Thousands of Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers complete annual training at Fort McCoy in July 2026

Thousands of Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers completed annual training at Fort McCoy during two weeks in July 2026, conducting aviation, engineer, tactical, logistics, and sustainment missions that strengthened readiness while highlighting Fort McCoy’s role as one of the Army’s premier Total Force training centers.

According to the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security (DPTMS), the installation supported thousands of Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers during the two-week training period.

Soldiers trained across Fort McCoy’s extensive maneuver areas, live-fire ranges, aviation facilities, classrooms, and cantonment infrastructure, completing individual and collective training designed to prepare units for future state and federal missions.

The training period showcased the depth and diversity of Wisconsin Army National Guard capabilities while allowing multiple units to conduct realistic, mission-focused training simultaneously across Fort McCoy's more than 60,000 acres of maneuver land.

One of the busiest organizations supporting annual training was the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment, whose UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crews conducted aviation operations throughout July in support of numerous training scenarios. Aircrews transported personnel, supported command-and-control operations, maintained flight proficiency, and provided aviation support to units training across the installation.

The battalion’s support continued beyond the annual training period when it provided aviation support for the Wisconsin Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift on July 22. During the event, civilian employers from Wisconsin and Minnesota boarded UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and traveled to training locations across Fort McCoy, gaining firsthand insight into the missions performed by their Guard and Reserve employees and the importance of employer support to military readiness.

The 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment is a familiar presence at Fort McCoy and routinely supports aviation training operations throughout the year. Previous missions at the installation have included aircrew proficiency training, troop transport, command-and-control support, medical evacuation training, and other readiness exercises that prepare Army aviation crews for operational missions.

Engineer Soldiers with the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 229th Engineer Company (Horizontal) also completed a significant troop project during annual training. Working alongside the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works (DPW), Soldiers constructed a sidewalk improvement project that enhanced pedestrian infrastructure while sharpening the horizontal construction skills required of Army engineer units.

The project was one of numerous troop projects coordinated annually by the Fort McCoy DPW that provide engineer units with meaningful, hands-on training while improving the installation's infrastructure and long-term training capabilities.

According to Larry Morrow, troop projects coordinator with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works, the program is designed to accomplish two important objectives at the same time.

“The projects give Soldiers the opportunity to perform real-world engineer missions while making permanent improvements to the installation,” Morrow said in a previous Fort McCoy news article.

Fort McCoy has long served as one of the Army’s premier locations for annual training because of its combination of world-class ranges, maneuver land, aviation facilities, modern classrooms, and support infrastructure. The installation’s ability to host multiple organizations simultaneously enables Army National Guard, Army Reserve, active Army, and joint-service units to conduct realistic training in environments that closely replicate operational conditions.

The July training period once again demonstrated the strong partnership between Fort McCoy and the Wisconsin Army National Guard while underscoring the installation's continued importance to military readiness.

That partnership aligns with Fort McCoy's new motto, “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future Since 1909,” which reflects more than a century of supporting America’s military forces. Fort McCoy’s mission is to strengthen 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 the nation's wars. Its vision is to be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.

Each year, Fort McCoy supports training for more than 100,000 service members from the active Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and allied partners. The installation's unique combination of training resources, experienced workforce, and modern facilities ensures units like the Wisconsin Army National Guard can maintain readiness while preparing Soldiers to respond whenever and wherever they are called to serve.

As thousands of Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers concluded annual training in late July, Fort McCoy once again demonstrated why it remains one of the Army's most vital readiness platforms—supporting the Total Force through realistic training, strong partnerships, and an enduring commitment to shaping the future of the nation's armed forces.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on DVIDS by visiting https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/FMPAO.

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.”