Fort McCoy kicked off April as Month of the Military Child (MOMC) with the Family Movie Night on April 3 in building 905 at the installation.
The event, coordinated by the Fort McCoy Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (DFMWR), included the playing of the movie “Zootopia 2,” and included games and a free pizza dinner for attendees. Nearly 70 military family members took advantage of the event.
DFMWR Director Scott Abell said this was the second year the event was held in the bigger building 905 versus previous years. “It’s a popular event so we moved it here to accommodate more people,” Abell said in a 2025 news article.
The event had previously been in McCoy’ Community Center, DFMWR officials said, but the popularity of the movie event meant they needed more space.
Building 905 is one of Fort McCoy’s community buildings used for events like this. It’s often home to big meetings, town hall events, changes of command, and more. It was originally built in 1942 and has served as an officer’s club in the past along as well as other functions.
For this event, games included a ring toss, inflatable bowling, and more.
Ashley Sivert with DFMWR Marketing said the event went well.
“DFMWR kicked off Month of the Military Child celebrations by hosting this fourth annual Family Movie Night,” Sivert said.
“This free event welcomed Soldiers and their families for an evening of activities, including a complimentary pizza dinner, build‑your‑own MOMC Beasie the Cow stuffed animals, craft stations, games, and the showing of Zootopia 2,” she said. “A total of 69 patrons attended, helping us launch Month of the Military Child with great energy and community spirit.”
A family member who attended the event said on a related DFMWR Facebook post they enjoyed attending the movie night.
“Thank you again! Wonderful family event! The kids and the adults had a blast,” the comment states.
According to the Department of Defense (DOD), the department “celebrates military children during the month of April. There are more than 1.6 million military children who face many challenges and unique experiences as a result of their parents’ service,” states the DOD spotlight at https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/Month-of-the-Military-Child. “While military members serve around the world, we often forget the challenges faced by their children. Military families move on average every two to three years, impacting military children through changing schools and support networks.
“Each year, the DOD joins national, state and local government, schools, military serving organizations, companies and private citizens in celebrating military children and the sacrifices they make,” the website states.
Learn more about Month of the Military Child events at Fort McCoy by visiting the Fort McCoy DFMWR Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mccoymwr.
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.”