photo by scott t. sturkol soldiers train in xctc exercise

August 8, 2014Vol. 07, No. 15

Published for Fort McCoy, Wis. — Proudly Serving America’s Army Since 1909

BY SCOTT T. STURKOLPublic Aff airs Staff

As many as 4,000 Soldiers and support per-sonnel are at Fort McCoy participating in the Exportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) rotation, which began July 25 and runs through Aug. 16.

Th e Army National Guard’s XCTC program provides participants with an experience similar to an Army combat training center (CTC) at home station or at a regional training center such as Fort McCoy. It also minimizes cost and time away from home and jobs for Guard personnel.

Th e XCTC exercise is designed to provide a “world-class training event” to achieve platoon-level profi ciency for brigade combat teams prior to entering a CTC as well as company-level pro-fi ciency for units prior to entering the Army’s available force pool in the Army Force Generation Cycle.

Mike Homer is from SRI International of Menlo Park, Calif. — the company coordinating the exercise. He said the training Soldiers experi-ence in the exercise was developed nearly a year ago when they met with unit leadership.

Soldiers train in XCTC exercise at Fort McCoy“We assist the brigade in resourcing their

training plan developed from the unit’s training objectives,” Homer said.

Chief Warrant Offi cer 4 Jeff rey Lee, deputy S-1 offi cer from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division (2nd, 34th) of the Iowa Army National Guard at Boone, said XCTC is preparing their brigade forces for a Joint Readi-ness Training Center rotation assignment they’ll receive within the next year.

“Th is exercise really validates platoon-level training and tasks and gets us ready,” said Lee, who noted participating units previously had fo-cused on squad-level training and practices during annual training.

Th e seven battalions participating in XCTC 2014 are the 334th Brigade Support Battalion; 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery Regiment; 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment (IR); 1st Bat-talion, 168th IR; 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment (CR); 2nd Battalion, 135th IR; and the 5th Squadron, 4th CR (5th, 4th). Th e 5th, 4th, is an active-duty unit from the 1st Infantry Divi-sion, Fort Riley, Kan., and is serving as the oppos-ing force for the exercise.

“Th is exercise has a large cross-section of Army

forces,” Lee said. “It’s a Total Force eff ort.”Homer said the exercise features a variety of

scenarios and training environments designed totest the Soldiers. Th e exercise venues are locatedthroughout the Fort McCoy range complex, to include large maneuver areas on North and South Post.

Soldiers participating in XCTC concentratedon three major objectives — exercise planning and control, integrated instrumentation andbattlefi eld immersion with realistic battlefi eld ef-fects. It’s an exercise that combined aviation assets with ground forces in a decisive action trainingenvironment to provide the most-realistic trainingpossible, Homer said.

“We worked throughout the year to plan thisexercise through planning conferences, teleconfer-ences and more,” Homer said. “Th ere is a lot to getting this all set up. Th e XCTC program syn-chronizes all the pieces and parts to make it allhappen.”

XCTC participants also use the latest in Mul-tiple Integrated Laser Engagement System gear and Flextrain instrumentation technology thatallow exercise leaders to assess what’s taking place

(See XCTC page 2)

Fort McCoy Police will join hundreds of other law enforcement agencies throughout Wisconsin in cracking down on drunken driving during the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign Aug. 15 to Sept. 1.

Statistics show eff orts to com-bat drunken driving in Wisconsin through eff ective enforcement and education are showing positive re-sults.

In the past 10 years, fatalities from alcohol-related crashes dropped from 348 in 2003 to 185 in 2013, which is a 47 percent reduction. In-juries from alcohol-related crashes dropped from 6,445 in 2003 to 2,660 in 2013, which is a 59 percent reduction, according to the Wiscon-sin Department of Transportation.

“Although we’re making progress in preventing drunken driving, too many people are still being killed or injured because of the irresponsible decision to drive while impaired.” said Sgt. David Hansen of the Fort McCoy Police Department.

“Drunken driving is entirely pre-ventable. You can designate a sober driver or fi nd an alternative way home,” Hansen said. “Th e serious consequences of a drunken driving arrest include major embarrassment, expensive penalties, installation of an ignition interlock device, and possibly jail time.

“Driving drunk will be a decision you’ll regret the rest of your life, if you are lucky enough to live.”

To help prevent drunken driving, the Zero In Wisconsin traffi c safety initiative has a free “Drive Sober” mobile app, which includes updated features to help you get home safely.

Th e Drive Sober app can be downloaded by visiting zeroinwis-consin.gov.

For more information, call 608-388-2000.

Fort McCoy Police support campaign:

‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’

Distinguished VisitorAssistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and En-vironment Katherine Hammack (right) is briefed by Fort McCoy staff and leadership Aug. 5 as part of a one-day visit to the Wisconsin installation.

The briefi ng provided an overview of Fort McCoy’s mission, strategic objectives, capabilities, interac-tion/command relationships, stra-tegic-planning process, energy and environmental initiatives as well as future challenges.

This was Hammack’s fi rst visit to Fort McCoy.

Photo by Scott T. Sturkol

2 THE REAL MCCOY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014 WWW.MCCOY.ARMY.MIL

NEWS

Photos by Scott T. SturkolCongressional staff ers visitCongressional staff ers (above) talk with students at the Staff Sgt. Todd R. Cornell Noncommis-sioned Offi cer Academy July 22 as part of a three-day staff delegation visit to Fort McCoy.

(Left) Staff Sgt. Roy Burkhalter from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Gar-rison Fort McCoy helps Congressional staff ers understand the operations of the Engagement Skills Trainer.

The visit included 10 Congressional staff members who serve with representatives from Illinois, North Carolina, Florida and Oregon. They learned more about the Army and military operations, overall.

in each scenario. Th e exercise operations area, for example, fea-tures a full, live display of unit movement operations.

Th e exercise also has a full complement of civilian role play-ers simulating a specifi c area of the world, and constant pressure from the opposing forces of the 5th, 4th CR.

“Our opposing forces wear diff erent uniforms, and we provide them with real AK-47s that use blank ammunition,” Homer said. “Th ere is a lot of realism to what happens in the exercise.”

All scenario actions are recorded on video and audio and are tracked by GPS. Homer said the technology helps to prepare detailed, instrumented after-action reviews (I-AARs) that help units improve their Soldiers’ skills prior to a real-world deploy-ment.

Many I-AARs will be conducted throughout the course of the exercise.

“What’s nice is at the end, we can take a stack of (video) I-AARs on discs and provide that to the unit, so they can review and keep their training fresh prior to their future training events like JRTC,” Homer said.

Lee said he believes all Soldiers gain a lot of experience from participating in XCTC.

“In this exercise, Soldiers get realistic training,” Lee said. “It could be Soldiers practicing their water purifi cation skills while training near Big Sandy Lake, or it could be the infantryman building on his skills in one of the lanes set up for convoy opera-tions. It all helps them master their skills.”

� XCTC_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (From page 1)

Photo by Lisa Frost

Soldiers from the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment (5th, 4th), 1st Infantry Division, prepare to unload Bradley FightingVehicles at the Fort McCoy rail yard July 22. The 5th, 4th is an active-duty unit from Fort Riley, Kan., and is serving as oppos-ing forces for the Exportable Combat Training Capability exercise.

WWW.MCCOY.ARMY.MIL THE REAL MCCOY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014 3

NEWS

STORY & PHOTOS BY SCOTT T. STURKOLPublic Aff airs Staff

Th e Mobile USO Program made a visit to Fort McCoy for two days in mid-July, setting up operations at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Liberty on the installation’s North Post.

Th e visit included the use of the mobile canteen van, but did not include the traveling troupe that normally accompanies the pro-gram.

