Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez presented certificates of appreciation to leaders of the Sparta (Wis.) Area School District and the Tomah (Wis.) Area School District during separate school board meetings in May in recognition of their continued support of military-connected students and families at Fort McCoy.
Baez presented certificates May 12 during a Sparta Area School District Board of Education meeting in Sparta to Superintendent Sam Russ and the Sparta Area School District. She later presented similar certificates on May 26 to Superintendent (Dr.) Mike Hanson and the Tomah Area School District during a Tomah school board meeting.
In total, four certificates were presented — one to each superintendent and one to each district.
The certificates recognized the districts’ ongoing dedication to supporting military children and families connected to Fort McCoy and acknowledged the strong partnerships built between the installation and surrounding communities.
During her time as garrison commander over the last two years, Baez has emphasized the importance of community partnerships, and the role area schools play in supporting military readiness and family resilience. She has regularly highlighted how educational support systems help military families remain connected and successful while serving at Fort McCoy.
Military-connected students often face unique challenges, including frequent moves, transitions between schools, and family separations during training or deployments. Leaders at Fort McCoy said the support provided by local school districts helps create stability and a welcoming environment for military families living and working in the region.
“The partnerships Fort McCoy has with the Sparta and Tomah school districts are incredibly important to our military families,” Baez said. “The care, understanding, and support shown to military-connected students help strengthen our entire community and contribute directly to the well-being of our Soldiers and families.”
Fort McCoy serves thousands of Soldiers, civilian employees, contractors, retirees, and family members throughout the year. Many military families in the area have children attending schools in both the Sparta and Tomah districts.
Installation officials said the recognition reflects Fort McCoy’s appreciation for the continued collaboration between the installation and local education leaders in helping military children succeed both academically and personally.
Fort McCoy, located in west-central Wisconsin, serves as a Total Force Training Center and supports training and readiness operations for active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard military personnel from across the nation.
Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.”
The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”
And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”
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: |
05.28.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
05.28.2026 17:49 |
| Story ID: |
566366 |
| Location: |
FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: |
14 |
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