Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

Posts made in: 'Air Force' (199) Currently Viewing: 111 - 120 of 199

April 7, 2014 at 7:33am

Monday Morning Joe: Military bases are safer, Navy could go broke, iHelicopters, wifi fingernails ...

Green Bean Java at 72nd and South Hosmer in Tacoma is a bit hard to maneuver through.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.7.14 >>>

Snowden was awarded for sparking a transformative debate about surveillance programs.

Two F-16s were scrambled after the aircraft strayed into restricted airspace over D.C.

On average, military bases are safer than similarly sized American cities. The violence at Fort Hood may best be explained as a workplace shooting, not a uniquely military tragedy.

The military could speed up deployment of a land-based missile defense shield in Europe to hem in a resurgent Russia.

The vice commander of the Air Force's 12th Flying Training Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph has been relieved after investigators learned he exchanged emails with the wife of a subordinate officer.

Widespread opposition has yet to form around any single Pentagon proposal to cut a specific weapon system, indicating most could be implemented despite lawmakers' protestations on behalf of parochial interests.

The Navy 2020: Bigger, better, possibly broke.

U.S. Army, Marines struggle with infantry vehicle replacements.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivered a two-pronged warning to Asia Pacific nations Sunday, announcing that the U.S. will send two additional ballistic missile destroyers to Japan to counter the North Korean threat, and saying China must better respect its neighbors.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will tour a Chinese aircraft carrier today as the first foreign visitor aboard the ship,

Second Lt. Sage Santangelo wasn't able to retake the Infantry Officer Course, but other female volunteers might get that chance, thanks to a case she made to the commandant of the Marine Corps this year.

U.S. Marines recently landed K-MAX and MH-6 Little Bird helicopters autonomously using an i-Pad like mini-tablet.

Sixty years and changing: The U.S. Air Force Academy.

True science of parallel universes.

The best dark matter signal that scientists have ever recorded.

The largest known galaxy cluster in the distant universe.

Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney died. He was 93.

Why?: Japan's Takara Tomy Arts has created a collection of stick-on fake fingernails featuring embedded LEDs and tiny antennas that light up whenever the wireless NFC functionality of a nearby smartphone is being used.

Read an exclusive excerpt from Rob Lowe's new memoir.

Microsoft has six original TV series in production.

Get an extended look at the new Godzilla movie.

Finally: which Winona Ryder character are you

Then there's this...

April 4, 2014 at 7:17am

Friday Morning Joe: Fort Hood heroism, military wish list, Army in Europe, drone war, Muppet man ...

Paesan Kitchen and Bar serves espresso via the Slayer, a powerful, slick industrial-quality machine.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.4.14 >>>

Army mourning loss of soldiers at Fort Hood.

One of the three soldiers killed in the shooting rampage at Fort Hood died while trying to hold a door shut that would have led the gunman to a room packed with military personnel.

The U.S. military services have sent Congress wish lists that include $36 billion in priority items that were not included in the Pentagon's 2015 budget proposal. But actual passage of the lists seems unlikely.

Without the benefit of a full defense review covering force levels to support national needs, Hagel has left civilian support for the Pentagon largely untouched.

Budget cuts threaten military readiness, officials said.

Hagel said sending another permanent Army brigade to Europe could be a possibility.

The Senate Intelligence Committee voted to declassify parts of the panel's controversial 6,200-page report that is harshly critical of the CIA's Bush-era interrogation program.

Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh and Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James on defended plans to scrap the A-10 fleet and retire roughly 40 C-130s.

Army's part in the so-called Pacific Pivot remains in the concept phase.

A new kind of drone war: UCAV vs. UCLASS

Latest Army Virtual Battle Space release adds realism to scenarios, avatars.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord Arrowhead soldiers play a part in Operation Alaska Shield.

Nine ingenious urban hacks to make the city smarter.

The best part of Letterman's retirement announcement is that it was revealed by R.E.M.'s Mike Mills.

Bill Murray explains his bucket list on Letterman.

Surreal reversed footage of a man walking backward in Tokyo.

Watch the first seven minutes of FX's Fargo.

The Big Bang Theory will have a special Star Wars Day episode ...

What the Internet looks like as a subway map.

Finally!

April 3, 2014 at 6:49am

Thursday Morning Joe: Fort Hood shooting, Russians ready, invisible tanks, Superman vs. "Gravity" ...

Emerald Bay Espresso guards the Madrona Pointe Apartments off Center Street. No, really.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.3.14 >>>

A U.S. soldier with mental health issues shot dead three people and injured at least 16 on Wednesday before shooting himself at an army base in Fort Hood, Texas.