“A mobile unit like this brings a little R and R (rest and relaxation) to our troops who are working hard at training at a place like Fort McCoy,” said USO Center Manager Elizabeth Hazlett who coordinates all USO activities in Wisconsin.

Th e mobile canteen van has many features including a TV lounge for up to 12 people; a gaming area; an Internet café with Wi-Fi; a canteen that includes microwaves and a food-and-beverage area; and an exterior display area with two 46-inch TVs for movie watching along with two awnings to provide shade.

More than 800 Soldiers staying at FOB Liberty were able to make use all of the van’s capabilities and have some food and refresh-ments during downtime in a busy training schedule.

“Having something like this is really great for all of our Soldiers here,” said First Sgt. Ja-mie Larson of the Iowa National Guard’s 186th Military Police Company of Camp Dodge.

“It’s a good break from our busy operations tempo to relax, watch some TV and have some refreshments,” Larson said.

Hazlett, a former Army spouse and mother of a Coast Guardsmen, said she loves support-

Mobile USO Program makes stop at Fort McCoy

Soldiers gather some snacks and refreshments from the Mobile USO Program van at Forward Operating Base Liberty on Fort McCoy’s North Post.

ing troops through the USO.“I live for this — our troops do a lot for

us,” Hazlett said. “Th ey sacrifi ce for us, and so

do their Families. Coming here and providing this van is a little something we can do for our troops and their Families.”

Th e stop at Fort McCoy is one of many for the Mobile USO Program summer tour. Oth-er recent stops included Camp Shelby, Miss., and Camp Roberts, Calif. Future stops include Camp Grayling, Mich., and Orchard Range, Idaho.

“Earlier this year, we saw the mobile can-teen van was available for July so we got on the schedule to have it and bring it to Fort Mc-Coy,” Hazlett said. “We were very happy to get it and share it with the troops training here.”

In Wisconsin, the USO has a presence mainly around Milwaukee at its downtown business offi ce, at the Military Entrance Pro-cessing Station, and at General Mitchell Inter-national Airport.

Although the USO primarily is located inthe southeast section of the state, any unit inWisconsin can request USO support, Hazlett said. “If a unit has a Family fun day, a deploy-ment send-off or another activity, all they have to do is contact us, and we’ll do our best to support their event,” she said.

As for their visit to Fort McCoy, Larson said he was glad they stopped. “It’s an honor to have them here giving us their time,” he said.

For more information about the USO of Wisconsin, contact them at 414-763-2214, send email to [email protected], or go online to http://www.usowisconsin.org.Soldiers use the gaming area in the Mobile USO Program van during some down time after training.


TRAINING

STORY & PHOTOS BY STAFF SGT. CHAD NELSON135th Mobile Public Aff airs Detachment

Soldiers of the 3655th Component Repair Company (CRC), 1034th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Iowa National Guard hit the ground running during annual training at Fort McCoy, Wis., July 14, learning how to react if their convoy is attacked.

In this scenario, their convoy of medium tactical vehicles (FMTVs) is ambushed by direct and indirect fi re, as well as im-provised explosive devices in villages modeled after those found in Iraq and Afghanistan. Th e company — one of the largest in the Iowa National Guard — is composed of mechanics, ma-chinists and repair personnel, not Soldiers who typically train day-to-day on how to react to such attacks.

“Th e training is important because the one thing you have to execute is the mission. We all have to shoot, move, and com-municate as Soldiers. Being a maintenance company, our focus is on our mechanics, but they also have to know how to protect themselves. We’re all soldiers fi rst, before our secondary trade,” said Capt. Joshua Hansen, of Norwalk, Iowa, the 3655th CRC company commander.

His Soldiers agreed, praising the realism and impact on any future real-world missions.

“It saves lives and keeps you alive. It helps throughout, and it helps get the mission done,” said Spc. Dillon Rieger of John-ston, Iowa, a 3655th CRC radio repairer.

Th e focus on completing the mission — whether repairing and rebuilding components, convoy operations, or reacting to enemy fi re — is the primary concern of the 3655th’s leader-ship.

“Th ey’re not just focusing on their military occupational specialty; they’re focusing on being Soldiers and relying on each other and reacting to diff erent situations that might happen,”

Real-world simulations highlight 3655th training at Fort McCoy

said 3655th CRC 1st Sgt. Joel Laird, of Des Moines, Iowa.Th is training provides yet another unique opportunity to

teach young Soldiers. In each of the villages, cameras recorded

all of the action. “We’re going to use the video as much as we can in the fu-

ture to train our Soldiers,” said Laird.

Opposing forces use a red smoke grenade to cause confusion as they ambush a convoy of trucks manned by Soldiers of the3655th Component Repair Company during training at Fort McCoy in July.

Soldiers with the 3655th Component Repair Company convoy on a range road during training.

A 3655th Component Repair Company Soldier scans for hostile forces from the cab of his Light Medium TacticalVehicle during a training exercise on a Fort McCoy range.


TRAINING

STORY & PHOTO BY STAFF SGT. CHAD NELSON135th Mobile Public Aff airs Detachment

Soldiers often fi nd themselves in diffi cult situations that challenge their mettle. Ev-erything from taking enemy fi re to a choppy helicopter ride can challenge even the most-hardened Soldier.

However, Soldiers are taught during basic training to face fears, to draw on personal cour-age and to rely on battle buddies to overcome challenges and succeed in the mission.

Training fades over time, though, so the Army constantly retrains Soldiers on critical individual tasks.

Th ese training exercises focus on personal courage, teamwork and preventing the reoc-currence of past mistakes.

Th e 2168th Transportation Company (TC), Iowa Army National Guard, focused on all three of these attributes at Fort McCoy dur-ing their 15-day annual training in July. Com-bat water-survival training was one element of the exercise.

Th e Army learned many lessons over the course of operations Iraqi Freedom and En-during Freedom. One such lesson was Soldiers were ill-prepared for survival if vehicles drove into a lake, river or canal.

“Soldiers would crash into a (body of wa-ter) and not be able to get their equipment off quickly enough,” said 1st Lt. Joshua Sprague of Johnston, Iowa, the platoon leader for Detach-ment 1, 2168th TC.

Part of the combat water-survival training involved Soldiers jumping into the deep end of Fort McCoy’s Rumpel Fitness Center pool with load-bearing equipment and a weighted,

Iowa Soldiers conduct combat water-survival training

rubber M-16. Once under the water, the Sol-diers had to remove their equipment and reach the surface.

Th e survival training also consisted of Sol-diers swimming 25 yards while keeping the muzzle of the rifl e above water, plunging into the deep end of the swimming pool while blindfolded and holding the training weapon, and practicing how to use the Army Combat Uniform as a fl otation device.

Some Soldiers didn’t know how to swim very well.

“I hate swimming. I like to relax in the wa-ter, but I am not a swimmer,” said Pfc. Devon Anderson of Clarion, Iowa, and a truck driver with 2168th TC.

Regardless, Anderson faced his fears and plunged into the water over and over again, confi dent his team would be there if he needed help.

“With a little bit of encouragement from people in my unit, it helped out a lot, and I decided I needed to give it a try whether I liked it or not. Th ey encouraged me to do it, and I knew I had someone there to catch me if I needed it when I jumped in,” Anderson said.

Th is focus on teamwork and overcoming fears was the hope of the 2168th’s leadership.

“Everything is about Soldiers facing their fears. It’s building confi dence and team cama-raderie,” Sprague said.

According to Sprague, the best way to build confi dence in a Soldier and help them over-come their fears is to focus on building team mentality.

“Conquering your fears is a great team-building atmosphere. Th ere are a lot of scary things you have to face as a Soldier. If we know

we can face them together, we know we can accomplish the mission.”

Th at mentality of overcoming fear through teamwork was proven over and over again in the pool during the course of the training.

