Students learn about winter survival, operations during CWOC Class 18-04 at Fort McCoy

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Students in the Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) Class 18-04 build Arctic 10-person tents as part of the course training Feb. 7, 2018, at Fort McCoy, Wis. The students included Marines and Soldiers. In addition to tent building, 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

02.21.2018

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                         

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

More than 50 Soldiers and Marines attended Fort McCoy’s Cold-Weather Operations Course Class 18-04.

The course taught them how to survive and operate in cold-weather conditions and how to operate the equipment that allows them to do so. They hiked dozens of miles through the wilderness at Fort McCoy, bivouacked in the snow and cold, learned to ski, and more.

The course, also known as CWOC, is modeled on the Cold-Weather Leader Course taught by the Army Northern Warfare Training Center (NWTC) at Black Rapids, Alaska, said Course Instructor Bill Hamilton, who works for contractor Veterans Range Solutions, which supports the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, or DPTMS. The course curriculum is meant to challenge students at every turn.

“Our program of instruction includes seven days of overnight operations in the field, which teaches a finite set of individual, leader, and small-unit collective tasks within a structured ‘crawl, walk, and run’ methodology,” Hamilton said.

Some of the tasks taught during the course include cold-weather injury identification and treatment, proper ways to wear cold-weather clothing, cold-weather risk management, snowshoeing and skiing, and adverse effects of cold weather on military equipment, Hamilton said. Training also includes developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, building improvised shelters, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment.

The course prepares service members for future deployments to cold-weather regions and assists in the proper planning and execution of missions in those regions. “The result is a greater chance of injury mitigation and overall mission success,” Hamilton said.

CWOC also is a “train the trainer” course designed for leaders in the E-5 to O-3 range from all branches and components, Hamilton said.

Including Hamilton, five instructors teach the CWOC. The other instructors are Joe Ernst, Hunter Heard, Mike Nguyen, and Manny Ortiz. Heard, Nguyen, and Ortiz are the newest members of the cadre.

“Hunter brings us experience from his time teaching at NWTC in Alaska, and Mike adds his experience from teaching at the Marine Corps’ Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport (Calif.),” Hamilton said. “And Manny brings his extensive senior experience as a medic.”

“I share my experience and teach all the ways to prevent cold-weather injuries,” Ortiz said. “If you can prevent injuries, especially in a cold-weather environment, then the mission can continue and that’s what I think we successfully passed on to these students.”

DPTMS Director Brad Stewart said the CWOC contributes to the installation’s strategic goal to be that year-round Total Force Training Center.

“Fort McCoy is having a direct impact by helping service members train in a four-season climate,” Stewart said. “We have the capability and capacity here to continue to grow that idea.”

The next CWOC sessions in January include Soldiers and more Marines from units associated with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Overall, there will be six sessions of the course during the winter of 2017-2018.

• Date Taken: 02.21.2018
• Date Posted: 02.21.2018 12:40
• Story ID: 266666
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US