Fort Hood's commander said soldier was treated for behavior and mental health "issues."

Wednesday's mass shooting by an Army specialist in Fort Hood, Tex., put the Pentagon on a dreaded, if increasingly familiar, footing as officials grappled to understand how yet another insider threat went undeterred.

Shootings at U.S. military bases over the years.

NATO general: Russians capable of quick strike.

The Senate Intelligence Committee will take a major step forward today toward publicly releasing portions of its massive 6,300-page report on Bush-era interrogation tactics.

Arms control and materials-security initiatives can continue despite political tensions with Russia, Obama administration officials say.

The unfolding crisis in Ukraine has prompted a new and forceful wave of commentary lamenting U.S. passivity in the world

Boeing lobbies Congress to add EA-18 funding.

Soldiers will return to the field to test different camouflage patterns as the Army looks to meet requirements laid out by Congress to find a camouflage pattern that could be used across the military.

Researchers are one step closer to creating shields that could render parked tanks and aircraft virtually invisible.

The Raytheon Co. is challenging the Navy's decision to halt manufacturing of the Tomahawk cruise missile in 2016.

Betrayed military spouses often keep quiet for fear of losing benefits.

Why freezing yourself is a terrible way to achieve immortality.

The daily schedules of the world's greatest geniuses.

What if Superman entered the film Gravity?

In case you haven't seen the Spider-Baby ad ...

Courtney Love says she has reunited with the original members of Hole.

Watch the new trailer for Lucy with Scarlett Johansson.

What will you do at work today?

April 2, 2014 at 7:11am

Wednesday Morning Joe: Russian forces are ready, AMPV anger, MRAP tug-o-war, military contracts, 6-year-old Navy SEAL, Flea ...

A brief moment of sunshine at the Coffee Cove on Tacoma's Center Street.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.2.14 >>>

Russia has massed all the forces it needs on Ukraine's border if it were to decide to carry out an "incursion" into the country and it could achieve its objective in three to five days.

NATO foreign ministers moved to beef up the defenses of front-line alliance members feeling menaced by a more assertive Russia, with Secretary of State John Kerry proclaiming the U.S. commitment to their security is "unwavering."

Alliances realign as latest superpower pulls out of Afghanistan.

A suicide bomber wearing a military uniform killed six police officers today inside the heavily fortified Interior Ministry compound in the heart of Kabul.

NATO's foreign ministers ordered an end to civilian and military cooperation with Russia.

A group of closely held companies received the Defense Department's biggest contract last month, a potentially $10 billion award for special operations equipment and services.

General Dynamics Land Systems cannot and will not compete for the Army's largest surviving weapons program, the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, unless the service changes how it is handling the program.

A sneak peek at Marines' New Amphibious Combat Vehicle.

Remotely piloted aircraft have spawned a new breed of professional aviator that the Air Force says is here to stay.

Three Army women honored for extraordinary courage, character.

7th Civil Support Command begins Operation Saber Guardian 14.

Soldiers may soon be shelving their collection of desert boots and lacing up the Army's new, modernized jungle boots.

The U.S. military has more Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles in Afghanistan that it can bring home - and Afghanistan, India and Pakistan are locked in a three-way competition for them.

Child gets wish to be a Navy SEAL for a day.

Former senior World Bank lawyer Karen Hudes claims elongated-skull non-human creatures are hiding amongst us.

Spotify starts rolling out a new darker redesign.

Jack White has released a new song.

Is anyone watching Courtney Love's web series?

Finally: Flea's memoir.

Finally: A robot band covers the B-52's.

Singers on a plane...

April 1, 2014 at 9:32am

Battle Bean opens at McChord Field April 2

The new Battle Bean logo for its McChord Field location.

Wake up, McChord Field! There's a new coffee shop opening on base this week.

Wednesday, April 2, the former Café Lancelatte, located inside of Bldg. 100 on McChord Field, will re-open as the newest Battle Bean location.

"Café Lancelatte had used the Battle Bean coffee anyway, but we wanted to rebrand it, enhance the menu and really improve the customer experience," said Roger Disbrow, chief of Business Operations for Joint Base Lewis-McChord MWR.

The manager of the Habanero Mexican Grill on Whispering Firs Golf Course will oversee this latest JBLM MWR operation.

In the morning, patrons can indulge in make-your-own waffles, freshly baked bagels, muffins and a variety of pastries, including the customer-favorite scones, created by the pastry chef at the American Lake Conference Center, will be available throughout the day.