“I heard a lot of Soldiers stepping up and telling Soldiers who wanted to walk away and skip the obstacle say, ‘No, you can do this, we’ve got you. I’ll jump in the water with you,’” Sprague said.

Confi dence builderStudents in the Paralegal Warrior Training Course (PWTC) make their way through the bars portion on one of Fort McCoy’s confi dence courses during training in July.

PWTC is designed to train U.S. Army paralegal Soldiers from private to master sergeant to support legal op-erations of the U.S. Army Reserve and the U.S. Army National Guard.

The course focuses on military jus-tice, administrative separations and operational law.

Photo by Alun Thomas

Sgt. Nathan Elwood from Stanton, Iowa, a truck driver with 2168th Transportation Com-pany, leaps, blindfolded and with a rifl e, into the deep end of the Rumpel Fitness Centerswimming pool during combat water-survival training.


TRAINING

BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS PATRICK GORDONNMCB 25 Public Aff airs

KABUL, Afghanistan — A fl urry of activity is occurring in the heart of Kabul. At the New Kabul Compound (NKC), spe-cially trained operators work around the clock to ensure mis-sion accomplishment in a delicate operation for the future of Afghanistan. Th eir target: hiding underground; their mission: locate and obtain the target.

Th ese individuals are not SEALs or Green Berets. Th ey are the “Roughnecks” of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Two Five (NMCB 25), tasked with digging a new water well to support future NKC operations. And their mission goes until completion; three shifts a day, seven days a week.

“Working on the derrick mixing the chemicals, everyone has just been working really hard and really well as a team 24-hours a day,” said Equipment Operator 1st Class John Cargill, NMCB 25 Water Well Team (WWT) lead. “I couldn’t be happier with the way these guys are operating and the way things are going. Our turnover is really good; there is no stop in progress.”

Digging a well to support an installation like NKC is a high-ly technical and involved process. It is far more complicated than simply drilling until water is found and calling it a day.

Once a site is chosen by the command and a drilling loca-tion is decided upon, equipment — such as the drilling rig, the “Mud Puppy” mud-fi ltration system, and various material-moving vehicles — are brought in and drilling can begin.

“Next thing you do is you drill a larger hole 20-feet down, then we set our surface casing, then we’ll grout or concrete that in,” explained Chief Equipment Operator Chad Strauser, NMCB 25 WWT offi cer in charge. “Th en you come back with a smaller drill bit and drill for your actual well casing, mini-mum of a 2-inch annular space around the pipe; so if you’re going with a 6-inch casing you would need a 10-inch hole, bare minimum.”

“With the swelling of the clay around here — because some of it is reactive clay to moisture — it’s very dehydrated,” contin-ued Strauser. “So we use chemicals to prevent that, and we also mitigate risk by taking a larger bit than what would technically be required.”

Strauser explained that drilling goes until the aquifer is found, and then slightly beyond that to provide a sump for the well, though water usually is found at a much shallower depth.

“Typically, being that far under the surface there’s ground pressure, so it’s pushing the static water level up higher,” said Strauser. “We may have a static water level of 70 feet here, even though we found water at about 800- or 900-feet (deep). It’ll actually push the water up the casing pipe and it will sit.

“It’s like a juice box — if you squeeze a juice box, the pressure pushes the liquid up the straw; that’s exactly what the ground pressure is doing with the aquifer,” said Strauser. “Th e earth is pressing down on the aquifer and it’s pushing the water up our tube like a straw and then the water evens out at a static level in the well, and we set our well pump below that.”

Th e well casing then is packed with sand and gravel to sup-port the structure of the well while simultaneously adding an extra level of fi ltration for the ground water to pass through before reaching the well screens.

Additionally, air is pumped into the well formation to orga-nize the sand packing around the screens and push out the fi ner silt to further clean the well.

In addition to providing a clean water source for NKC, the NMCB 25 WWT is also using the project as a teaching tool. Th is deployment is the fi rst for many of the junior Sailors on

A pump away: Seabees perform water well operations in Kabul

the team, and leadership is ensuring that every bit of experience can be gained in the process.

“What I like to do on my shift is make sure everyone gets a chance to rotate, so all these guys have had a chance to do some actual drilling,” said Cargill. “What we also do is make sure all of these guys are using their in-rate training. For example, my derrick is Steelworker 3rd Class (Robert) Pyse, and since he’s our steelworker, he’s also doing all of our iron work and steel for us. It’s really great to see these guys out here doing what they do, because this is what we trained for, and we’re happy to do it.”

According to Cargill, progress continues just ahead of sched-ule because of the hard work by all three shifts of the NMCB 25

WWT, and this infectious energy is felt up and down the chain of command.

“We started off a little rough, but ended up succeeding,” said Builder 3rd Class Eric Luckett, NMCB 25 WWT member. “It was like a perfect transition from training to reality. What I’m going to walk away from this most proud of is we got to where we need to be as far as depth, and everything ran smoothly. I mean, honestly, this crew rocks.”

NMCB 25 is one of fi ve active Reserve battalions and is headquartered at Fort McCoy, Wis. It is a routinely deployable unit standing ready to provide construction support for the Navy, Marine Corps, and other organizations.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Patrick Gordon

Photo by Steelworker 2nd Class Holly Robinson

Construction Mechanic 2nd Class Phillip Brown (above), ofthe Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Two Five (NMCB 25)Water Well Team, repairs a piece of steel casing at the NewKabul Compound water well site.

(Left) Equipment Operator 1st Class John Cargill, NMCB 25Water Well Team Lead Petty Offi cer, monitors water fl owfrom a well.


TRAINING


Th e Wisconsin Army National Guard’s Mobilization and Training Equipment Site (MATES) at Fort McCoy has nearly every type of motor vehicle in the Army inventory ready for training use at the installation.

“Essentially, we maintain prepositioned equipment for all the Wisconsin Guard units that come to Fort McCoy to train,” said Chief Warrant Offi cer 2 Mark Nohr, MATES fi eld mainte-nance supervisor. “And we don’t just support our Guard units. Our equipment usage includes supporting Reserve and active-duty units as well.”

Th e MATES facility was established at Fort McCoy in 1949 when a four-bay maintenance building was built. Since then, there have been numerous upgrades and expansion during the 1970s, 1990s and in recent years. Th e facility now occupies 8.5 acres of the post’s cantonment area and has more than 50 employees.

“Th e National Guard mandates that we keep 33 percent of its equipment here instead of units keeping large amounts of equipment at their facilities,” Nohr said. “Having the pre-positioned equipment here allows units to come to Fort McCoy and train, and it saves the government and taxpayers money by not having to move equipment during troop movements.”

In the early days of the MATES facility, equipment in their large inventory included M4A1, M4A3, M24 and M47 tanks as well as M59 and M75 troop carriers, World War II-era Jeeps, truck transports and artillery pieces.

Today, the impressive amount of equipment maintained and stored by MATES includes M1151A1 High-Mobility, Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles; M923A2 Mine-Protected Clearance Vehicles; M1078 Light Medium Tactical Vehicles; and MK3 Vehicle Mounted Mine Detectors.

Also included are cargo trucks of every size (including trail-ers), towed howitzers, the Multiple Launch Rocket System, the

Improved Target Acquisition System (a newer version of the tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-command-linked-guid-ed missile system), and signifi cant quantities of combat engi-neer equipment such as bulldozers, bucket loaders, compactors, excavators and scrapers.

All the equipment at MATES is available for any training unit — regardless of service — to sign out once they have ap-proval from the units that own the equipment.

“We have a lot here, and our folks are always busy mak-ing sure our equipment is consistently ready,” Nohr said. “A good example of how we’ve shared equipment took place dur-ing recent large exercises (Combat Support Training Exercise and Warrior Exercise). Th ere were units here from across the country, and we were able to help them have what they needed while they trained.”

