Mike Volpe, executive officer with U.S. Army Garrison Fort McCoy, led a guided tour of the Fort McCoy Commemorative Area on June 11 for 19 Soldiers with the 377th Support Maintenance Company, 103d Expeditionary Sustainment Command, of Manitowoc, Wis.
Volpe escorted the Soldiers throughout the Commemorative Area, sharing the history of Fort McCoy while stopping at each of the area's major attractions. The tour included the Fort McCoy History Center, where exhibits and artifacts document the installation's history from its establishment in 1909 through modern-day operations, including World Wars I and II, the Korean and Vietnam wars, Operations Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Operation Allies Welcome.
The History Center also features photographs, uniforms, equipment, personal artifacts, and other memorabilia that tell the story of the Soldiers and civilians who have served at Fort McCoy through the decades.
The group also visited the restored World War II-era buildings that depict Soldier life during the 1940s.
Three of the historic structures include displays of barracks living quarters, a dining facility, and an administrative building complete with bunk beds, footlockers, uniforms, period furnishings, chapel displays, and other items representative of Army life during World War II. Additional buildings showcase Army training aids and the evolution of military training at Fort McCoy.
Outside, the Soldiers explored Equipment Park, which features approximately 70 pieces of historic military equipment, including tactical vehicles, helicopters, artillery, trailers, and engineering equipment that represent the types of equipment used at Fort McCoy throughout its history. The tour also included Veterans Memorial Plaza, dedicated during Fort McCoy’s centennial in 2009, where statues honor Soldiers who served during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Global War on Terrorism.
“Great tour group,” Volpe said. “Enjoyed showing them the history there.”
The guided visit gave the Soldiers an opportunity to learn about the installation where they were training while gaining a greater appreciation for Fort McCoy’s more than 117 years of service to the Army and the nation.
The Fort McCoy Commemorative Area was established to preserve the installation's history and heritage through its collection of historic World War II-era buildings, the History Center, Equipment Park, Veterans Memorial Plaza, and interpretive exhibits.
Guided tours are available for organized groups throughout the year, helping Soldiers, veterans, family members, and community visitors better understand Fort McCoy’s enduring role in training, mobilization, and support of the Total Force.
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 athttps://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: |
06.29.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
06.30.2026 01:56 |
| Story ID: |
568983 |
| Location: |
FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
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17 |
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This work, Fort McCoy executive officer leads Commemorative Area tour for Army Reserve Soldiers, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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