By: Scott Sturkol
Framing on the third four-story, 60,000-square-foot barracks at Fort McCoy started Jan. 31 and by Feb. 23 the shape of the entire building was nearly in place.
A Feb. 23 update from Ken Green with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy showed that construction progress was still at 12 percent complete, but it’s significantly growing and taking shape on site.
This barracks project was awarded in June 2023 to BlindermanPower (Construction) at just over $28 million to get it done. A notice to proceed with construction was given on in late September 2023. And as of Feb. 23, warmer weather allowed for work to get done and lots of infrastructure construction has been completed, Green said.
Overall, the statement of work for the project states the contractor will make the building be made of “permanent construction with reinforced concrete foundations; concrete floor slabs; structural steel frames; steel stud infill; masonry veneer walls; prefinished standing seam metal roofing; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning capabilities; plumbing; mechanical systems; and electrical systems. Supporting facilities include land clearing, concrete sidewalk paving, general site improvements, and utility connections.”
The building also is being built with the latest in construction materials and include state-of-the-art physical security and energy-saving measures. The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 780 calendar days, Green said.
“The current contract completion date is Oct. 2, 2025,” Green also wrote in the update.
This project continues the modernization of Fort McCoy, which also reflects the Army Materiel Command’s (AMC) priorities of people, readiness, and modernization. According to a fact sheet at AMC’s website, https://www.amc.army.mil, the people priority is about “ensuring Soldiers and Army civilians are trained and ready to execute missions in support of Army priorities and requirements.” The readiness priority is about “leading and directing logistics and sustainment efforts at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels.” And the modernization priority is where “AMC’s workforce is fully embedded within every Army modernization effort, advocating for innovative ideas that drive supply chain and sustainment efficiencies.”
The project also reflects Army Installation Management Command’s (IMCOM) focus on “managing the regular Army’s infrastructure” by “ensuring facilities and structures are in optimal condition to house and train our Soldiers.” More information about IMCOM’s mission and vision can be seen at https://home.army.mil/imcom.
And at Fort McCoy, to complete these kinds of projects, it takes strategic planning and a vision, said Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Stephen Messenger during a town hall session with the Fort McCoy workforce. He reviewed recent strategic planning as well.
“Fort McCoy has laid out a very good plan of goals over the next five, 10, and 15 years,” Messenger said. “And this year I just wanted to share you with you the new version of our goals. We did this six months ago, and it takes a look at Fort McCoy in the years 2030, 2035, and 2040. For example, as we look at Fort McCoy in 2030, we can see a vision. … Fort McCoy wants to be the training and mobilization center of excellence. That means when the Army Reserve thinks of training, they think of Fort McCoy. They already do that, whether it’s big exercises … or training like Expert Soldier Badge testing, Expert Infantry Badge testing, and Expert Field Medical Badge training.”
And as the future continues now into the spring, officials expect the construction of the new barracks to see lots of progress.
Construction projects like this during the fiscal year also plays a role in the economic impact the installation has on local economies. According to the Fort McCoy’s Plans, Analysis and Integration Office, in fiscal year 2022, Fort McCoy’s total economic impact for that fiscal year was an estimated $2.508 billion. A similar impact for fiscal year 2023 is expected.
“Fiscal year 2022 operating costs of $391.46 million included utilities, physical plant maintenance, repair and improvements, new construction projects, purchases of supplies and services, as well as salaries for civilian contract personnel working at Fort McCoy. Other expenditures accounted for $52.25 million and covered $339,994 in payments to local governments (including land permit agreements, school district impact aid, etc.) as well as $51.91 million in discretionary spending in local communities by service members training and residing at Fort McCoy. Other factors of economic impact for the fiscal year included $42.5 million in military construction on post,” states a story about the economic impact prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office in March 2023.
Stephen Sullivan, the Chief Financial Officer and Director for Resources, Installations, and Materiel for the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve, visited Fort McCoy in 2022 and discussed the importance of projects like this project and recent barracks projects at Fort McCoy.
“As I mentioned before, the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army have their people first initiative … and as part of that people first, there is a focus on Soldiers, families, civilians, and contractors who work on our installations,” Sullivan said. “It’s important to ensure that we have top-notch facilities. Built in there is unaccompanied housing, family housing, child development centers, youth centers, barracks — those are all things that are part of that focus.”
Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.”
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 at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the Digital Garrison 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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