Airmen with the 934th Airlift Wing and 435th Training Squadron conducted training at Fort McCoy throughout May 2026, utilizing the installation's extensive training lands, airspace, and support infrastructure to strengthen readiness and enhance operational capabilities.
The training activities highlighted Fort McCoy’s role as a premier Total Force training center, where Army, Air Force, Reserve, National Guard, and other Department of Defense organizations can conduct realistic mission-focused training in a joint environment.
Airmen assigned to the 934th Airlift Wing, based at Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, trained with C-130 Hercules aircraft and aircrews at Fort McCoy during the month. The wing, one of the Air Force Reserve’s premier tactical airlift organizations, routinely conducts missions involving personnel movement, cargo transport, aeromedical evacuation, and support to military operations around the world, according to its website, https://www.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/4445308/934th-airlift-wing.
Training at Fort McCoy provided aircrews opportunities to operate in an environment that supports a wide variety of military missions while enhancing coordination with ground units and training organizations, Fort McCoy Garrison officials said. The installation’s airspace, maneuver areas, and training facilities help create realistic conditions that prepare Airmen for operational requirements at home and overseas.
Also training at Fort McCoy during May were personnel from the 435th Training Squadron, whose mission includes providing expeditionary skills and readiness training for Air Force personnel. By leveraging Fort McCoy’s diverse training resources and capabilities, Airmen were able to conduct hands-on instruction and readiness activities designed to strengthen mission preparedness.
The presence of both organizations demonstrated the breadth of military training supported by Fort McCoy and the installation’s value as a joint-service readiness platform, garrison officials said. While Air Force aircrews operated C-130 aircraft in support of airlift training, members of the 435th Training Squadron conducted specialized training that benefited from Fort McCoy’s unique combination of training areas, classrooms, support facilities, and field environments.
According to information provided by Fort McCoy’s Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security (DPTMS), Air Force participation during May was part of a larger training effort that brought thousands of service members to the installation. Units from the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, active Army, and Air Force conducted training across a wide range of specialties, including aviation, infantry, artillery, engineering, logistics, medical, legal, public affairs, and sustainment operations.
Fort McCoy’s ability to support such a diverse mix of organizations stems from its extensive training infrastructure. Located on approximately 60,000 acres in west-central Wisconsin, the installation includes maneuver areas, live-fire ranges, aviation facilities, urban-training sites, classrooms, maintenance facilities, barracks, and dining facilities that allow units to train in realistic operational environments.
The installation has become a critical training destination for both Army and Air Force organizations seeking opportunities to conduct integrated readiness training. Its central location in the Upper Midwest and ability to accommodate large-scale exercises make it a valuable resource for military units preparing for deployments, contingency operations, and domestic response missions.
The importance of Fort McCoy’s training mission was reflected in fiscal year 2025, when the installation supported 109,962 troops in training, including annual training, battle assembly activities, mobilization operations, and major exercises.
The continued presence of organizations such as the 934th Airlift Wing and 435th Training Squadron demonstrates how Fort McCoy contributes to readiness across the Total Force and helps ensure service members are prepared to meet mission requirements around the globe, Fort McCoy DPTMS officials said.
As military training activity continues during the summer months, Fort McCoy remains a key location where Airmen and Soldiers alike can develop, sustain, and refine the skills necessary to support national defense.
The training conducted by the 934th Airlift Wing and 435th Training Squadron during May 2026 served as another example of the installation’s enduring role in building joint-force readiness, officials stated.
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.”