The Fort McCoy community turned out in force June 12 to help celebrate the U.S. Army’s 251st birthday as 341 participants took part in the Army Birthday 5K Run/2-Mile Walk, one of the signature events of the installation’s annual Army Birthday Celebration.
Organized by Fort McCoy’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (DFMWR), the event kicked off at 7 a.m. at Rumpel Fitness Center and brought together Soldiers, Army civilians, family members, retirees, and community supporters in a show of Army spirit, fitness, and camaraderie. The run/walk served as the opening event for a daylong celebration honoring the Army’s founding on June 14, 1775.
Participants gathered just after sunrise to register and prepare for the event before taking off along the course. Following the run and walk, finishers received commemorative Army Birthday T-shirts, and organizers provided free breakfast items that included refreshments and snacks for participants.
The turnout of 341 participants represented one of the strongest showings for a Fort McCoy Army Birthday run/walk in recent years. Organizers said they were pleased with the participation and support shown by the Fort McCoy community.
The annual run/walk has become a longstanding tradition at Fort McCoy and has regularly served as a centerpiece of Army Birthday observances on the installation. Past celebrations have also included similar run/walk events, free breakfasts, commemorative T-shirts, and community related activities coordinated by DFMWR.
The event also highlighted the Army’s commitment to fitness and readiness while providing an opportunity for participants of all ages and abilities to celebrate Army heritage. Many participants completed the full 5-kilometer route, while others chose the 2-mile walk option.
The run/walk was the first major event of Fort McCoy’s 251st Army Birthday Celebration, which continued later in the day with additional activities recognizing the Army’s long history of service to the nation. The celebration was open to the entire Fort McCoy community and reflected the installation’s tradition of bringing together military members, civilian employees, families, retirees, and local supporters to commemorate the Army’s birthday.
The U.S. Army traces its origins to June 14, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized the establishment of the Continental Army, creating a force that would eventually become today’s United States Army, service history shows.
As the Army marked its 251st birthday in 2026, Fort McCoy’s strong participation in the run/walk demonstrated the enduring connection between the Army, its workforce, and the communities that support its mission.
The installation’s motto — “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909” — reflects Fort McCoy's ongoing commitment to preparing service members while modernizing facilities to meet future readiness requirements.
As final commissioning and closeout work continues, the East Barracks Project stands as another visible example of Fort McCoy’s continued growth and modernization. Once completed, the facility will provide Soldiers with modern accommodations while enhancing the installation’s ability to support large-scale training, mobilization, and readiness missions for years to come.
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.”