A wider assortment of sandwiches, from paninis to croissants to wraps, will be available and the popular burritos featured at the Habanero Mexican Grill will also be brought in. The revised menu will include salad options, like Greek and Caesar, for anyone wanting to grab a healthy option for lunch.

"Everything will be fresh and made onsite," he explained. "We offer quality at a reasonable price."

Best of all, the locally roasted Battle Bean coffee will continue to be sold and an array of coffee drinks will be made-to-order by baristas. According to MWR, every batch of Battle Bean coffee is handcrafted on Lewis North under the watchful eye of their Roast Master General, Sgt. First Class (Ret.) C. Black resulting in an even roast and a smooth taste. Battle Bean merchandise and bagged coffee will be sold in the McChord Field location.

The new Battle Bean at McChord Field will also include the unveiling of a fresh logo that features a C-17 and a sunrise, as opposed to the standard coffee bean soldier.

"I want to make sure that the airmen and the civilians working on the McChord Field side of base get as good a quality product as anywhere else on JBLM," said Disbrow.

Disbrow stated that an official grand opening would be planned and announced later in April.

The Battle Bean at McChord Field will be open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday and is in the Customer Service Mall on the first floor of Bldg. 100.

April 1, 2014 at 7:38am

Tuesday Morning Joe: Army involuntary separation, military cyborg office, best military bromance, robot space surgeons ...

The Tully's in Tacoma's Stadium District has daily trivia questions.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.1.14 >>>

The Navy lifted a lockdown at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor after ordering personnel to shelter in place for nearly two hours.

CIA officer confirmed no protests before misleading Benghazi account given.

Sequestration would degrade military readiness, senior military officials recently told a Senate panel.

The involuntary separation of soldiers from the force may be necessary as the Army draws down in strength over the next few years.

Japan today lifted a self-imposed ban on weapons exports, introducing new rules covering the arms trade in a move supporters say will boost Tokyo's global role, but which unnerved China.

The United States should work directly with Taiwan to actively promote peace and stability in Asia.

Putin's imaginary Nazis.

The Pentagon improved its buying power on 51 of its 80 programs in 2013, resulting in $23 billion of procurement savings.

A Senate investigation concludes waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods provided no key evidence in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

After months of criticism about how the military accounts for the remains of fallen U.S. service members from foreign battlefields, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Monday he will create a single Pentagon-level office to oversee the worldwide mission.

The Air Force is planning to join with European allies to create an ISR or tanker consortium.

Troops might be able to replace heavy night vision goggles strapped to their helmets with contact lenses.

The long-awaited Army Regulation 670-1, with new rules on tattoos, hairstyles, grooming and uniform wear, went into effect Monday.

Defense Secretary Hagel gave his support to moves by the services to consider banning tobacco sales on bases and ships.

Thousands of soldiers and others have signed a White House petition calling for the president to order the Army to reconsider just-released appearance and grooming regulations they contend are 'racially biased' against black women.

Chinese warlords Bai Chongxi and Li Zongren had the best bromance in military history.

Inside the military's new office for cyborgs.

Army testing combat boots, camouflage patterns.

Army Medicine is near completion in the implementation of its secure healthcare-messaging system, the Army Medicine Secure Messaging Service, to all 52 of its military treatment facilities worldwide.

Testing is about to begin on futuristic robot space surgeons.

Michael Stipe is inducting Nirvana into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Finally: George Lucas explains the birth of lightsabers.

The Flaming Lips has created a companion to Dark Side of the Moon.

Watch a deleted scene from last weekend's Saturday Night Live that really should've aired.

The Pink Panther is being rebooted yet again.

Game of Thrones 9-minute recap...

March 31, 2014 at 7:12am

Monday Morning Joe: Koreas exchange fire, secret warplanes, Killers in Kiev, Army artillery amps up, future climate report, whaling ...

The drive-thru entrance takes a bit of searching at the Starbucks on Tacoma's Center Street.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 3.31.14 >>>

Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are advancing far different proposals on how to calm tensions and de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine as Russia continues to mass troops along its border with the former Soviet republic.

America's secret weapon to stop Russia.

North and South Korea fired artillery shells into each other's waters today, a flare-up of animosity between the rivals that forced residents of five front-line South Korean islands to evacuate to shelters.

Taliban gunmen abducted a candidate running for a seat in a provincial council in northern Afghanistan and seven members of his entourage.

