Photo By Scott Sturkol | The birthday cake is cut during the cake-cutting ceremony during the birthday luncheon...... read more read more
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Fort McCoy celebrated the Army’s 250th birthday with several events June 13 throughout the installation.
The celebration, coordinated by the Fort McCoy Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (DFMWR), kicked off with the Army Birthday 5k Run/2-Mile Walk at 7 a.m. June 13.
For the run/walk in 2025, approximately 150-plus people took part in all ages, and all those participants received free Army Birthday t-shirts as well.
At the same time as the run/walk, a free breakfast was provided for all the run/walk participants at the front of Rumpel Fitness Center. Breakfast items included juice, water, bars, donuts, and more.
Later the same day, beginning at 11:30 a.m. at McCoy’s Community Center, the birthday celebration continued with a free lunch, cake-cutting ceremony, and on-site band entertainment from the Army Reserve’s 204th Army Band of Fort Snelling, Minn.
The 204th Army Band also played during the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Fort McCoy Army birthday celebrations.
Fort McCoy’s Deputy to the Garrison Commander Cameron Cantlon recalled participating in past celebrations during a media interview prior to the lunch event.
As a young Soldier, I remember going to the Army birthday celebrations that were probably hosted by the MWR, like our MWR here at Fort McCoy, and we got together to enjoy some camaraderie, watch the youngest and oldest cut a cake, and enjoy festivities afterwards,” Cantlon said. “So some things change, some things don’t change that much. … (Back then) I just thought it was real interesting that the Army took time out of its day to honor itself and the Soldiers past and present on the Army birthday, on Flag Day, June 14th. What a great day.”
At the beginning of the lunch, DFMWR Director Scott Abell welcomed everyone.
“Welcome everyone,” Abell said. “It’s my distinct privilege to share this momentous occasion with all of you.”
Cantlon then provided opening comments for the luncheon as well.
“The Army formed up before our nation was even a nation,” Cantlon said. “We honor the Army today.”
Cantlon also thanked the 204th Army Band for entertaining the participants, thank the many people from tenant organizations across post for also participating, and more.
“To our tenants here on post, thanks for joining us,” he said. “Thanks for joining us, the Fort McCoy family, here to celebrate this birthday.”
Also, as part of the event, more than 20 new Army recruits were sworn in to commemorate the day. That event was coordinated by Army recruiters serving in Wisconsin.
In addition to DFMWR events, Fort McCoy’s historic Commemorative Area was open for visitors on June 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. for community members to see. The 900 block of Fort McCoy and the 11-acre area surrounding it are at the hub of the fort’s history-preservation efforts as the Commemorative Area.
The Commemorative Area consists of five World War II-era buildings set aside to help tell Fort McCoy’s unique story, said Public Affairs Specialist Melissa Dubois. These facilities are representative of the types found in the cantonment area when it was constructed in 1942. Three of the buildings — an administrative facility, a dining facility, and a barracks — are set up to depict Soldier life during the 1940s.
Display items at the Commemorative Area include a World War II chapel, bunk beds, footlockers, mannequins, and potbelly stoves. Another building highlights four different modern military training venues, and a separate facility shows various training aids. The area also has the Equipment Park. Veterans Memorial Plaza is a tribute to all of the men and women who have served the nation during each era of Fort McCoy’s history.
The History Center at the Commemorative Area features exhibits as well as displays of artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia that tell the story of Fort McCoy since its founding in 1909. The center first was opened in 1999 in building 902 when Fort McCoy observed its 90th anniversary.
Whether it’s Maj. Gen. Robert B. McCoy’s World War I gas mask, horseshoes from the early
camp stables, World War II-era uniforms, or items from the 1980 Cuban Refugee Resettlement mission, the History Center offers exhibits spanning from Fort McCoy’s earliest beginnings to the installation’s involvement in the war on terrorism.
In discussing the Army’s 250th birthday at https://www.army.mil/1775, the service states it has been a part of many history-making, world-changing events, and more.
“Since its official establishment, June 14, 1775 — more than a year before the Declaration of Independence — the U.S. Army has played a vital role in the growth and development of the American nation,” the website states. “Drawing on both long-standing militia traditions and recently introduced professional standards, it won the new republic's independence in an arduous eight-year struggle against Great Britain. At times, the Army provided the lone symbol of nationhood around which patriots rallied.”
Learn more about the founding of the Army by visiting the U.S. Army Center for Military History at https://www.history.army.mil.
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 Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.25.2025 01:35 |
| Story ID: | 501436 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Hometown: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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