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JBLM youth up for Military Child of the Year award

Military Life

JBLM youth up for Military Child of the Year award

Madison Long, 13, is in good company. The Woodbrook Middle School, Lakewood seventh grader was recently selected as a semifinalist for Operation Homefront's 2011 Military Child of the Year Award. Nominees were culled from submissions from around the world, with 20 children from each branch of service - 100 in all

A community partnership

News Articles

A community partnership

(From left) Col. Kevin Kilb, 62nd Airlift Wing commander; Rear Adm. Gary Blore, 13th District commander; Navy Capt. Steve Vincent, Naval Operation Support Center Kitsap commander; Brig. Gen. Bret Daugherty, assistant Adjutant General; Capt. Michael Rosen, 4th Land Support Battalion, Marine Reserve, Association of Washington Cities President Kathy Turner; Gov. Chris Gregoire and

Following in a father's footsteps

Focus

Following in a father's footsteps

Military service is the Devens' family business. I Corps Operations Sgt. Maj. Ray Devens has served nearly 29 years. His father, retired Sgt. Maj. Raymond Devens, served 26 years. Big sisters Diane and Barbara are Army civilian employees, and daughters Sloane, 23, and Hailey, 20, are active-duty military, as is

How to decide where to live?

Housing

How to decide where to live?

When looking for a new place to live, many people will rely on the advice of friends who live in the area. Since most military families have friends scattered throughout the world, they often call on these friends for advice when moving to a new duty station. There are plenty

Army films suicide video on JBLM

Focus

Army films suicide video on JBLM

The Army is ramping up efforts to stave off Soldier suicide with a new Shoulder to Shoulder suicide awareness video, its third in the last three years.  Footage for the new 15-minute video was shot on Joint Base Lewis-McChord from Jan. 19 to 21 and earlier at Fort Riley, Kans. The

Madigan guards against contamination

News Articles

Madigan guards against contamination

Twenty soldiers and civilian volunteers from Madigan Army Medical Center completed In Place Patient Decontamination (IPPD) training on Wednesday morning in a designated area adjacent to the hospital's emergency room. The three-day training, facilitated by Dave Nelson from Advanced Technical Education Consultants, prepared participants in how to identify hazardous materials such

Ready for retirement?

Veterans

Ready for retirement?

Retirement from the military can be an exciting time. Though the days of waking up at 0 dark 30 for PT in the rain and frequent separation from friends and family may be coming to an end, a new set of challenges awaits. Some servicemembers start to count down the

Fisher House celebrates holiday season

Focus

Fisher House celebrates holiday season

Having a loved one in the hospital is difficult at any time of the year. During the holidays, when focus is on family and togetherness, it can be even tougher. Staff and volunteers of the Joint Base Lewis McChord Fisher House brought a little levity - along with some holiday cheer

Pagans find home in service

Focus

Pagans find home in service

What faith Americans adhere to, or chose not to adhere to, is a right given to them by the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution, which states (in part), "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."  This

Special Forces brothers in arms celebrate lineage, legacy

Focus

Special Forces brothers in arms celebrate lineage, legacy

1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) soldiers on Joint Base Lewis-McChord and their Canadian counterparts gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the beginning of Menton Week, a yearly tradition spanning 26 years that honors the units' legacy and lineage. The opening ceremony, held at the Group's Memorial Wall just outside its headquarters, officially

IRR soldiers paired with Reserve units

Focus

IRR soldiers paired with Reserve units

A new pilot program will begin next week to determine whether Individual Ready Reserve, or IRR, soldiers attached to Reserve units in their geographic areas receive better support. At the Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, D.C., in October, Army Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz noted that

Drawing from military experience

Veterans

Drawing from military experience

When Rick Lawson returned from Balad, Iraq in 2005, the 22-year-old specialist, who had served as a laboratory technician during a yearlong deployment with the Washington National Guard's  81st Brigade, found himself having a tough transition. He had wanted to stay in the military, but was medically discharged following the deployment.

Special Forces soldiers pay homage

Veterans

Special Forces soldiers pay homage

Hundreds of 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) soldiers on Joint Base Lewis-McChord gathered under an uncharacteristically cloudless November sky on Wednesday to pay tribute to their fellow and fallen soldiers during the unit's annual Veterans Day ceremony. On hand for the event were I Corps Command Sgt. Major Frank Grippe and

Honoring local troops

Veterans

Honoring local troops

Veterans Day is a traditionally a time to remember all those who have served - from the private who spent just a few years on active duty to the four-star general who retired after 30 or more years of service. Held on the 11th day of the 11th month each

Healing on horseback

Health

Healing on horseback

Those who own pets know that animals feel emotion and respond accordingly - baring their teeth if they sense aggression or curling up on our laps if they sense melancholy. They also seem to have an innate sense of empathy and can fulfill the role of friend and confidant no

Pagan group packs up supplies to overseas servicemembers

Focus

Pagan group packs up supplies to overseas servicemembers

The collection of care packages assembled on Saturday at the Mystic Wonders shop in Lakewood were a bit different than typical care packages earmarked for deployed servicemembers.  There were no baby wipes, tubes of toothpaste, magazines or disposable razors. Instead, these dozen or so boxes were filled with candles, incense,

Big changes on way after president signs veterans’ benefits bill into law

Veterans

Big changes on way after president signs veterans’ benefits bill into law

President Barack Obama recently signed into law the Veterans' Benefits Act of 2010, which paves the way for changes to many Veterans' Affairs programs and benefits, including insurance, healthcare, employment and education.  The bill is an amendment to Title 38 of the United States Code and 2003's Servicemembers Civil Relief

Peace Out group teaches kids it’s good to give

Veterans

Peace Out group teaches kids it’s good to give

Getting kids to give money away is no easy feat. Having them research an organization, build marketing materials and spend their Saturdays soliciting donations - all on their own time, no less - can be even trickier. But Peace Out, a local non-profit teen philanthropy organization founded earlier this year

Gig Harbor community opens hearts, wallets for soldiers

Operation Family Support

Gig Harbor community opens hearts, wallets for soldiers

The bell at Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor has been ringing a lot more often lately. Since early October, each toll of the bell has signified a donation toward the tavern's "Buy a Soldier Lunch" event, which was held on Friday for about 100 soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The goal was

Education

Changing dynamics of the National Guard and Reserve

They are America's original minutemen - service members who trace their heritage to before the Revolutionary War. Their forebearers stood at Lexington Green outside of Boston in 1775, a civilian militia facing the British Redcoats and paving the way for the free America we now enjoy. They've served - and

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