Employment

Fort McCoy is located between two small rural communities, Tomah (pop 9,300) and Sparta (pop 9,600) with commute times of approximately 15 minutes each. La Crosse is the largest city (pop 51,500) within commuting distance of Fort McCoy. La Crosse is approximately 35 miles from Fort McCoy with access to the freeway at Sparta and Tomah.

Typical entry-level positions in the area start at minimum wage, which is $7.25 per hour. Employment in health services, general clerical, and general labor positions are abundant.  Manufacturing is a large source of work for Coulee Region residents. The service industry continues to be the single largest source of employment for area residents. Within the broad service industry classification, health services are the largest subsector of employment.

Fort McCoy has been Monroe County's largest employer with positions listed on the Army Civilian Service website at https://armycivilianservice.usajobs.gov/.  Additionally, there are other opportunities available with contractors on the installation which can be found on the Fort McCoy public website at https://home.army.mil/mccoy/. Depending upon which community you choose to locate to (Tomah - zip code 54660, Sparta - zip code 54656, or La Crosse - zip code 54601), there are private sector employment opportunities that you may research and apply for by going to the Job Center of Wisconsin website at https://jobcenterofwisconsin.com/. The City of La Crosse is surrounded by the communities of Onalaska, West Salem, and Holmen. The La Crosse area provides the largest and most diverse employment opportunities, but the commute time from the communities to Fort McCoy can range from 35 to 60 minutes.

Employment Services contacts:

• Civilian Human Resource Agency (CHRA) for assistance with NAF/APF employment
• APF employment assistance phone number is 608-388-2722
• NAF employment assistance phone number is 608-388-3138
• Contractors - private sector employment on the installation - See Fort McCoy website - Civilian Employment
• ACS Spouse Employment Program Manager for spouse employment assistance - 608-388-7262

Spouse Employment Readiness Program

Military Spouses should contact the Spouse Employment Readiness Program manager as soon as they arrive at the installation. The Spouse Employment program provides the following assistance to military spouses:

• Information about employment and volunteer opportunities
• Support services to help clients make informed decisions about their careers
• Job search assistance through one-on-one meetings or workshops
• Self-Assessment tools
• Interviewing skills
• Applications, cover letters, transcripts 
• Work from home opportunities
• Career exploration 
• Goal setting

For employment purposes, be sure to bring with you all employment records and information; resumes, transcripts, certificates, licenses, and, if applicable, an SF-50.  Federal jobs, both appropriated and non-appropriated, are listed at https://www.usajobs.gov

The Soldier for Life Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP) assists transitioning service members in building a plan to assure a smooth transition from their military career to civilian employment.  The SFL-TAP is facilitated by professionally trained veteran staff.  The biggest challenges separating service member’s face in finding employment are: 1) developing resumes that translate their military skills, education, and training into skills that are recognizable and valuable to civilian employers and 2) acquiring effective skills for interviews with potential employers.  Please bring supporting documents (performance reports, ORB, 2-1, etc.), as each workshop participant will develop a draft resume.  Individual resume counseling will be provided throughout the workshop.

For other employment assistance in the state of Wisconsin go to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development at https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/ or the Job Center of Wisconsin.

All members with 18 years or more service that have submitted or may submit an application for retirement as well as those who have served 180 days in active service are eligible to attend the Transition Assistance Program Seminar.  All active duty Soldiers, National Guard and Reserve personnel, including spouses, and retired military (all branches of service) are encouraged to attend.  SFL-TAP seminars are routinely conducted at Fort McCoy. For more information please contact 608-388-3716.

MyCAA - Military Spouse Career Advancement Account:  https://mycaa.militaryonesource.mil/mycaa/

Assistance can be provided by the Fort McCoy Education Center at 608-388-7274.

The top ten employers of Monroe County, Wisconsin are:

Tomah VA

Department of Defense

Walmart Distribution Center

Toro Manufacturing

County of Monroe

Northern Engraving

Century Foods

Cardinal Glass

Walmart

Tomah Memorial Hospital