Japan and the United States plan to create a permanent consultative body to coordinate the operations of the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military in the face of China's highhanded actions over the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.

33,000 troops to go: Marine Brig. Gen. Daniel O'Donohue outlines Afghanistan drawdown.

Photographs expose Russian-trained killers in Kiev.

Secret warplane appears over Texas.

U.S. Army field artillery is preparing for future wars by returning to Cold War-era tactics supplemented by modern, mobile technology.

The Pentagon's five-year projections for procurement spending on its 63 major weapons programs, submitted to Congress this month, has turned more positive than last year's spending forecast.

The first week of April will be a critical one for what has been a relatively drama-free armored vehicle program for the U.S. Army.

Mustache March ends, but controversy lingers.

Your forecast for the next century: It'll be hotter, drier and hungrier, and the chance to turn down the thermostat is slipping away.

Yes, Louie's back!

Celebrate Jeopardy!'s 50th with these facts about the show.

List: Simpsons Easter eggs you might've missed.

Watch a new trailer for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

A simple flowchart to work out if you should take a selfie.

Here's that giant David Hasselhoff on wheels you asked for.

Forget twerking and planking.  Whaling's the new in thing.

March 29, 2014 at 7:25am

Friday Morning Joe: Russia goes primal, CommiExchanges, Guard could lose Apaches, Pentagon digs drones, Patatap fun...

Sipping Out is the embedded espresso stand at Flipping Out Burger in Tacoma.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 3.29.14 >>>

Obama asked the Russia leader to withdraw troops during a phone call initiated by Putin.

A primal instinct was behind Russia's annexation of Crimea, and its one shared by other powers.

Pentagon to adapt drones for tougher aerial battles.

The U.S. Army's top leaders defended their proposal to strip the Army National Guard of its AH-64 Apaches attack helicopters as part of a cost-saving move.

Jeremiah Denton Jr., who as an American prisoner of war in Vietnam made the world aware of the abuse POWs were suffering, died Friday at 89 in a Virginia Beach hospice.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has paid tribute to retiring Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander, who is stepping down as head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency.

Air Force looks to cost-effective technologies to sustain future operations.

Defense officials have ordered a review of options that include consolidating commissaries and exchanges, as well as having commissaries adopt an "Exchange-like business model."

A New York congressman is calling for a presidential review of the Medal of Honor cases of two Marines who in 2008 gave their lives to halt a suicide bomber with a truck full of explosives in Ramadi, Iraq.

A veteran of the war in Afghanistan died of a heroin and cocaine overdose last year while receiving treatment at a Miami Veterans Affairs residential treatment facility, according to a VA inspector general report released.

Government stalwart mobility provider BlackBerry got some additional leverage in the form of full operational capacity for its BlackBerry 10 to run on Defense Department networks.

Abby Martin's exclusive interview with former NASA Astronaut and ISS Commander, Leroy Chiao, about U.S.-Russian cooperation in space, life on other words and the reality of the film Gravity.

Watch a lost interview with philosopher Michel Foucault on madness and history.

Patatap lets you make tunes and pictures with your computer keyboard (instead of boring old words).

New York magazine's "100 Years of New York Music" issue celebrates everyone from Debbie Harry to Billie Holiday and includes a portfolio of new photos.

Chrissie Hynde's Dark Sunglasses, her new record, arrives June 10.

Silicon Valley, HBO's delightful new Mike Judge comedy, which stars T.J. MIller, Kumail Nanjiani and other funny dudes, premiere's April 6.

This may not make a lick of sense but it sure is pretty...

March 28, 2014 at 7:17am

Friday Morning Joe: Great Power Politics, Silver Stars, M109 upgrade, European Command bump, KISS stage banter...

Kimball Espresso Cafe in Gig Harbor has awesome pastries.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 3.28.2014 >>>

The Air Force has relieved nine officers, allowed a commander to retire and will discipline 91 others as a result of a cheating scandal among intercontinental ballistic missile launch officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.

The Army and NATO are watching "very carefully" the troop deployments and the exercises they're doing in Russia, said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno.

Eight soldiers from 3rd Special Forces Group were honored with the Silver Star, the nation's third highest award for valor, for their actions in Afghanistan.

The recent crisis between Russia and the West over Crimea, and the ongoing tensions between China and Japan, are ushering a return of Great Power Politics where U.S. power and influence is challenged.

The U.S. military's gradual, 20-year drawdown in Europe looks to be abruptly ending as the Russian invasion of Crimea casts a spotlight on U.S. European Command and fuels calls for reshaping the military mission there after decades of post-Cold War calm.

