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U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) received a new commander July 11 during a change-of-command ceremony in building 905 at Fort McCoy.
During the ceremony, Maj. Zachary Daugherty took the reins of command from Maj. Randy Downs. Deputy to the Garrison Commander Cameron Cantlon presided over the ceremony. First Sgt. Thomas Ninkovich, company first sergeant, also participated in the ceremony.
During his comments after passing the flag of leadership of the company to Daugherty, Cantlon first thanked Downs for his tenure as the HHC commander.
“Randy was a huge part in the garrison professional development program, especially in the last year,” Cantlon said. “So if you remember the Lunch and Learns in business and business advanced, that was Randy.
“Randy did the work,” he said. “I really appreciate what you did, Randy. And you impacted a lot of people through that work. Also, garrison command outreach. In the garrison headquarters, we have a significant amount of command outreach to our surrounding communities, the counties, the towns, the schools. Randy, you were a huge part of that.
“Thank you for what you did for command outreach,” Cantlon said. “And last, as a professional representative, you were not the commander of HHC and only the commander of HHC. You were a professional representative not only of the Army Reserve, the AGR Program, but also this garrison.”
In his departing message, Downs thanked many people, including the Soldiers of the HHC, and more.
“So, our HHC Soldiers, they train, and more than 70,000 soldiers are trained here every year, and by nature you are called to support that training, whether it is (Army Reserve-level) exercises; whether it’s the E3B — the Expert Soldier Badge, the Expert Infantry Badge, the Expert Medic Badge; you do that, you do that so exceptionally well,” Downs said. “In addition to your core missions, all the events … when we need somebody to help with that.
“So, thank you HHC,” Downs said. “You mobilize units, you stand ready to support, and you defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I want to say that again. You support and defend the Constitution, our most sacred document. You do it so well. You’re integrated into the larger picture, and you’re prepared to fight and win our nation’s wars on foreign soil. We have no option but to be ready. You know it, and you train for it, and again, you do everything exceptionally well. … You motivated me to get 1 percent better daily, to wake up and attack life. You made Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, our nation, and just our mission so much better. So, thank you guys so very much.”
Daugherty said he was thankful to become the new company commander.
“I would like to thank the Fort McCoy leadership team … for selecting me for this position,” Daugherty said. “I am truly humbled and honored to assume command of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the United States Army Garrison-Fort McCoy. This is truly an incredible team with a proud legacy and a vital mission. Know that I am grateful to be a part of it. Thank you for the trust.
“I do not take this responsibility lightly, and I pledge to give you and this organization my best each and every day,” Daugherty said. “To Major Downs, Randy, thank you for your steadfast leadership and dedication to this organization. The strength and cohesion of the team speak to your commitment and care for the Soldiers and the mission. I wish you continued success in your future endeavors. To the directorates and civilians of Fort McCoy, over the past few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to speak with and get to know each of you, both as a leader and a customer. Your dedication to excellence and experience is second to none, and I am excited and I look forward to working closely with you in the future.”
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, on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy,” on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/fortmccoywi, and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@fortmccoy.
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: | 07.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2025 17:52 |
| Story ID: | 544068 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 245 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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