Navy Reserve chief selectees explore Fort McCoy history during scavenger hunt
With sunny skies and pleasant weather providing ideal conditions for an outdoor activity, the Navy Reserve group explored the Fort McCoy Commemorative Area, working through a series of scavenger-hunt activities that encouraged participants to observe, investigate and learn about the historical displays throughout the site.
For the participants, the event provided more than an opportunity to compete. The scavenger hunt also became a hands-on history lesson, introducing the group to Fort McCoy’s long history as a military training and mobilization installation.
The Commemorative Area is located in Fort McCoy’s historic 900 block and encompasses a collection of preserved World War II-era buildings, the Fort McCoy History Center, Equipment Park and Veterans Memorial Plaza. Together, the sites tell the story of Fort McCoy from its establishment in 1909 through more than a century of military training and service, according to the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.
Several of the preserved buildings date to the World War II-era expansion of Fort McCoy's cantonment area. The buildings help visitors understand what life was like for Soldiers during the 1940s, with displays featuring barracks rooms, bunk beds, footlockers, uniforms, a World War II-era chapel and other period items.
The group also had the opportunity to experience the Fort McCoy History Center, which opened in 1999 and contains artifacts, photographs, memorabilia, and exhibits documenting the installation's role in conflicts and operations ranging from World War I and World War II to the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and other missions.
Another major attraction is Equipment Park, an outdoor display featuring approximately 70 pieces of historic and contemporary military equipment representative of the types of systems used at Fort McCoy. The collection includes vehicles, artillery pieces, helicopters and other equipment.
The participants also explored Veterans Memorial Plaza, which honors generations of men and women who served during the various eras represented in Fort McCoy’s history. The plaza was formally dedicated June 13, 2009, during Fort McCoy’s centennial observance.
The Commemorative Area began taking shape in the early 1990s as Fort McCoy leaders sought to preserve representative World War II-era buildings during a period of modernization. Between 1992 and 1995, five adjoining World War II-era buildings were preserved for historical and commemorative purposes. The site eventually expanded into the larger historical campus that exists today.
For the Navy Reserve chief selectees, learning that history while moving through the exhibits added another dimension to the day's activity.
Participants said they enjoyed the scavenger hunt and had fun exploring the Commemorative Area together. The activity provided an opportunity for the group to work as a team, compete in a relaxed setting and discover pieces of Fort McCoy history along the way.
The visit also demonstrated how Fort McCoy’s historical resources can serve as an educational and team-building destination for military organizations from across the Total Force.
For those taking part, the Sept. 16 visit combined camaraderie, competition, and history — giving the future Navy chiefs an opportunity to learn about another military service's history while enjoying a beautiful Wisconsin day at Fort McCoy.
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.”
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