Spc. Brad Bries, a surface maintenance mechanic for MATES, said the work they provide in keeping the fl eet of equipment ready cannot be completed during the typical Guard activation times of one weekend a month, and two weeks a year.

“Having us here full-time allows us to have equipment ready all the time because it’s a necessity,” Bries said. “When units can come here, sign out their equipment, and go on with training, that just makes everything go smoother.”

Providing maintenance for all their equipment also means having to keep up on the latest practices, said MATES Mainte-nance Inspector Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Boutin. Every time a new piece of equipment arrives at the facility, MATES staff com-pletes maintenance training courses for that equipment.

Boutin described some of their maintenance procedures.“When a vehicle is turned back in from training, we’ll go

through the checklist for the vehicle and look for any faults,” Boutin said. “If we fi nd any faults, we’ll order the parts needed and get it fi xed as soon as those parts come back in. When units

MATES facility provides ready-to-use equipment for training Guard units, others

check out their equipment, they have their own maintenancepeople who take care of it.

“When it comes back to us, however, we go through thatequipment and make sure it’s ready for the next time it needs to be used.”

In his more than 20 years of working on Army equipment,many of those years with MATES, Boutin said he’s seen a lotof changes.

“Our equipment today has gone more electronic,” he said.“But that also comes with the understanding that we have moretechnical pieces of equipment to meet today’s missions required by the Army.”

Sgt. 1st Class Joel Nyhus, also a surface maintenance me-chanic, recently worked on taking out an engine on a M1075Palletized Load System vehicle.

He said taking out the massive diesel engine alone is abouta 12-hour job, but they all work together to get the task com-pleted as quickly as possible.

“It’s a big job on a big piece of equipment,” Nyhus said.“Our work here can be a busy, complicated process for someequipment.

“However, we do have a great team of people here who workhard to keep the equipment working.”

Nohr said everyone in the MATES complex knows they havean important role in supporting the training mission at FortMcCoy. Whether it’s signing out equipment or maintaining it,it’s all about maintaining readiness for future operations.

“Our equipment can be called up for use at any time,” Nohrsaid. “We know the work we provide has long-lasting eff ectsfor future missions, and we are always ready to meet that chal-lenge.”

For more information about the MATES mission and capa-bilities, call 608-388-3775.

Chief Warrant Offi cer 2 Mark Nohr, fi eld maintenance supervisor, does a walking inspection of tactical vehicles at the Wis-consin National Guard’s Mobilization and Training Equipment Site at Fort McCoy.

Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Boutin, maintenance inspector, works on a military vehicle at the Mobilization and Training Equip-ment Site.


TRAINING


Th e Fort McCoy Central Vehicle Wash Facility (CVWF) has 23 sta-tions available for cleaning military tactical vehicles and heavy equip-ment, as well as the ability to reuse up to 98 percent of the water used to clean that equipment.

Built in 1994, the CVWF runs seven days a week from April 1 through Oct. 31 — a prime time of the year for training at Fort McCoy. It is a valuable asset for extending the life of training equipment.

“It’s a great facility,” said Logis-tics Readiness Center (LRC) Main-tenance Division Chief Jeff Wessels. “When you compare it to other fa-cilities across the Army, it’s among the best. Th e capacity that it gives us to clean vehicles, particularly when many units are training on post, is incredible.”

Th e LRC oversees the overall management and operation of the CVWF, and a team of operators maintains and keeps it running.

“We can have some very busy days here,” said Jon Finch, CVWF operator. “When we have large exer-cise happening on post such as the Combat Support Training Exercise, we’ll have every station going with vehicles getting washed. If a unit has 30 or 40 vehicles they need washed, they can come here and get the job

Fort McCoy’s eco-friendly Central Vehicle Wash Facility ‘among best’ in Army

done all in one shot.”Wessels said hundreds of vehicles

easily can be cleaned each day when the facility is operating at maximum capacity and effi ciency.

Th e 23 stations have dual-hose capacity and operate at a water pres-sure average of 60 pounds per square

inch (PSI). “It’s a highly effi cient system,”

Finch said. “Users can adjust the wa-ter pressure right at the station they’re using to accommodate the desired PSI needed for cleaning. Th is in-creases ease of use by the customer.”

What may be most effi cient about

the CVWF is its environmentally encapsulated fi ltration system that allows for self-contained water usage. Th e facility has an 11-million gallon holding pond, with fi ltration meth-ods used to remove sand and other remaining sediment from water.

When water is sprayed to clean vehicles, it drains into a sediment basin. Oil and fuel material then is skimmed off and loaded into oil con-tainers. A contractor disposes of the oil containers in accordance with en-vironmental hazardous waste regula-tions and procedures.

Th e fi ltrated water then goes to the holding pond where further fi l-tration methods remove sand and other debris and sediment.

“Th e whole fi ltration process is a big circle,” Finch said. “By reclaim-ing the water we’re not only keeping a constant supply of clean water to wash the vehicles, but we are also conserving resources and saving the taxpayer money.”

In the past year, the CVWF also has received an upgrade to its com-puterized operating system that in-cluded new control panels.

Th e system upgrade also included improvements to the lighting and ground protection systems.

“It allows for better management of the water-pressure levels as well as

the fi ltration system,” Finch said.Th e upgrades also help improve

safety. “Our customers are very good about following the standard operat-ing procedures for facility usage, but anything we can do to lessen any po-tential risks is helpful as well,” Finch said.

Finch, who worked at the CVWF since 2008, said customers value having the CVWF available, espe-cially those who sign out and return vehicles to the Maneuver Area Train-ing Equipment Site or Equipment Concentration Site-67.

“We have many troops who use our facility and are amazed at how many spaces we have available,” Finch said.

“Th ey like how our systems are user-friendly and make doing theircleaning job that much easier before they turn their vehicles back in after use.”

Wessels said the CVWF team works to provide excellent customer service every day. “Th ey are very ca-pable. Th ey know everything about the operations of the facility, and they do a great job,” he said.

Appointments or reservations of the facility are highly encouraged, Finch said. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call608-388-4241.

Soldiers wash tactical vehicles at Fort McCoy’s Central Vehicle Wash Facility, which has 23 stations for cleaning vehicles.

Jon Finch, Fort McCoy Central Vehicle Wash Facility operator, checks the water pressure of the facility’s water system.


ABOUT POST


NAF saleCustomers look over items in Fort McCoy building 1560 during a Nonappropriated Fund (NAF) Clearance Sale July 23. The sale, coor-dinated by the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (DFMWR), off ered discounted discontinued items no longer needed by DFMWR that were bought through NAF.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Nazly Confesor

Conference panelistFort McCoy Director of Plans, Training, Mobiliza-tion and Security Brad Stewart speaks during the Army Total Force Policy Training IntegrationPanel July 22 at the U.S. Army Reserve CommandCommander’s Conference in Alexandria, Va. Theconference is an annual opportunity for Army Re-serve leaders to discuss important issues impact-ing the force.

Photo by Matthew Winchell

Sand volleyball tournamentTeams compete in a sand volleyball tournament set up by the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation July 25 at the Recreation Center’s outdoor area. The winning team came from Alpha Company, 256th Combat Support Hospital of Blacklick, Ohio. Team members included Capt. Bryan DeBolt, Sgt. Terrell Lucas, Spcs. Eric Pressie and Nico Shaw, and Pfcs. Adrianna Williams and Dustin Haworth.

Photo by Geneve N. Mankel

Feds Feed Families food driveCollection points for the “Feds Feed Families” food drive are available at the Fort McCoy Commissary, building, 1537, the Exchange, building 1538; McCoy’s Community Club, building 1571; the Religious Support Offi ce, building 2675; the Rumpel Fitness Center, building 1122; the Wisconsin Military Academy, building 90; and the Wisconsin State Pa-trol Academy, building 95. The food drive continues through Aug. 31. For more information about the Feds Feed Families campaign, visit the website http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0614_ff f/. For more information about the Fort McCoy food drive, call 608-388-8697/6028.


