Center. More than 500 Soldiers, civilians, and Family members attended the event. Garrison leadership signed the Customer Service Initiative leadership pledge and unfurled the Army Communities of Excellence flag, which Fort McCoy earned by taking home the bronze award in the 2016 Army Communities of Excellence competition.

Garrison Commander Col. David J. Pinter Sr. spoke about both the history of the Army and today's Soldiers during the ceremony.
"During the early years at the birth of our nation, our fledging Army was a ragtag formation of patriots who challenged the might of the strongest military on the globe at the time to secure our nation's freedom," Pinter said. "That force, the United States Army, has transformed into the best trained, best led, and most experienced in the world."

This year's birthday is especially significant, Pinter said, as it also marks 100 years since the United States entered World War I.
"America joined … World War I and stood up for freedom and self-government," Pinter said, "and through that transformative experience, our Army, the United States Army, became the world's most lethal, adaptive, and competent land force in history.

"As we were a century ago, the Army is still 'over there,' with 184,000 Soldiers serving in 140 countries around the world," he said. "The Army's forward presence and stationing builds partner capacity, assures our allies, and deters aggressors

Pinter said Soldiers remain the Army's greatest and most valuable asset, serving wherever needed as the largest all-volunteer force.

"I ask that you join me in celebrating this milestone and take time to reflect on what the Army means to America, from its humble beginnings in 1775, to its first foray into a major world war in 1917, to the mighty global force it is today," Pinter said.

The oldest and youngest Soldiers on post cut the birthday cake before lunch — which included pulled pork, chicken wings, sides, and frozen custard — was served.

The 484th Army Band of Milwaukee performed the national anthem before the ceremony and played live music throughout lunch.
Free bowling, in-house video game rentals, and video rentals also were available at McCoy's during the afternoon.

The Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation organizes annual celebrations of the Army's birthday.

• Date Taken: 06.23.2017
• Date Posted: 06.23.2017 16:45
• Story ID: 239046
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US