Garrison Commander role changes hands at Fort McCoy

FORT MCCOY, Wis. (WEAU) - While a literal torch wasn’t passed Thursday, the colors of the U.S. Army Garrison at Fort McCoy have changed hands to a new leader

Col. Stephen Messenger is assuming the role of Garrison Commander, relieving Col. Mike Poss after his two years of duty.

Messenger is entering into one of the top positions of a military installation that trains more than 100,000 personnel each year.

“My role as the Garrison Commander is to provide leadership, both to the Garrison Command, the community, and all the Reserve and Guard soldiers that come in here,” Messenger said. “As we train and develop leaders, they go out into the local community, and they are leaders there.”

Thursday morning’s change of command ceremony was both a celebration for Messenger, and a commemoration of Poss.

The outgoing commander is stepping away from a role that he says has been life-changing.

“It certainly is bittersweet,” Poss expressed. “Being the Garrison Commander of Fort McCoy has been the best position of my 35-year Army career.”

Poss took command in July 2020, and helped Fort McCoy maintain status quo through the height of the pandemic.

“Col. Poss lead his team from day one, providing leadership to 1,500 soldiers and 3,000 civilians at Fort McCoy,” Installation Management Command - Readiness Director Brenda Lee McCullough said. “Col. Poss also helped provide training for over 207,000 service members across 25 major exercises.”

The former Garrison Commander also oversaw Operation Allies Welcome, where Fort McCoy housed more than 13,000 Afghan refugees for six months.

Despite the many challenges over the last two years, Poss says he would love to stay in the position longer, but believes change is healthy for Fort McCoy.

“It does allow others to come forth and lead, and the new commander always has the opportunity to take the organization to another level,” Poss added.

For Messenger, the goal is to maintain Fort McCoy’s high-quality training while strengthening the base’s relationships in Monroe County.

“We encourage the public to come out and support Fort McCoy as we support the community, build relations, and just have fun at this post,” Messenger expressed.

Fort McCoy is the 14th different installation Messenger has been assigned to in his more than 20-year career.

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