ABOUT POST

Checking inWisconsin Challenge Academy (WCA) cadets areprocessed in July 24 for a new class at the WisconsinMilitary Academy on Fort McCoy.

This new Challenge Academy class is the largest todate.

WCA is a program for at-risk teens of a specifi c agegroup looking to make positive changes in life, earna high school equivalency diploma, learn necessaryjob skills and develop character.

A new class starts at the academy every January andJuly.



NCOA class in sessionSoldiers in the Staff Sgt. Todd R. Cornell Noncommissioned Offi cer Academy (NCOA) Battle Staff NCO Course work on class projects July 22. The NCOA course trains staff sergeants through sergeants major for duty in battalion- and brigade-level staff positions.


Blood driveVolunteers donate blood during an American Red Cross (ARC) blood drive July 25 at FortMcCoy’s Rumpel Fitness Center. The drive was organized by the ARC chapter of La Crosse,Wis.


facilitiesservices

This schedule is projected through Aug. 21, 2014. Bold, italic typeface denotes new hours since the last

update. Call ahead to verify hours.

Recreation

Automotive Skills Center: Building 1763. Open Thurs. & Fri. 1-9 p.m. and Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 608-388-3013.

Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS): Building 2000. Meets second Thurs. of each month. Call 608-388-3944.

McCoy’s: Building 1571. Thunder Bowl Bowling Center open Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sat.-Sun. 4-10 p.m. Extreme Bowling every Fri. 4-9:30 p.m. Call 608-388-7060.

Pine View Campground / Recreational Equipment Checkout Center: Building 8053. Open Sun.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. & Fri-Sat 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Call 608-388- 2619/3517.

Recreation Center: Building 2000. Leisure Travel Services Offi ce, Recreation Center, and Computer Lab: Open Tues.-Sat. noon-8 p.m. Movies play Fridays and Saturdays at 5 p.m. Call 608-388-3213.

Rumpel Fitness Center: Building 1122. Open Mon.-Thurs. 5 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri. 5 a.m.-7 p.m. & Sat.-Sun. 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Indoor swimming pool, atrium, sauna and steamroom: Open Mon.-Thurs. 6 a.m.-7 p.m., Fri. 6 a.m.-6:30 p.m., & Sat.-Sun. 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Call 608-388-2290/3200.

Sportsman’s Range: Open Mon., Thurs. & Fri: 3-7 p.m. and Sat-Sun: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 608-388-3517.

Whitetail Ridge Ski Area: Closed for the season. Call 608-388-3517/4498.

Woodshop: Building 1133. Call 608-388-3544 for availability.

Dining

Fabrew Coff ee Shop: Building 1538. Open Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m.-4 p.m. & Sat.-Sun. 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Call 608-269-2618.

McCoy’s: Building 1571. Primo’s Express: Open Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; (buff et Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.) and Sat.-Sun. 4-8 p.m. Call 608-388-7673. Sports bar: Open daily 5-10 p.m. ATM located inside. Catering/Admin. call 608-388-2065. Manager has discretion on closing time.

Snack Avenue: Building 1538. Located inside Express. Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sun. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Call 608-269-5604 or 608-388- 4343.

Specialty Express Food Court: Building 1538. Open Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat. 7 a.m.-2 p.m. & Sun. closed. Breakfast available 7-10:30 a.m. Call 608-269-5615 Ext. 303.

Whitetail Ridge Chalet: Building 8061.Closed for the season. Adult lounge and outdoor deck. Available for private parties. For information, call 608-388-3517/2260.

Services

Alteration Shop: Building 1538. Open Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 608-269-1075.

Barber Shop (Exchange): Building 1538. Open Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 608-269-1710.

Beauty Salon: Building 1538. Open Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 608-269-1075.

Car Rental (Enterprise): Information available at the Exchange, Building 1538. Use the phone at Enterprise sign. Call 608-782-6183 or 1-800-654-3131 and give them the following number: CDP# 1787245.

Car Wash: Building 1568. Self-service and automatic bays. Open 24/7. Change and token machines. Call 608-388-3213/4161.

Commissary: Building 1537. Open Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Early Bird/Self Check out open Tues.-Sat. 9-10 a.m. Call 608-388-3542/3543.

CWT (Carlson Wagonlit Travel) SatoTravel: Building 2180. Open Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 608-388-2370, or 608-269-4560, or 1-800-927-6343.

Education/Learning Center: Building 50, Room 123. Open Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Call 608-388-7311.

Exchange: Building 1538. Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sun. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Call 608-269-5604, Ext. 101 or Ext. 4343.

GNC: Building 1538. Open Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 608-269-1115.

ID Card/DEERS Section: Building 35. Open Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Call 608-388-4563.

IHG Army Hotels: Building 51. Open 24/7. Call 608-388-2107 or 877-711-TEAM (8326).

Launderette/Dry Cleaning: Building

1538. Open Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 608-269-1075.

Laundry Facilities: Buildings 651, 755, 1671, 1735, 1856, 2002, 2568, 2671, 2763 and 2877 open 24/7. Exclusively for use by Soldiers training on Fort McCoy pursuant to military orders. Civilians and retired military are not authorized to use these facilities. Call 608-388-3800 (Troop and Installation Support Branch, Building 490).

Military Clothing: Building 1538. Open Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sun. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Call 608-269-5604, Ext. 203.

Permit Sales: Building 2168. Open weekdays 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Call 608-388-3337.

Post Offi ce: Building 1654. Open Mon.--Fri. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 608-388-3825.

Retirement Services Offi ce: Building 35. Open Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 608-388-3716.

RIA Credit Union: Building 1501. Open Mon.-Wed. 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Thurs. and Fri. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. ATMs located in building 1501 (24/7); McCoy’s, building 1571; the Exchange, building 1538; and building 51 (24/7). For information, call 608-388-2171.

RV Storage Lot: Next to Building 1763. Short- or long-term storage. Fees charged. Authorized patrons only. Call 608-388-2619/3517.

Service Station/Express/Class VI: Building 1538. Open Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sun. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Call 608-269-5604 or Ext. 4343. GAS PAY AT THE PUMP OPEN 24/7. ATM located inside. Cash transactions available during Express and Main Store hours.

Visitor Control Center: Closed. Visitor

passes issued at the Main Gate. For information call 608-388-2000.

Worship

Catholic: Chapel 10, Building 1759. Mass, Sunday 9:30 a.m. Call 608-388-3528.

Christian Fellowship Bible Study with lunch: Building 2675. Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call 608-388-3528.

Jewish: Service held at Congregations of Abraham, 1820 Main St., La Crosse, Wis. Call 608-784-2708.

Mormon: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 702 E. Montgomery St., Sparta, Wis. Sunday services 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Call 608-269-3377.

Protestant: Chapel 1, Building 2672. Protestant Worship on Sundays from 9:30 -10:30 a.m. Fellowship follows service and meets across the street from the Chapel in building 2675 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Protestant Women of the Chapel Bible Study: Building 2675, Wednesdays from 9-11 a.m. Call Shawn Mosley at 608-366-1349.

Spanish Language: Worship Services held in Norwalk (Catholic); Tomah (Seventh-Day Adventist). Call 608-388-3528.

For information about Chapel and worship schedules in the surrounding communities, call 608-388-3528. If you have an emergency, call 608-388-2266 and they will contact the On-Call Duty Chaplain for further assistance.

Family Support

Army Community Service Center: Building 2111. Open Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a. m.-4 p.m. or by appointment. Call 608-388-3505.

Army Substance and Abuse Program: Building 1344. Open Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. or by appointment. Call 608-388-2441.

Child Development Center: Building 1796. Open Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Call 608-388-3534/2238.