The U.S. Army is moving forward with plans to develop upgraded versions of the M109 self-propelled howitzer in one of the service's few bright acquisition spots.

Secretary of the Army John McHugh swore in Brad R. Carson as the 31st Under Secretary of the Army, and Chief Management Officer of the Army.

Seven Soldiers from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit will join members of the U.S. National Shooting Team to compete in the International Shooting Sports Federation, or ISSF, World Cup starting today.

Department of Defense announced plans of integrating technologically sophisticated, yet tactical, hearing protection devices for soldiers engaged in overseas combat operations and local training exercises.

Former US Defense Secretary James Schlesinger has died, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he served as a counselor and trustee. He was 85.

The true guide to gear you need to commute by bicycle.

A lot of plans are underway for Batman's 75th anniversary.

Time's latest cover story is on the last days of Mad Men.

Of course Bill Murray wore PBR pants at the Caddyshack Golf Tournament.

Finally: Paul Stanley's awesome stage banter compilation and Metalocalypse clips.

Finally II: Dunkin Donuts has introduced the Peeps donut.

Is he playing in the Death Star or what?

March 25, 2014 at 7:10am

Tuesday Morning Joe: Navy murder, NSA bulk block, F-35 good-bad, Star Trek beer ...

T.W.O. Coffee & Decor in Fircrest is quite lovely.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 3.25.2014 >>>

Aboard a guided-missile destroyer docked at the world's largest naval base, a sailor was fatally shot and security forces killed the lone suspect late Monday.

Pres. Obama to call for end to N.S.A.'s bulk data collection.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Republicans may have helped Russia annex Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, delivering a surprisingly sharp attack just before lawmakers advanced a bill authorizing sweeping U.S. sanctions on Russia and $1 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine

Two lawmakers have introduced a bill that would eliminate the $100,000 cap on payments to wounded warriors for multiple, severe injuries under the Traumatic Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program.

North Korea warned it would take new nuclear "measures" if the United States did not end its alleged provocations toward Pyongyang.

Government Accountability Office predicts F-35 software troubles may drive annual costs up to $15 billion.

The Republic of Korea has officially selected the F-35 as its next-generation fighter.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert says he doesn't see a great need for the Navy to go through another round of base closures.

Abolishing nuclear weapons would make the world more violent and, paradoxically, more prone to nuclear warfare.

The Navy is on the verge of eliminating tobacco sales on all its bases and ships.

The Navy has published a thorough breakdown of what it needs for future surface operations in the Arctic, from new doctrine to platform assessments and an updated cold-weather handbook for sailors.

Lt. Gen. Robert Ferrell, U.S. Army chief information officer/G-6, outlined priorities for network modernization as the Army plans for Force 2025.

Changes at AAFES aimed at improved shopping experience.

White Sands Missile Range hosted about 6,200 participants during this year's 25th annual Bataan Memorial Death March.

Five questions on special ops and scotch with Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Lumpkin.

Hello nightmares: Crabster crab robot scuttles out of Korean lab.

Listen: Hear a new Chrissie Hynde song; hear a new Afghan Whigs song; the Pixies plan to release a new album.

Finally: Star Trek beer is here.

Here come the Sentinels!

About this blog

News and entertainment from Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s most awesome weekly newspapers - The Ranger, Northwest Airlifter and Weekly Volcano.

Recent Comments

Walkie Talkies said:

Thanks for posting! But I want say that Walkie Talkies are really required while organizing fun...

about COMMENT OF THE DAY: "low brow’s" identity revealed?

Humayun Kabir said:

Really nice album. I have already purchased Vedder's Album. Listening to the song of this album,...

about Eddie Vedder’s "Ukulele Songs" available today - and I don’t hold a candle to that shit

AndrewPehrson said:

Your post contains very beneficial content. Kindly keep sharing such post.

about Vote for Tacoman Larry Huffines on HGTV!

Shimul Kabir said:

Vedder's album is really nice. I have heard attentively

about Eddie Vedder’s "Ukulele Songs" available today - and I don’t hold a candle to that shit

marble exporters in India said:

amazing information for getting the new ideas thanks for sharing a post

about 5 Things To Do Today: Art Chantry, DIY home improvement, "A Shot In The Dark" ...

Archives

2024
January, February, March, April
2023
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2022
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2021
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2020
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2019
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2018
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2017
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2016
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2015
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2014
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2013
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2007
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2006
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December