Marines, Soldiers graduate from Cold-Weather Operations Course class 21-03 at Fort McCoy

Photo By Scott Sturkol | A Fort McCoy Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) Class 21-03 student participates in cold-water immersion training Feb. 5, 2021, at Big Sandy Lake 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 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

02.19.2021

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                        

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Both Marines and Soldiers were among the 11 service members who trained in snow and frigid cold temperatures to graduate from Fort McCoy Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) Class 21-03 in early February after 14 days of training.

“Class 21-03 was our smallest class this season, due to COVID-19 reasons,” said CWOC Instructor Hunter Heard, who coordinates training with fellow instructors Manny Ortiz, Brian Semann, and Joe Ernst. All are with contractor Veterans Range Solutions, which works with Fort McCoy’s Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security to complete the training.

“This class got to experience some sub-zero temperatures during a few of their overnights in the field, including one of the thermal shelter nights,” Heard said. “And even with the colder temperatures, the class performed very well throughout the course. This class also experienced one of our coldest days for cold-water immersion. With the wind chill that morning, it was -12 degrees at Big Sandy Lake. And even with that extreme temperature, they kept their morale high for the event.”

Students completed snowshoe and skiing training at Whitetail Ridge Ski Area and on training areas throughout the post. Overall, students completed nearly 40 kilometers of marches during training, Heard said. They also learned how to pack and use ahkio sleds to carry and move gear, and they practiced extensively in building the Arctic 10-person cold-weather tent as well as improvised shelters.

Lance Cpl. Justin Mostillo with the Marine Corps 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company of Camp Lejeune, N.C., was one of nine Marines in the course for training. He said he enjoyed learning about knot-tying, proper wear of cold-weather gear, and more.

“Learning how to tie different knots is something I want to bring back to show others at my home station,” Mostillo said. “And skiing was something I have never done before, so it was educational. So was snowshoeing.”

Capt. William Myers, also with the 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, said the small class size allowed each student to receive more individualized instruction, and he said all the instructors are highly knowledgeable and approachable. He said building improvised shelters and the proper wear of cold-weather clothing are skills he can train others on in his unit.

Myers also said Fort McCoy is a great place for cold-weather training. “Fort McCoy mirrors the climate of many of the NATO countries where (our unit) conducts major exercises, thus providing a good exposure to cold weather we might experience in training or conducting operations over there,” he said.

Course objectives include focusing on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, developing winter fighting positions, camouflage and concealment in a cold-weather environment, cold-water immersion reaction and treatment, and injury prevention.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael Losacker with the Fort McCoy Noncommissioned Officer Academy said he believed the skiing and shelter building were some of the best skills he built upon during training.

“The shelter building was the most helpful,” Losacker said. “We stayed warm and dry in our shelters.”

He added, “And since I am stationed at Fort McCoy, all of these skills can be used to better train Soldiers. I enjoyed almost every aspect of the training.”

Cpl. Nina Lear, also with the 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, was appreciative of the training capabilities at Fort McCoy for cold-weather training.

“Fort McCoy is a great place for this training because of the cold temperatures, the snowfall amounts, and the vast amount of training space and terrain,” Lear said.

This season of training also has required COVID-19 safety requirements. In addition to social distancing, hand washing/sanitizing, and mask requirements, Heard said they also reduced class size. CWOC training for the 2020-21 season continues until late March.

Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.”

The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly 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.” Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.

• Date Taken: 02.19.2021
• Date Posted: 02.20.2021 00:09
• Story ID: 389456
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US