Military and Family Life Consultant Program (MFLC): Building 2111. Provides education, information, and support for anyone affi liated with the military. MFLC services are confi dential, with no records kept. Available Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. or by appointment. Call 608-469-1432.

Red Cross: Fort McCoy active-duty Soldiers and their Family members can call 877-272-7337 for emergency assistance. For other Red Cross services, call 800-837-6313, 608-788-1000 or call the installation operator at 608-388-2222 and request Red Cross assistance.

School Age/Youth Center: Building 1751. Activities for youth grades kindergarten through fi fth. Off ers after-school, nonschool and inclement-weather care for eligible youth. Open Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Call 608-388-4373/2238.

SKIES Unlimited Instructional Program: Building 1668. Provides instructional classes for children and youth from infancy through the end of their senior year in high school. Children and youth are provided opportunities to explore new skills, pursue and nurture personal interests and interact socially with others. Register at Parent Central Services 608-388-8956.

Health Care

Alcoholics Anonymous: For more information, call 608-388-5955/2441.

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings: Building 60, room 102, Thursdays at 6 p.m. Park in the front parking lot. Call 608-388-0587.

Fort McCoy Civilian Employee Assistance Program: Provides screening and referral services for eligible civilian employees and their Family members who are experiencing diffi culty due to personal problems related to substance abuse, mental

health, marital/Family discord or otherproblems. For more information,contact the Army Substance AbuseProgram at 608-388-2441/5955.

Occupational Health Clinic: Building2669. Open Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Call608-388-3209/2414.

TRICARE: TRICARE North Region,877-874-2273; TRICARE West Region,877-988-9378; TRICARE South Region,800-444-5445; TRICARE for Life, 866-773-0404 or visit the TRICARE website athttp://www.tricare.mil.

Troop Medical Clinic: Building 2669.Open Mon.-Fri. sick call 7-8 a.m.,appointments 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Authorized use only for ExtendedCombat Training Soldiers on orders offewer than 30 days. Personnel on ordersfor more than 30 days will be eligible forTRICARE Prime Remote and will see off post medical providers. Call 608-388-3025.

Organizations

Adjutant General Corps RegimentalAssociation, Spartan Chapter:Meetings held monthly. Forinformation, visit the group’s Facebookpage at https://www.facebook.com/AGCRASpartan or call Staff Sgt.Cassandra Ross at 251-327-8400.

American Federation of GovernmentEmployees (AFGE), Local 1882:Building 1411. Offi ce hours 7 a.m.-4 p.m.weekdays. Meets second Tues. of eachmonth at 5 p.m., at AFGE Offi ce. Call608-388-2397.

American Society of MilitaryComptrollers: Meets several timesthroughout the year. Call MaureenRichardson at 608-269-1912 or JoanneScholze at 608-269-5696.

Association of the United States Army- AUSA (Robert B. McCoy Chapter):Meetings held monthly. For informationcall 608-272-3016.

Friends and Spouses of FortMcCoy: Meets every third Thursday.For information, send an email [email protected].

Reserve Offi cers Association, FortMcCoy-Readiness 43: Call David W.Alderfer (LTC-Retired) at 920-535-0515or email [email protected].

Warrant Offi cers Association, Chapter0317: For more information, call 608-388-0576, 608-388-4856 or [email protected].

Woodshop hoursOpen 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 12, 14, 19, 26, & 28; and Sept. 2, 9, 11, 16, 23, 25 & 30.

The woodshop is a fully equipped facility with modern wood crafting tools. Volunteers are needed to assist with overseeing the woodshop. For more information, call 608-388-3544.

This civilian enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents of The Real McCoy are not necessarily offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or Fort McCoy. The Real McCoy is published semimonthly using off set presses by the Public Aff airs Offi ce, Fort McCoy, WI 54656-5263, (608) 388-4128. Minimum printed circulation is 4,000. All photos are U.S. Army photos unless otherwise credited. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available to purchase, use or pa-tronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affi liation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, users or patron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confi rmed, the printer shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. All editorial content of The Real McCoy is prepared, edited, provided and approved by the Public Aff airs Offi ce at Fort McCoy. The Real McCoy is printed by the River Valley Newspaper Group, a private fi rm in no way connected with the Department of the Army, under exclusive

written contract with Fort McCoy. The civilian enterprise printer is responsible for commercial advertising. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of the Army, Fort McCoy or the River Valley Newspaper Group of the products or services advertised. Send news items to the Public Aff airs Offi ce, ATTN: (IMMC-PA), 100 E. Headquarters Road, Fort McCoy, WI 54656-5263, or call 608-388-4128 or 2769 or send e-mail to [email protected]

Send advertising inquiries to River Valley Newspaper Group, P.O. Box 4008, La Crosse, WI 54601 or call 608-374-7786/877-785-7355.

Garrison Commander .............................................Col. Steven W. NottPublic Aff airs Offi cer ...............................................Linda M. FournierSenior Public Aff airs Specialist ..............................Lou Ann M. MittelstaedtPublic Aff airs Specialist ..........................................Scott T. SturkolPublic Aff airs Specialist ..........................................Theresa R. FitzgeraldEditorial Assistant....................................................Geneve N. MankelCommemorative Area Caretaker ...........................Robin R. Michalski

Editorial Content .....................................................608-388-2769

Read this publication online at http://www.mccoy.army.mil

Pine View Campground theme weekendsAug. 8-10 — BOSTON and The Doobie Brothers Concert

Aug. 15-17 — Haunted TrailsAug. 22-24 — Summerfest

Aug. 29-31 — Sportsman’s DaysFor details, call 608-388-3517 or visit www.mccoymwr.com.


NEWS NOTES

Photo by Scott T. SturkolArchaeology fi eld workArchaeologists Mitch Johnson and Sarah Tillett work in Fort McCoy’s cantonment area July 23. Both are part of a team of archaeologists under contract with Fort McCoy that surveys several areas of the post for artifacts as part of historical preservation. Arti-facts found have included Native American arrow and spear heads that are thousands of years old. Look for additional photos and an article about Fort McCoy’s archaeology program in a future issue of The Real McCoy.

Worship concert set for Aug. 10

Th e Religious Support Offi ce will host a worship concert Sunday, Aug. 10 at 10:30 a.m. at Chapel 1, building 2672. Th e event is free and open to the public.

Th e Minneapolis-based group, Surface of the Son, will be the guest performer at the ecumenical event.

Protestant services will begin at 10:30 a.m. the day of the concert. Catholic Mass will be held at its normal time at 9:30 a.m.

For more information about the concert, call 608-388-3528.

Disabled hunters: Apply now for special gun-deer hunt

Hunters with disabilities now can apply for permits for the Oct. 4-5 special gun-deer hunt at Fort McCoy. Applications will be accepted until Monday, Sept. 8.

Th e annual hunt is open to individuals with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Category A, B, C or D permits.

For an application or more information, call the Fort McCoy Permit Sales offi ce, build-ing 2168, at 608-388-3337 or visit the website www.mccoy.isportsman.net.

Defense Travel System class off ered Aug. 13-14

A Defense Travel System (DTS) Tempo-rary Duty (TDY) Documents class will be of-fered Aug. 13-14 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. by the Fort McCoy Defense Finance and Accounting Service Lead Defense Travel Administrator at building 50, Distance Learning Classroom 3.

Th is two-day class explains how to create TDY authorizations and vouchers for active-duty, civilian, and Reserve travelers.

Attendees will receive hands-on experience by creating authorizations and vouchers using the DTS Training Database. Th is class is de-signed for new and intermediate DTS users.

Register by Aug. 11 by emailing name, unit, phone number, and class to [email protected].

For more information, call 608-388-6299. Th e class is open to military and Department of Defense civilian personnel.

