Brig. Gen. William K. Gayler, deputy commanding general, 7th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, is being assigned to director, Officer Personnel Management Directorate, U.S. Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Ky.

Gayler was promoted to brigadier general Sept. 3, 2013 at JBLM.

Here's Gayler's background, according to a release by the 7th ID last September:

Gayler, a Distinguished Military Graduate of North Georgia College in Dahlonega, Ga., received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and was commissioned as an Aviation Officer in 1988. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the National War College.

Gayler is a Master Army Aviator and Standardization Instructor Pilot in the AH-64D Longbow Apache and also rated in the OH-58 Kiowa.

The Washington National Guard showed its 12th Man support of the Seattle Seahawks today on top a M1A1 Chaffee in front of the Washington National Guard Museum at Camp Murray.

Go Hawks!

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Two crew members are dead and a third remains missing after the Wednesday-morning crash of a Norfolk, Va.-base MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia Beach. Officials are unable to say what caused the crash.

Senate Foreign Relations Commmittee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) is considering supporting the transfer of AH-64 Apache helicopters to Iraq.

House and Senate Defense appropriators have been closely holding a secret, at the core of which lies the fate of hundreds of Pentagon programs facing billions of dollars in reductions from fiscal 2014 plans.

Congress ordered the NASA to finish a $350 million facility even though the agency doesn't need it.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he was impressed with what he saw yesterday at an Air Force base on the northern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Germany announced today it will help destroy Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.

Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin, the commander of the Third Air Force in Europe, whose handling of sexual-assault cases drew withering criticism from advocacy groups and some lawmakers retired under pressure Wednesday.

Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Jim Miller had his last day at the Pentagon yesterday.

Tidbits from former Defense Secretary Robert Gates' book kept coming yesterday, and the White House scrambled to respond to them.

Looking for work? The Transportation Security administration is hiring, and they might just want YOU! Check the video to see if you meet their qualifications.

Ten historic live musical performances you can watch on Youtube.

Fifteen heart-stopping skywalks that will turn your legs to jelly.

American Horror Story -Coven' Episode 10 Recap: "The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks"

The Black Lips toured the Middle East and shared the best details of their unexpected tour.

Thank you for starting your day with Morning Joe. Please send your latest defense news and any tips or feedback to editor@northwestmilitary.com and follow on Twitter at @JBLMnewspapers.

And we leave you with a lovely beach scene captured this week at Lake Michigan. ...

THURSDAY, JAN. 9 2014 >>>

1. Green Drinks Tacoma, known locally as Tacoma's Green Happy Hour, is a monthly forum for business owners, students, academics, entrepreneurs, and members of the public to meet, exchange ideas, and grow their level of sustainability. It's a get-together for Green people - No, not individuals from other planets, but rather those interested in the environment, conservation and sustainability. Green Drinks kicks off 2014 at 6 p.m. with an informal get-together and brief discussion lead by Tacoma Power regarding its energy conservation efforts and programs at The Office Bar & Grill.

The locavore movement is real. It's in the Oxford Dictionary. So are the words doughnut hole, red velvet cake, panko, bibimbap and affogato. The English language has never stopped and will never stop evolving. Same with the locavore movement, thanks to authors such as Whidbey Island resident Vicki Robin. Her book, Blessing the Hands That Feed Us, is loaded with practical tips on adopting your own locally-sourced diet, in a candid, humorous, and inspirational voice. Grab a hold of Robin's views and tips at 7 p.m. in Orca Books.

The Tides Tavern has been an anchor in Gig Harbor nightlife scene. If the waterfront watering hole wants to have its New Year's kickoff party on Jan. 9, who's to argue. Appropriately Gig Harbor '70s and '80s acoustic rockers The Shy Boys will be the entertainment from 7-9 p.m. Happy New Year!

4. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Now that's what we call a play. Three acts of two married couples screaming and crying into the existential void of Cold War America. Nice. Catch the pay at 8 p.m. in the Lakewood Playhouse, and pay-what-you-can.

As you read in this week's Nerd Alert! column, Rev. Adam McKinney has been following comedian Matt Braunger. "With a boisterous and animated style reminiscent of Brian Regan, Braunger has been receiving a lot of attention for the past couple years, culminating in the release of his 2012 Comedy Central special, Shovel Fighter. Coming out of a remarkably fertile scene in Chicago that also nurtured the careers of peers such as Pete Holmes, Kumail Nanjiani, T.J. Miller and Kyle Kinane, Braunger is a comedian still on the rise, and one that seems poised to keep getting better as time goes on." Catch him at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club.

