A forgotten US Army time capsule discovered in late 2022 has now finally gone on public display. It was left inside a Fort McCoy barracks by Kentucky National Guard soldiers before their deployment to Iraq in 2004. Members of the 617th Military Police Company created the makeshift collection shortly before leaving Wisconsin for Operation Iraqi Freedom, filling a plastic drawer with personal belongings, signed items and small reminders of everyday life. They then hid the drawer inside a barracks wall, planning to retrieve it when they returned from Iraq. However, after completing their deployment, the soldiers came home and moved on, leaving the time capsule untouched for nearly two decades. Contractors eventually uncovered it while renovating the Fort McCoy barracks. The items have since been preserved and placed on display at the Fort McCoy History Center, offering a personal glimpse into the lives of the soldiers behind the historic deployment.
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