‘Haunted Trails’ night set for Aug. 16 at Pine View

Fort McCoy’s Pine View Campground will have its annual “Haunted Trails” night Satur-day, Aug. 16. Th e event is open to the public. Admission to the trail is $1. All other activities are free.

Th e event begins at 2:30 p.m. with caramel apples (participants must provide their own apples). Other activities include a costume contest at 4 p.m., trick or treating at 5 p.m., s’mores at 8:30 p.m., and the scary haunted trail at 9:20.

For more information or to make camping reservations, call 608-388-3517 or 800-531-

4703. Activities off ered for campers through-out the weekend include a campsite decorating contest. Th e winner will receive a free campsite rental, four activity passes and four slippery moose coupons.

Summer fi tness challenge at Rumpel begins Aug. 21

Th e “Summer Sizzler” fi tness challenge will be held Aug. 21-28 at the Rumpel Fitness Center, building 1122.

Participants run two miles, swim 400 me-ters and bike 12 miles in this non-competitive challenge. Th e events can be completed in-doors or outdoors.

Register by Th ursday, Aug. 21 at the fi tness center. For more information, call 608-388-3200.

Sand volleyball tournament at Recreation Center Aug. 29

A sand volleyball tournament will be held Friday, Aug. 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the Recreation Center, building 2000.

Th e tournament is open to authorized Rec-reation Center patrons.

Teams of six co-ed players (minimum of

four players) must win two out of three games to advance to the next round. Prizes will be awarded to the top two teams.

Register by Aug. 25 at the Recreation Cen-ter or online at https://webtrac.mwr.army.mil/webtrac/mccoyrectrac.html.

For more information, call 608-388-3213.

‘Day for Kids’ event set for Sept. 13

Fort McCoy’s ‘Day for Kids’ event will be held Saturday, Sept. 13 at South Post Hous-ing’s Patriot Park. Th e event is free and open to all Fort McCoy Families.

Th e fun run for kids begins at 9 a.m., and other activities will follow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A complimentary hot dog lunch will be off ered. Also included are activity/informa-tional booths by various installation organiza-tions, door prizes, tennis activities and infl at-able games.

For more information about the event, call 608-388-4373.

AFAP volunteer nominations, issue forms deadline Oct. 6

Volunteer nomination and issue submission

forms for the fi scal year 2015 Army Family Ac-tion Plan (AFAP) Conference are available and will be accepted through Monday, Oct. 6.

Th e Fort McCoy AFAP Conference will be held Dec. 2-3. Th e AFAP program is a grass-roots process that begins at the installation level and seeks input regarding quality-of-life concerns that aff ect the well-being of Soldiers, civilians, Family members and retirees.

AFAP alerts Army leadership on areas of concern that need attention and gives themthe opportunity to put plans into place towork toward resolution.

Submitted issues should be those issues that are beyond the scope of the Interactive Customer Evaluation system and are not a chain-of-command issue.

Volunteers are part of the conference workgroup that reviews the issues submitted. Eligible volunteers include military person-nel, Department of the Army civilians, retired military, spouses and survivor spouses.

Positions include delegates, facilitators, recorders, transcribers, issue support persons, subject-matter experts and observers.

Issue and volunteer forms are available through the Army Community Service (ACS) section at the website www.mccoymwr.com.

Mail or drop off completed forms to ACS at 2111 South 8th Avenue, Fort McCoy, WI 54656. Issue submissions also can be complet-ed online at http://www.myarmyonesource.com/AFAPIssueManagement.

For more information, call the AFAP man-ager at 608-388-3505.

Arts & Crafts contest cancelled for 2014

Th e Army Arts & Crafts Contest will not be held for 2014.

Th e Installation Management Command (IMCOM) G9-Morale, Welfare and Recre-ation (MWR), announced the contest wouldnot be held due to a change in Army Knowl-edge Online’s login procedures.

Th e new procedures do not allow for a cus-tomer’s eligibility as an authorized MWR user to be verifi ed.

Th e IMCOM G9 is working with IM-COM G6-Chief Information Offi cer, to iden-tify a solution for the contest in 2015.

Th e 2015 contest is tentatively scheduled for May 1-June 30. Th e 2015 contest will al-low artists to submit twice as many entries than normally allowed.

Questions about the contest can be emailed to [email protected].

CorrectionOn page one of the July 25 issue of Th e

Real McCoy, Daniel Baumann of the Wiscon-sin Department of Natural Resources was in-correctly identifi ed as John Baumann.

His name is now identifi ed correctly in the online version of the paper located at http://www.mccoy.army.mil/ReadingRoom/News-paper/RealMccoy/20140725/index.html.


ARMYWIDE NEWS

BY JENNIFER WALLEMANFort Leavenworth Lamp

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — On Oct. 1, Soldiers will begin to have a more defi ned plan for transitioning out of the Army with the implementation of the Soldier Life Cycle.

Th is three-phase career cycle supports the Soldier for Life initiative and prepares Soldiers from the beginning of their military service, until their transition to civilian life, with the resources needed to equip them with the employment skills, training, counseling and opportunities that will enhance their marketability after military service.

Implementing this initiative will require coordination from several diff erent Army agencies.

At the focal point of this campaign initiative is the Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP). A directive dated June 26 was sent from retired Col. Walter Herd, director of the Army Transition Program, headquartered at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, indicating the immediate “re-branding” of ACAP Armywide, per the June 20 announcement from Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno.

ACAP’s mission remains the same, but its name is now Sol-dier for Life: Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

ACAP has been around since 1990, so it may take time for Soldiers to get adjusted to the new name, said Brett Rosene, Transition Services manager for Fort Leavenworth.

“It will take time but with the Soldier Life Cycle, Soldiers will start identifying what our offi ce is about at basic training,” Rosene said. “Th ey’re going to receive information on Soldier for Life and then, when they fi rst arrive at their duty stations and throughout their careers, we will actually be touching them at certain milestones.”

Th e Soldier Life Cycle is focused on preparing Soldiers for transition, and connecting them with meaningful employment, educational opportunities and benefi ts from the beginning of their military career until the end. When the Veterans Oppor-tunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act went into eff ect in November 2012, huge changes were made to the Soldier transition process.

Transitioning began a year out instead of the previous 90 days. However, this was still trying to convey a lot of informa-tion in a compressed timeline at the end of the Soldier’s career.

“It is such a life-changing event to change your career,” Rosene said. “It aff ects not just you, but your Family and peo-ple around you. It takes more than a year to prepare properly to go from military service to a civilian career.”

Th e Soldier Life Cycle is divided into three phases. Phase

Soldier Life Cycle changes way Army preps troops for eventual transition

Fort McCoy program continuesAt Fort McCoy, the Soldier for Life: Transition Assis-

tance Program will continue to off er week-long quarterly training sessions in February, May, August and Novem-ber, said Tom Kunz, Transition counselor at Fort McCoy. Th e next session will be Nov. 3-7.

“Th e transition will be seamless with all the services we provide remaining the same,” Kunz said. “We want Soldiers to be successful when they transition.”

Kunz said he can off er assistance to transitioning in-dividuals as needed with resumes, job searches and inter-viewing skills. He also can be used as a reference point for any questions Soldiers may have.

Kunz can be reached at 608-388-7941 or [email protected].

one is the Soldier’s fi rst year in the military.Soldiers receive credentialing information regarding their

military occupational specialty, or MOS, and attend an eight-hour fi nancial readiness class during advanced individual train-ing. Rosene said the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Com-mand is still working with federal and state agencies to see which MOSs actually do cross over.

“What that means if you are a truck driver, you might actu-ally earn a commercial driver’s license as part of your gradua-tion because you would have met the same requirements as the outside world,” Rosene said.

