Personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) continued their support of neighboring communities by participating in National Night Out events Aug. 4 in Tomah and Sparta, Wis., helping strengthen relationships between Fort McCoy and local residents through community outreach.
Fort McCoy sent teams to both the Monroe County National Night Out in Tomah and the Sparta National Night Out, where DES personnel visited with community members, answered questions about the installation, and distributed informational and promotional items provided by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.
Representing Fort McCoy at the Monroe County National Night Out in Tomah were Capt. Jacob Weger, Officer Danielle Sodergren, and Officer Nathan Dawson. Supporting the Sparta National Night Out were Detective Daniel Conley, Management Analyst Kevin Nelson, and Deputy Chief Jeffrey T. Kingsley.
At each event, Fort McCoy brought two emergency services vehicles for public display and staffed an informational table where visitors could learn more about the installation and receive Fort McCoy promotional materials.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign held on the first Tuesday in August that promotes partnerships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. Events across the nation encourage residents to meet local first responders in a relaxed setting while learning more about public safety and crime prevention.
Kingsley said participating in National Night Out is an important opportunity for Fort McCoy to engage with the surrounding communities.
“Fort McCoy interacts with the community really well,” Kingsley said in a 2024 interview. “A lot of the officers we have live in these communities. We work at Fort McCoy, but they live in Tomah and Sparta, so they're interacting with their neighbors and friends. It's a great opportunity to build those relationships.”
He said community engagement is an important part of the mission of Fort McCoy’s law enforcement professionals.
“Community policing is something we take very seriously,” Kingsley said. “Any chance we get to interact with the community is a good thing. You build those relationships outside of the more stressful situations when someone might normally have contact with law enforcement.”
Those conversations help establish trust before an emergency ever occurs, he said.
“When people have the opportunity to meet us, ask questions, and simply have conversations, it makes future interactions easier,” Kingsley said. “People become more comfortable approaching us with concerns or problems because they've already built that relationship.”
Fort McCoy has participated in National Night Out activities in the region for several years, reinforcing the installation’s commitment to maintaining strong partnerships with local communities. The annual outreach effort also reflects the close connection between Fort McCoy and Monroe County, where many installation employees, Soldiers, and their families live and work.
In addition to showcasing emergency services vehicles, the Fort McCoy teams answered questions about the installation and shared information about Fort McCoy's mission as one of the Army’s premier Total Force training installations. Visitors also received Fort McCoy informational and promotional items supplied by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.
By participating in both National Night Out events, Fort McCoy DES personnel continued a tradition of building positive relationships with neighboring communities while demonstrating the installation's commitment to public service and community partnership.
Fort McCoy has supported America’s armed forces since 1909. Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The post’s varied terrain, state-of-the-art ranges, new as well as renovated facilities, and extensive support infrastructure combine to provide military personnel with an environment in which to develop and sustain the skills necessary for mission success.
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 Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on DVIDS by visiting https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/FMPAO.
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: |
08.08.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
08.09.2026 01:33 |
| Story ID: |
571913 |
| Location: |
FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: |
18 |
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This work, Fort McCoy emergency services personnel support 2026 National Night Out events in Tomah, Sparta, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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