Photo Essay: Cold-Weather Operations Course students operate in field conditions

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Students in Fort McCoy's Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) 19-02 work around their camp area Jan. 17, 2019 at a remote location on South Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. 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 Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

01.24.2019

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                         

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Students in Fort McCoy's Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) Class 19-02 operated in field conditions with improvised shelters Jan. 17, 2019 at a remote location on South Post at Fort McCoy, Wis.

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 2018-19 CWOC training season came with some changes, including the addition of two more days of training, a new marching route was established with new bivouac sites, and the course now incorporates the use of the Home Station Instrumentation Training System (HITS).

HITS is a training aids, devices, simulators, and simulations system that supports after-action review (AAR) capabilities for units at the battalion and below level, said Fort McCoy Training Support Officer Rob Weisbrod with DPTMS. HITS provides automated tools and instrumentation for unit leaders and designated observer-controller/trainers to collect, analyze, and present training-performance feedback to their unit in a multimedia AAR and take-home package.

“Using HITS helps us with our training and gives our students another tool to build their skills while at the same time helping us to improve course operations,” said CWOC instructor Joe Ernst.

The training is coordinated through the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security.

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 each year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.

• Date Taken: 01.24.2019
• Date Posted: 01.24.2019 16:45
• Story ID: 308149
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US