LINK: Thursday, Jan. 9 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WATCH IT LIVE >>>

The Air Force's newest and most senior leader will hold a service-wide, online town hall meeting today at 3:30 p.m. EST, addressing issues relevant to today's airmen.

Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James will answer questions from airmen at the Pentagon, and also speak to her goals and priorities as the service's 23rd secretary.

You can live stream the town hall at www.af.mil/live.aspx, and a recording will be posted on www.af.mil for those who are not able to watch live.

James was formally sworn in Dec. 20 in the Pentagon, making her the second female in Air Force history to serve in the role.

Dear Brawny Man,

We just want you to know that we have switched to your brand. We were Bounty fans for the longest time. Being in the media business, we are all about speed. The faster we can deliver the news, the better (thanks for the stress stupid Internet). Sometimes when we race to across the room to post a story, we accidently knock over the Walkie Talkie Weather Guy's sippy cup. Because Bounty is the quicker picker-upper, we rode its roll of towels. ...

That is, until we saw the Wounded Warrior Project emblem below your plaid-wearing, paper towel-hocking face on your packaging. You and your parent company, Georgia Pacific, have supported WWP since 2012. Your concept of donating a $1 for every Like on your Facebook page was both generous and brilliant. In 2012, you raise more than $500,000 for WWP. Last year, you exceeded your $6000,000 goal, raising $613,566 for WWP, which included $250,000 from GP above and beyond the Likes.

Brawny has given more than $1.4 million to WWP over the last two years to help our nation's heroes and their families through their difficult transitions.

You're awesome Brawny Man.

A quick call to Georgia Pacific revealed the program has been put on hold for 2014, according to Rich in GP's call center, although he did say it could come back in the future.

Georgia Pacific says the Wounded Warrior Project support will continue in 2014.

Thanks again Brawny Man. We will come calling when spilled juice is running off our computer desks an onto our linoleum floor.

Love,

Northwest Military News Team

The Army is shutting down 14 warrior transition units in preparation for the drawdown in Afghanistan and a decline in the number of wounded troops. In place of the closed units, the Army will establish 13 "community care units," including one at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Read the Defense Department report here.

It's been a question on everyone's mind since the very first NFL playoff game when the Chicago Bears faced off with the Portsmouth Spartans in 1932. Who's tougher? An Army soldier or an NFL football player? One is paid millions of dollars to play a game with tons of rules and safety equipment built into the sport. The other is trained to close, engage, and destroy all enemies under any circumstances without rest, food, relief ... and for substantially less money.

When former NFL players Damon Huard, George Wrighster, Samie Parker and Ricardo McDonald walk into Nelson Recreation Center Sunday, you bet a few soldiers, airmen and their families will ponder such a question.

The thought process will only last a few seconds because IT'S NFL PLAYOFF TIME AND THE NFL IS IN THE HOUSE!

The leadership at Joint Base Lewis-McChord has arranged for the Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE) Real Warriors Campaign and the four former NFL players mentioned above to hang out at Nelsen Rec during Sunday's Denver Bronco vs San Diego Chargers NFL playoff game. Beginning at 12:30 p.m. JBLM leadership and the former players will discuss common reintegration challenges facing service members as well as the resources available to help ease the transition from deployment to homecoming ... before everyone huddles around the television to watch the Broncos and Charges battle it out.

According to an official JBLM release ...

The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) has partnered with the DCoE Real Warriors Campaign to show service members and veterans that its members appreciate warriors' service to our country and care about their psychological health and wellness.

The Real Warriors Campaign and the NFL Players Association encourage all warriors who are experiencing psychological health concerns to reach out for care and support and to access available resources.

There's more information about the awesome Real Warrior Campaign after the jump.

Read more...

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The lead American negotiator in talks over a long-term security agreement with Afghanistan has privately warned the Obama administration that its efforts to persuade President Hamid Karzai to sign the document on the U.S. timetable are likely to fail.

There has been a sharp increase in the suicide rate among the youngest male veterans, and a smaller but still significant jump among women who served in the military.

The Senate Armed Services Committee approved and sent to the Senate floor four civilian nominations yesterday: Jessica Wright to be undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness; Jo Ann Rooney to be undersecretary of the Navy; Jamie Morin to be director of cost assessment and program evaluation; and Frank Klotz to be undersecretary of energy for nuclear security.

Read more...

FRIDAY, JAN. 10 2014 >>>

1. The Echo Echo Echoes are a Seattle band, far from the sunny beaches that they love to evoke. Though they call themselves a surf-pop band, and they have a song nostalgically titled "Surfer Girl," they are very quick to joke that wearing wetsuits and catching waves is something very far from their own experiences. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Echo Echo Echoes in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Retrospector and Battersea at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

Read more...