The votes are in and 2013 was another banner year for the airmen of Joint Base Lewis-McChord Field according to the recent Air Mobility Command Safety Awards.

The 62d Airlift Wing won the AMC Distinguished Ground Safety Award for large wings and Thomas E. Thompson won AMC's Nuclear Surety Individual of the Year.

"This is definitely an honor, no question about that," said 62d AW Commander of Safety Lt. Col. Brian Lewis. "I've had the honor of working with this office and these folks for a while now. Mr. Thompson is a legend and he deserves the recognition. Mr. Heath and his shop help the Air Force to be better every day."

Thompson, who has served as the Wing Nuclear Surety manager at McChord Field for close to 14 years, entered into the Air Force in 1986 and began his current career as a civilian in 2006. He has spent the nearly his entire time associated with the Air Force working with the nuclear enterprise and has been through 24 Nuclear Surety Inspections, both as a unit member or inspector.

"It is really humbling to be nominated and then to win," Thompson said.

Read more...

ERMAHGERD! There's going to be a Goosebumps movie, you guys!

Continuing the exhausting phase of mining every little bit of nostalgia for the increasingly apathetic eyes of '90s children, the once-beloved book series of cheesy lite horror for kids is coming roaring to the big screen.

The audience for such an adaptation has got to be vanishingly low, right? We're talking adults in their mid-20s to early 30s (because I doubt children are still reading them, and adults back then didn't read them) who fondly remember reading the Goosebumps series (I read them, but can't remember a single thing about them) and who care so deeply that they'll jump at the opportunity to see some interpretation of it in a movie theater.

While the project has been in works for some time, it was recently announced that Jack Black will star as R.L. Stine, the author of the series, which lends a level of unwelcome meta commentary, for me. Remember when the book The Time Machine also existed in the universe of the movie The Time Machine? Or when Bo and Luke Duke in the movie version of The Dukes of Hazzard can be seen watching the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard? No? Neither of those? Well, it was infuriating.

If there's one ray of positivity surrounding the Goosebumps movie, it's that idiosyncratic screenwriter Mike White (School of Rock, Chuck & Buck) had a hand in penning the script. After his run with the criminally overlooked HBO series, Enlightened, this will be White's first return to movies since his disappointing Year of the Dog in 2007. If anyone can inject an off-kilter earnestness into what is essentially a nostalgia-exploiting cash grab, it's Mike White.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26: C.L.A.W. OPEN SWIM

C.L.A.W. sounds like a sinister cartoon shadow organization, but that's only partly true. The Cartoonist's League of Absurd Washingtonians is a collective of artists - including Tacomic creator and all around provocateur RR Anderson - who meet up to share their work and create new works together. Their Open Swim event is an opportunity for non-members to come around and participate in the mad cartooning.

Artists will collect a word from a mystical fez, and will then be expected to incorporate that concept into their drawing, in addition to general commiserating. It's geeky fun for creative types who want to share their work with likeminded weirdos - sort of like the Internet, but with real live people for you to not make eye contact with. Fun! 7:30 p.m., King's Books, 218 Saint Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.8801

Until next time, super perfundo on the early eve of your day! 

TODAY IN MILITARY SPENDING >>>

Contract awards coming from the Pentagon dropped to $8.44 billion in January, the lowest point in nearly two years.

Within the next six months, up to $8 billion of frozen Iranian assets will be released.

With defense spending capped for 2015, it is unclear how Congress would substantially inflate the Pentagon budget to include most or all of the reportedly $26 billion in items slated for the unfunded lists.

The Washington National Guard has identified approximately $800 million in identified cyber threat risk.

The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base 16.4 megawatt solar array is the largest of its kind on any U.S. Department of Defense installation. It will provide approximately 35 percent of the base's electricity requirements, at an economically beneficial rate for 25 years, reducing base utility costs by an average of $500,000 annually.

Switching from a retail pharmacy to Home Delivery can save TRICARE beneficiaries up to $152 every year for each prescription.

And then there's this exchange of money ...

Bill Striegel, the Washington State Air Force Association vice president, just sent word the Puget Sound Military Support Coalition - AFA, AUSA and Navy League - has a bunch of PAC 12 Women's Basketball Tournament tickets for military personnel and their families, veterans and community partners. The tournament will be held March 6-9 in Seattle's KeyArena

"Last year about 1300 people were able to utilize this program and would like to increase that number this year," says Striegel. "If you have any friends and/or neighbors that are presently serving or have served please share this information with them."

The Seattle Storm played a huge part in making this free offer happen.

To get in on the action, click here.

GRAB A CUP AN DREAD THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.19.14 >>>

The al Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed a twin bomb attack in Beirut today, saying such attacks would continue until Hezbollah forces withdrew from the fighting in Syria and its own fighters were released from Lebanese jails.

There was a singular moment late last year during a briefing for senior U.S. Army leaders on the service's just-concluded yearly war game when one general laid out the future challenges facing the force.

Mangum, McConville, McMaster, and Perna: Reading yesterday afternoon's announcement of generals nominated for three-star rank, the uninitiated might be forgiven for thinking the Army is robotically following alphabetical order. Far from it.