Soldiers will complete a self-assessment with an education counselor at their fi rst duty station to help them complete an individual development plan, or road map of how they want their careers to progress and what needs to happen for them to get there. Th ey will receive information on GI Bill benefi ts and tuition assistance. Th ey will meet one-on-one with a fi nancial counselor who will help them develop a one-year budget. Also, the agency that provides the installation in-processing papers to the Soldier will verify that he or she has an eBenefi ts account with Veterans Aff airs.

Th e second phase, the career phase, has two parts: one to 10 years of service and 10 years of service to transition or retire-ment. Soldiers with one to 10 years of service annually will review their individual development plans, update their career goals with their leaders and update their Army Career Tracker profi les with any educational or personal goals.

Th e Army Career Tracker is an online tool that records each Soldier’s accomplishments and milestones throughout his or her career and can be accessed by Soldiers, fi rst-line leaders, and Army groups like the Education Center, Soldier for Life: TAP, and Retention Services to update and benchmark each in-dividual’s record. During part two of the career phase, Soldiers will start working on resumés and thinking about what they

U.S. Army graphic

The Army Career and Alumni Program has changed to the Soldier for Life: Transition Assistance Program. For more aboutthe Soldier for Life program, visit the website http://soldierforlife.army.mil.

will need when getting out. Th e fi nal phase is the transition phase. Th is phase will remain

unchanged from what Soldier for Life: TAP currently provides,with training and programming on employability, resumé writ-ing, eff ective job interviewing, and looking for work.

With implementation anticipated this fall, numerous chang-es to existing regulatory guidance and policy will coincide withand support the Soldier Life Cycle requirements. Th e Army willdeliver specifi c implementation instructions and release a com-mander’s guide to transition to help leaders identify programrequirements.

“Th ere’s going to be an implementation phase,” Rosene said.“Th e Army isn’t going to fl ip a switch and everyone is going tobe compliant. Th ere’s going to be a period of time for everyoneto get used to it, get used to the software, and get used to therequirements.”

Rosene said leaders will need to know how to use Army Ca-reer Tracker to document certain milestones, and commanderswill have to know how to go out there and look at the Soldierto determine who needs what to ensure that their new Soldiers are meeting the requirements. If the Soldiers are getting readyto re-enlist or are up for promotion, they will have to do a gapanalysis or a self-assessment on where they’re at, if they mettheir goals and what they need to do to meet their goals.

“One of the key points is we are not trying to develop civil-ians in the Army,” Rosene said. “We want to give Soldiers anopportunity to grow while they are in the Army. Th e fi rst job ofevery Soldier is to be a Soldier and that is their primary mission.Whatever their MOS is, if they have an interest outside theircareer fi eld, they’ll be given an opportunity to explore that.”

Th e Soldier for Life website is www.soldierforlife.army.mil.It features links to informational resources for active-duty, Na-tional Guard, Army Reserves, retired Soldiers and their Fami-lies.


ARMYWIDE NEWS

CSA: Ethical dilemmas pose tough calls for SoldiersBY DAVID VERGUNArmy News Service

WEST POINT, N.Y. — One of the hard-est things a Soldier will face in his or her career isn’t necessarily the enemy. It might well be telling another Soldier that his or her behavior is ethically or morally wrong, said the Army chief of staff .

Gen. Ray Odierno shared his opening re-marks with general offi cers and command ser-geants major from across the components at the fi rst CSA Army Profession Symposium.

Th e reason it’s so hard, he continued, is be-cause Soldiers are deeply committed to each other.

“Th at’s integral,” he explained. “In combat, you have to depend on the person on your right and left. Your life is in their hands. But it’s also about being committed to the institu-tion.”

Odierno then provided some hypothetical examples of why ethical dilemmas are so dif-fi cult to grapple with:

After returning from a deployment, Alpha Company takes the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). A certain sergeant is considered the best sergeant in the platoon. He served admi-rably in combat and always scored a perfect 300 on the APFT. He’s now up for promotion to staff sergeant.

But on this particular day, he scored a 240. Th at score will result in him not earning enough points for promotion to staff sergeant and the next opportunity for promotions may not be for a long time.

Th e platoon leader wants to look out for his Soldiers, particularly for this noncommis-sioned offi cer who did incredible things in combat. So he gives the sergeant a 300.

Th e platoon leader might get away with that but what about next time? Odierno asked, continuing with the example:

Down the road, that same platoon leader has become a battalion commander.

He’s been bragging about his battalion and how well it’s been doing and how well it will perform at an upcoming National Training Center rotation.

But, the battalion ends up having a “lousy rotation.”

But instead of admitting as much, he gets his battalion certifi ed “T-1, fully trained and ready for combat, yet everyone knows it’s not true.”

Two months later, that battalion deploys to combat and Soldiers are killed.

“Now your ethical dilemma is growing,” Odierno said, continuing:

Ten years later, he’s a general offi cer provid-ing congressional testimony. Lawmakers are asking about the readiness of his division. He’s been told that the politically correct thing to say is “we’re ready to do whatever you ask.”

But, his division is lacking in training and

modernized equipment. Yet, he tells Congress that they’re combat-ready.

“So the dilemma grows and grows and builds and builds,” Odierno said. “Once you start down that path, it becomes easier and easier to make those decisions.”

Th e ramifi cations of those decisions won’t necessarily “fall on you,” he said. “It will fall on those Soldiers put in harm’s way.”

Th e vast majority of Soldiers understand the importance of commitment to the insti-tution as well as commitment to one another, Odierno said he believes, “but we can’t rest on our laurels.

“We have to have those discussions, about character, that’s who we are. Our character has to represent what our country stands for,” he continued. “It’s about doing what’s right when nobody else is watching.”

Citing another example — an actual one — Odierno recounted how an offi cer was brought in for counseling after a minor inci-dent that occurred after hours.

Th e offi cer told his commander something to the eff ect of, “I’m in the Army nine to fi ve, and what I do afterward is my business.”

“Th at’s not the Army I know,” Odierno cautioned. “And that’s not the type of leaders

the Army wants. It’s a 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week job. You’re always representing this profession.”

An important part of this symposium, he said, is discussing the Army profession and how to more eff ectively inculcate ethics across the service.

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chan-dler III, who spoke following Odierno’s re-marks, said he seriously doubts the eff ective-ness of the Army’s ethical training delivery methods.

Th at delivery might take the shape of Pow-erPoint slides or briefi ngs — check-the-block type training.

It has to be more than that, Chandler said. “We need to have a culture shift,” he said.

“People need to be passionate about this, and we all have to take on this responsibility.”

He noted that “young people are thirsty for leadership” and the method most eff ec-tive for delivery of ethics training, he thinks, is through mentoring other Soldiers.

Chandler provided his own example of be-ing mentored:

Back in the 1970s, he said his own moral compass wasn’t always oriented in the right di-rection, and he wandered aimlessly from job to

job, and his grades in high school were pretty dismal.

Th en he saw the movie “Sahara,” starring Humphrey Bogart. In that movie, he said, Bogart and the men in his tank crew bonded and looked out for each other even as the go-ing got tough.

“Th at taught me commitment,” and was the impetus for joining the Army and becom-ing a tanker, Chandler said.

In 1981, his fi rst tank commander was Staff Sgt. Lou Tahini, an American Samoan and a Vietnam veteran who “couldn’t read, but was a professional,” Chandler said, noting that the average grade level for reading in the Army at the time was eighth grade.

“He taught me everything I know about competence — how to operate that tank and deal death and destruction — and about com-mitment to that crew and the platoon,” Chan-dler said of his tank commander.

“He also taught me about character and what it means to be a person of character,” he continued. “He’s a big reason why I’m still in the Army today.”

In closing, Chandler said that same sort of mentorship has to continue.

“Don’t allow this to die out.”

Photo by Staff Sgt. Mikki L. Sprenkle

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno addresses leaders from all components at the fi rst CSA Army Profession Symposium, held at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.