Fort McCoy’s economic impact surpasses $2.5 billion during fiscal year 2022

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Construction work is shown Jan. 20, 2022, in the 1600 block of the cantonment area at Fort McCoy, Wis., on a second new transient training troops barracks project on the post. The $18.8 million project was awarded to L.S. Black Constructors, which is the contractor who built the first barracks building at Fort McCoy, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy. The new contract was awarded Sept. 29, 2020, and the notice to proceed was issued Oct. 28, 2020. The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 780 calendar days. Currently contract completion is scheduled for December 2022. The barracks is different than the traditional barracks located throughout the installation. This new building will be four stories and able to house 400 people in approximately 60,000 square feet. The building is being built with the latest in construction materials and include state-of-the-art physical security and energy-saving measures. The project also is part of the Fort McCoy Master Plan that looks at continuously upgrading the installation’s infrastructure to be prepared for the future. The Army Corps of Engineers is managing the project. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

03.03.2023

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                        

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Fort McCoy’s total economic impact for fiscal year (FY) 2022 was an estimated $2.52 billion, above the $1.93 billion reported for FY 2021, garrison officials announced.

The data was compiled by Fort McCoy’s Plans, Analysis and Integration Office.

Workforce payroll, operating costs, and other expenditures totaled $629.08 million for FY 2022 compared to $481.6 million for FY 2021.

A total of 2,444 personnel worked at Fort McCoy in FY 2022 — 1,320 civilians, 586 military, and 538 contract employees.

Approximately 66.4 percent of the workforce lives within Monroe County. The total FY 2021 workforce payroll for civilian and military personnel was $185.36 million.

FY 2022 operating costs of $391.46 million included utilities, physical plant maintenance, repair and improvements, new construction projects, purchases of supplies and services, as well as salaries for civilian contract personnel working at Fort McCoy.

Other expenditures accounted for $52.25 million and covered $339,994 in payments to local governments (including land permit agreements, school district impact aid, etc.) as well as $51.91 million in discretionary spending in local communities by service members training and residing at Fort McCoy.

Other factors of economic impact for the fiscal year included $42.5 million in military construction on post.

Fort McCoy supported training for 77,421 troops in FY 2022, which ran from Oct. 1, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2022. The training population included reserve- and active-component personnel from throughout the military.

Larry Sharp, chief of the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security (DPTMS) Training Coordination Branch, said the training numbers include Army Reserve Soldiers; National Guard service members; and active-duty troops from not just the Army but also other services, such as the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.

Training statistics reflect many types of training opportunities that take place at the installation by active- and reserve-component forces and other governmental agencies, according to DPTMS.

During fiscal year 2022, training included several Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) sessions; battle-drill (weekend) training; annual training; mobilization; institutional training; and numerous exercises, including a Warrior Exercise, Combat Support Training Exercise, Global Medic, Spartan Warrior III military police exercise, and numerous other training events.

In July 2022, hundreds of Marines with 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines (2/24) conducted training at Fort McCoy on North Post. The 2/24 is an infantry battalion based out of Chicago consisting of approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors. The battalion falls under the 24th Marine Regiment and the 4th Marine Division.

Numerous Army engineer units came to Fort McCoy to help with troop projects, too. In all, hundreds of Soldiers worked between May and August on numerous projects that improve the installation’s training infrastructure.

Over the course of several days in late July, heavy equipment operators with the Army Reserve’s 390th Engineer Company (Vertical) completed the “coal field fill” troop project at Fort McCoy.

The combat engineers who are based out of Chattanooga, Tenn., were at Fort McCoy for the Army Reserve’s and 78th Training Division’s Warrior Exercise 78-22-02.

“We (were) conducting earth-moving operations to fill a coal pit that was an environmental hazard right close to the base,” said Engineering Officer 2nd Lt. Donovan McCaskill. “They’ve been trying to get this done for three years. However, this project provided an opportunity for us to reach one of our mission-essential tasks that we’re required to train on annually.”

DPTMS officials project similar training numbers or higher at the installation in fiscal year 2023.

The Fort McCoy Executive Summary, available on the installation website, www.home.army.mil/mccoy, shows the installation makes continuous improvements to provide a training plethora of training capabilities for service members.

“Throughout the last decade, Fort McCoy experienced unprecedented facility modernization, training area development and expansion, increased training and customer support capability, and improved quality-of-life opportunities,” the summary states. “From unmanned aerial vehicles, to urban training facilities, to live-fire ranges and virtual-training environments, Fort McCoy is prepared to meet the training needs of the Army in the 21st century.”

A gross multiplier index (GMI) of 4.0 was used to determine the overall effect of the expenditures in the local economy. The GMI measures the number of times a dollar turns over within a region and was developed by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” 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 nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, 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.

(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.)

• Date Taken: 03.03.2023
• Date Posted: 03.03.2023 17:59
• Story ID: 439694
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US