Fort McCoy personnel meet with La Crosse Chamber leaders; enhance community engagement relationships
Fort McCoy’s Deputy Garrison Commander Lt. Col. Chad Holder and other Fort McCoy staff met with leaders of the La Crosse (Wis.) Chamber of Commerce and La Crosse County officials Sept. 29 to enhance community engagement relationships, discuss regional needs, and explore opportunities to strengthen connections between the installation and surrounding communities.
The Fort McCoy delegation met with La Crosse Chamber of Commerce Director Sam Scinta; Kathleen Stewart, director of land services for La Crosse County; Sara Koopman, associate county administrator of the Administrative Center for La Crosse County; and Sam Bachmeier, community development specialist for La Crosse County, at the La Crosse County Administration Office in downtown La Crosse.
“The purpose of this meeting was to introduce key leaders and discuss changes coming to the region due to the Army Transformation Initiative,” officials said. Holder highlighted the continued need for adequate housing and child care as well as the current military spouse hiring initiative that includes La Crosse Chamber.
The county hosts quarterly municipality meetings, and Fort McCoy leaders will be considered for future attendance, according to meeting after-action determinations. La Crosse County officials also discussed a housing survey they conducted and said they would share the results with Fort McCoy at a future time.
Both sides noted the meeting as successful and are working to continue engagements.
Economic impact reaches throughout region
The meeting also reflects the importance of maintaining strong relationships between Fort McCoy and the communities that support its mission. The installation’s economic activity, workforce, training operations, and contracting needs create connections that extend throughout western Wisconsin and beyond.
According to Fort McCoy’s latest publicly reported total economic-impact figures, the installation generated an estimated $1.6 billion in economic impact during fiscal year 2024, which ran from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024. That figure was up from $1.38 billion in FY 2023, according to information compiled by Fort McCoy’s Plans, Analysis and Integration Office.
The FY 2024 figures included a workforce of 1,934 personnel: 1,061 civilian employees, 495 military personnel, and 378 contract employees. Approximately 66 percent of the workforce lived in Monroe County, demonstrating how installation employment supports households and communities close to the post.
The reported civilian and military workforce payroll for FY 2024 was $270.4 million. Operating costs were $170 million, covering expenses such as utilities, physical plant maintenance, repairs and improvements, construction projects, supplies, and services. Other reported expenditures totaled $21.2 million, including approximately $511,296 in payments to local governments and $20.7 million in discretionary spending in local communities by service members training and residing at Fort McCoy. Military construction on the installation exceeded $92.6 million that fiscal year.
Fort McCoy used a gross multiplier index of 4.0 to estimate the overall economic effects of expenditures in the local economy. The index measures how money circulates within a region and was developed by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and validated by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Fiscal and Economic Research Center.
The economic-impact estimate reflects more than direct spending at the installation. Money spent on construction, supplies, services, housing, food, retail purchases, and other needs can circulate through businesses and households, helping sustain employment and economic activity in communities across the region.
More recent training figures also underscore the installation’s continuing role in the regional economy. Fort McCoy supported 109,962 troops during FY 2025, according to installation reporting. Service members training at the post rely on a broad network of facilities and support services, while their presence can bring additional customers to businesses in nearby communities.
Community partnerships help address shared needs
For Fort McCoy and its neighboring communities, regular engagement provides an opportunity to discuss how changes in military missions and regional growth may affect housing, transportation, childcare, employment, and other services.
Adequate housing and child care are particularly important considerations for communities seeking to attract and retain workers. These resources also matter to military families and employees who need dependable options close enough to balance work and family responsibilities.
The military spouse hiring initiative discussed during the meeting provides another opportunity for cooperation. Connecting military spouses with regional employers can help qualified candidates find work while giving businesses access to additional talent. Continued communication among Fort McCoy, chambers of commerce, workforce-development organizations, and local government can help identify job opportunities, explain hiring resources, and address potential obstacles to employment.
Housing information is another area in which cooperation can support long-term planning. Once La Crosse County shares the results of its housing survey, Fort McCoy and community leaders will have an additional source of information to consider when discussing regional housing needs and the effects of future changes.
These conversations are valuable because the needs of an installation and those of nearby civilian communities often overlap, officials said. A strong workforce benefits employers, while sufficient housing, reliable child care, and accessible employment opportunities help families establish stable lives in the region.
Building long-term relationships
Continuing engagement also gives local leaders opportunities to learn about Fort McCoy's mission and anticipated changes, ask questions, share community concerns, and identify areas in which organizations can work together.
For Fort McCoy, these relationships can improve awareness of regional resources and challenges as installation requirements evolve. For community partners, direct communication provides opportunities to plan for potential impacts, connect with installation representatives, and better understand how military operations contribute to local and regional prosperity.
The Sept. 29 meeting established another point of contact between Fort McCoy and La Crosse-area leaders. Future participation in municipal meetings and the exchange of housing survey findings are among the potential next steps.
Through continued communication and collaboration, Fort McCoy and its regional partners can work toward communities that are better positioned to support military readiness, meet residents’ needs, strengthen the workforce, and sustain economic opportunities throughout western Wisconsin.
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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