Illinois State Trooper Dave Jacobs presented a commemorative challenge coin to U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy Commander Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez during a meeting at Fort McCoy on June 16, 2026, recognizing the installation's longstanding support of military training for the Illinois National Guard.
The coin presentation symbolized the strong partnership between Fort McCoy and Illinois military organizations that have trained at the installation for decades. Each year, thousands of Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers conduct annual training, mobilization activities, and mission readiness exercises at Fort McCoy, taking advantage of the installation's expansive ranges, maneuver areas, and world-class training facilities.
Baez Ramirez accepted the coin on behalf of the installation, noting that Fort McCoy remains committed to providing premier training opportunities for Illinois National Guard units and other Total Force organizations that rely on the installation to maintain combat readiness.
The exchange also reaffirmed the enduring relationship between Fort McCoy and Illinois agencies and military organizations, reflecting a shared commitment to supporting Soldiers, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring military forces remain ready to meet future missions.
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.”