Courtesy Photo | Fire Inspector Curt Ladwig receives a Army 40-year length-of-service awards on Jan. 16...... read more read more
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Fire Inspector Curt Ladwig, Officer Julio Rivas, and Public Safety Dispatcher David Hansen, all with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services (DES), were recognized in January 2026 by Fort McCoy DES Director Micah Komp for each reaching 40-plus years of service.
All three of the DES employees received the 40-year U.S. Army length-of-service award. According to the Office of Personnel Management, with the Army Civilian Length of Service Recognition, the program recognizes civilian employees for sustained federal service supporting Army missions. These awards are time-based (not performance-based) and are part of the Army civilian awards and recognition program.
Awards are typically presented at these service points: 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, 25 years, 30 years, 35 years, 40 years, 45 years, and 50-plus years. Some organizations also recognize 5-year increments by local policy. Most recipients receive a service emblem or lapel pin showing years of service, an official certificate, and command or organization acknowledgment. Service is determined using official personnel data including the civilian service computation date, federal employment records, Army human resources systems, and verified creditable prior federal service.
And each employee has a unique heritage of service.
Ladwig said he started his firefighting career in 1972 as a member of the Elroy (Wis.) Fire Department and worked his way up to become fire chief.
“In 1984, I joined the federal government with a job as Fire Chief of the Army Aviation Support Facility in West Bend, Wis.,” Ladwig said. “In 1988 to get closer to home, I transferred to the Fort McCoy Fire Department as a firefighter/EMT. In 1990, I was promoted to the rank of lieutenant of fire prevention and have been with fire prevention ever since.”
Ladwig is also proud of his family. “I am married to my wife Diane and together we have five children, 13 grandchildren and two great grandchildren,” he said.
As far as his career, he said, “Anyone can be a fire inspector. Fire prevention is education. We need to teach the public how to be fire safe.” And he has done that for thousands of federal employees as well as the general public over his four decades-plus of service.
According to Hansen, he has spent his life serving his country and community through a remarkable career that spans military service, entrepreneurship, law enforcement, and public safety.
As Management Analyst Kevin A. Nelson wrote about Hansen’s career, he stated, “His journey is a testament to dedication, adaptability, and a commitment to excellence. Hansen began his career in the U.S. Air Force from 1981 to 1984 as an automatic tracking radar technician. Stationed in Bayshore, Mich., he provided radar bomb scoring and electronic warfare training to aircraft such as the B-52, B-1, F-15, and F-16. His expertise earned him the honor of assisting in the reopening of the radar site in Rozet, Wyo.”
Hansen’s biography also states that in 1986, he transitioned to the Army, serving as an 11C indirect fire infantryman and section sergeant. During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, he was deployed with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division, where he served as a vehicle commander for forward air controllers on the front lines. His military career was cut short due to a medical discharge, but his contributions left a lasting impact.
“Following his military service, Hansen ventured into entrepreneurship, founding Terminator Information Systems in 1994. As a sole proprietor, he provided online dial-up access to his community before the internet became widely available locally,” the biography states.
“In 1996, Hansen embarked on a distinguished career in law enforcement as a police officer at Fort McCoy. Over nearly three decades, he took on numerous roles, including field training officer, traffic accident investigator, radar and laser instructor, and patrol sergeant. His training included instruction at the Wisconsin State Patrol Academy and advanced collision investigation at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.”
Hansen also volunteered for the agency’s Special Response Team and played a key role in officer training and development. Since 2023, Hansen has continued his service as a public safety dispatcher, where he remains a vital resource for training officers and ensuring the safety of his community.
“David Hansen’s career reflects a lifelong commitment to service, leadership, and innovation,” Nelson’s message about him shows. “From the military to public safety, his contributions have made a lasting impact on those he has served and worked alongside.”
Rivas’ journey of service began in 1983, Nelson also stated in his message about the longtime officer.
“To put that into perspective, that was the year the final episode of MASH aired and Michael Jackson’s Thriller was dominating the charts,” Nelson stated. “It was also the year Julio answered the call to duty, beginning a distinguished 20-year career in field artillery with the U.S. Army. For two decades, he served our nation with the discipline, courage, and commitment that would become the hallmark of his entire career, concluding his active duty in 2003.”
For many, a 20-year military career would be the pinnacle of a lifetime of service.
“For Julio, it was just the first half. In 2005, he began a new chapter as a PCF escort at Fort Sill, Okla., where he first applied his military experience to a civilian role. But his drive to protect and serve led him to a new path,” Rivas’ biography shows. “In 2008, he transitioned to become a Department of the Army security guard at Letterkenny Army Depot, Penn., and by 2011, he brought those skills back to Fort Sill. This dedication to security and law enforcement culminated in 2018, when he achieved a significant milestone, becoming an Army civilian police officer at Red River Army Depot. His journey as a police officer continued in 2020 when he transferred to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., further expanding his impact across the Army community.”
In 2023, Rivas joined the ranks of the Fort McCoy Police Department.
“Though he has only been with us for a part of his long journey, he brought with him an incredible depth of experience and a calm, steady presence that can only be forged through four decades of service,” Nelson wrote about Rivas’ service. “From the artillery fields of the Army to the gates and streets of our depots and forts, Julio has stood the watch. He has been a guard, a protector, and a dedicated officer, ensuring the safety of Soldiers, civilians, and their families.”
(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office and the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services.)
| Date Taken: | 02.20.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.20.2026 12:16 |
| Story ID: | 558468 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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