Courtesy Photo | Members of Fort McCoy and members of both Tomah (Wis.) and La Crosse (Wis.) Chambers...... read more read more
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Military spouses bring a highly adaptable and experienced workforce to communities across Wisconsin, but frequent military relocations can make maintaining a traditional career challenging.
A new regional effort supported by Fort McCoy is working to change how employers view those career histories while connecting military spouses with employment opportunities in communities surrounding the installation.
The Military Spouse Hiring Initiative began as a partnership between the Tomah Chamber & Visitors Center and Fort McCoy and has now expanded to include the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, creating a broader regional effort to connect military spouses with employers throughout Western Wisconsin.
At the center of Fort McCoy’s support for the initiative is Lt. Col. Chad Holder, deputy commander of U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy, who has worked with community and business leaders to help develop and expand the effort.
The initiative encourages participating employers to recognize the skills military spouses develop through the unique demands of military life and to give qualified spouses greater consideration during the hiring process.
For Holder, frequent moves should not automatically be viewed as a weakness on a résumé.
Spouses are like a master logistician, Holder said at one of the event announcements describing a military spouse who has moved every few years. These spouses move every two years. They understand what it means to move across country with a household in seven days and get from point A to point B with no issues. That’s something he said a business should want to have possibly.
That perspective is a central idea behind the initiative: turning what can appear to be employment instability into an understanding of the adaptability, organization, resilience and problem-solving skills military spouses develop.
Military spouses frequently face employment interruptions because of permanent changes of station and other military-related moves. The Tomah Chamber’s initiative was created in part to help address those résumé gaps while giving local employers access to qualified candidates.
Under the Tomah program, participating businesses become Pledge Partners. Employers agree to review qualified applications submitted by military spouses with a priority lens and provide an initial interview to qualified candidates who meet the minimum objective qualifications for an open position. The pledge does not guarantee employment or require an employer to hire an applicant; hiring decisions remain with the individual employer.
The initiative also provides employers with an opportunity to demonstrate their support for military families while gaining access to a skilled and motivated workforce. Participating businesses receive recognition through Chamber marketing, newsletters, social media and events.
The Tomah Chamber lists several businesses and organizations that have joined the effort. Check their chamber website.
The initiative’s expansion into the La Crosse area represents a significant next step. Sam Scinta, CEO of the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, credited Tina Thompson of the Tomah Chamber with taking the initial lead and opening the door for the partnership with Fort McCoy.
“Fort McCoy serves as a major economic and community partner in Western Wisconsin, and military families are an integral part of our community,” Scinta said in a media announcement in July in La Crosse. He described the initiative as an opportunity to assist with talent recruitment and retention, economic growth and workforce development throughout La Crosse County and the region.
The La Crosse partnership already has a major employer participating. A large health provider has signed onto the initiative, providing military spouses another potential avenue for employment in the region.
The initiative is designed to benefit military families connected to more than just active-duty service. Military spouses of active-duty service members, National Guard members, and Reservists are eligible to participate in the La Crosse-area effort.
For Fort McCoy, the effort is another example of the installation’s role as a community and economic partner in Western Wisconsin.
Fort McCoy’s Army Community Service Employment Readiness Program is also involved in connecting military spouses with employment resources. The program’s work supports the broader goal of helping military families establish stronger connections with surrounding communities and find meaningful employment. Recent Fort McCoy coverage identified the Military Spouse Hiring Initiative as one of the Employment Readiness Program’s efforts to connect military spouses with employment opportunities.
Holder said the effort is ultimately about strengthening military families while also helping regional businesses tap into an often-overlooked pool of talent.
The initiative also has a long-term community benefit.
The Tomah Chamber notes that many service members complete their final duty assignment at Fort McCoy and choose to remain in the surrounding area. Helping their spouses establish careers locally can make it easier for military families to remain in the region, strengthening workforce retention and contributing to long-term community growth.
That creates a two-way benefit: military families gain employment opportunities and stronger connections to the communities where they live, while businesses gain access to workers who have demonstrated adaptability and experience navigating change.
The partnership will continue to expand through direct connections between employers and military spouses. Fort McCoy and the La Crosse Area Chamber are planning a Military Spouse Hiring Initiative job fair Sept. 11, 2026, at Fort McCoy, bringing employers and prospective military-spouse employees together in one location.
What began as a Tomah-area initiative is therefore developing into a broader Western Wisconsin partnership — with Fort McCoy serving as the link between military families and the civilian communities surrounding the installation.
For Holder and the Fort McCoy Garrison, the effort reflects a simple premise: supporting military readiness also means supporting the families who make service possible.
By helping military spouses translate the experiences gained through military life into opportunities in the civilian workforce, Fort McCoy and its community partners are working to make Western Wisconsin a stronger place for military families to live, work and remain after military service.
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 athttps://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on DVIDS by visitinghttps://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.”
(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.)
| Date Taken: | 08.12.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2026 16:46 |
| Story ID: | 572268 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
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