The Turkish government has demanded $183 million worth of penalties from Boeing due to major delays in the delivery of spy planes to the NATO ally.

The head of the U.S. military's counter-IED organization sees the group's mission possibly expanding despite the physical size of the organization declining in the coming year.

New video footage shows U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan coming dangerously close to a 500-pound bomb - allegedly dropped by fellow service members who mistook their position for the enemy.

Nearly 50 percent now say the Afghan war was a mistake, Gallup found.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said if Republicans win control of the Senate this year, he would want to be chairman of the Armed Services Committee. 

Congressman Duncan Hunter is calling on the Pentagon, in consultation with the State Department, to appoint a civilian leader to coordinate U.S. efforts to free Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only prisoner of the Afghan War. 

The Wisconsin National Guard has suspended a soldier from a funeral honors detail over two photos that sparked outrage and shock after the pictures were posted to social media.

It's no accident the US Army has chosen Huntsville, Ala., to host this year's Association of the United States Army symposium and trade show.

Starting this week, officials will send letters to affected TRICARE For Life beneficiaries notifying them of the pilot program.

It could be dangerous if we start injecting sulfate particles into the atmosphere to curb global warming and then suddenly stop.

If you love hockey, pick up some extra drinks and snacks for today's men's quarterfinals. 

Dave Grohl and Jello Biafra are part of a new supergroup.

Watch the first 12 minutes of new SundanceTV series The Red Road.

First full-length Guardians of the Galaxy trailer is awesome.

Peruse this True Detective reading list.

Finally: A chef has created a menu that corresponds with the tracks on Radiohead's Kid-A.

Sports Illustrated had a wonderful idea: Demonstrate how zero gravity works on muscular and fat body masses with Kate Upton in a bikini.

Sometimes, daddy jumping out of the birthday gift box is better than that bike you wanted so badly.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19 2014 >>>

1. Flamenco dancer Savannah Fuentes presents El Sol de Medianoche, Flamenco en Vivo: a night of powerful Spanish flamenco music and dance featuring singer Curro Cueto of Seville and guitarist Jose Vega of Cadiz at 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. Let the mix of music and traditionally costumed dancing beauty transport you to Spain.

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As we trudge toward the end of the dismal cinematic months of winter, it's only fitting that I should find myself facing such a dilemma: do I write about the new Paul W.S. Anderson (Alien vs. Predator, Death Race, the Resident Evil franchise) movie, or the new McG (This Means War, Terminator Salvation, Charlie's Angels) movie? Two of the worst working Hollywood directors vying for my attention. Do I go with McG's reheated tale of Kevin Costner's trained assassin trying to settle down and become a family man, or with Anderson's hilarious take on a volcano's complete and utter widespread destruction?

Read more...

"People born specifically on the 20th of February are surmised to be polite, tactful team players who are highly receptive," reads an excerpt from gotohoroscope.com. "The ruling astrological planet for this particular day is the Moon - adding warmth and compassion to your list of attributes. If you have this birthday an adoration of beautiful things and music accompanies your easygoing friendly nature."

Read more...

Looks like Rep. Graham Hunt (R-Orting) made the list with his list, if the list is about freshman legislators who sponsor bills that creat certified lists of veteran-owned businesses.

Read more...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MONRING REPORT FOR 2.20.14 >>>

Military can close bases without Congress's OK.

The Department of Homeland Security is warning airlines to be on the lookout for terrorists potentially targeting U.S. flights with shoe bombs.

The United States might have killed a dozen civilians in a wedding procession during a drone strike in Yemen last December, a human rights group claimed. 

Two American security officers have been found dead on a ship made famous when it was hijacked by Somali pirates.

After deadly clashes between protesters and police in Ukraine, the Pentagon urged the Ukrainian Armed Forces to "stay on the sidelines." 

Veterans with a 100 percent disability rating will get their Social Security claims processed faster, thanks to a change announced by the agency.

U.S. Army Europe and Installation Management Command-Europe announced force structure changes Thursday that will reduce the service's local national workforce by 579 positions. The changes also will result in a net increase of 44 U.S. civilian positions, while 89 military positions will be shed.

The U.S. Army is planning to buy new transport ships to replace dozens of its decades-old fleet of watercraft.

The Army ground force that rolled over Iraqi forces in 1991 and 2003 was actually designed and built in the similarly cash-strapped 1970s and 1980s.

General Dynamics has lined up the U.S. arm of Canadian simulation giant CAE to provide training solutions for its offering for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation trainer.

Let's read about soldiers training for the coveted Army Air Assault badge.

Air Force leaders announced a change to the officer reduction in force board, or RIF, originally scheduled to convene June 16 at the Air Force Personnel Center. 

Maj. Gen. Terry Ferrell, 7th Infantry Division commanding general, spoke to more than 150 Soldiers during a division newcomer's brief at The French Theater on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Beekeepers in Mexico are fearful that GMO crops are killing the honeybee.

Are we moving towards a post clown society, or have the clowns morphed into trolls?

A map that shows which states have the longest and shortest sex.

Fox looks to have assembled the team for its Fantastic Four reboot.

Preview some numbers from the Heathers musical.

Good news: Killer Karaoke returns to TV tonight.