Lakewood City Councilmember, Pierce College teacher and longtime Ranger reporter John Simpson has been training long hours to ready himself for Wednesday night's 25-mile Manchu Mile foot march. He will join roughly 300 soldiers and 50 civilians for one of the 4-2 Stryker Brigade Combat team's final events before the unit's March 14 inactivation.

The 4-2 SBCT Public Affairs office just released the details of the march, as well as another huge event before the inactivation - the Spur Ride.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Soldiers of 4-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division are slated to participate in two crucible events before the unit's March 14 inactivation.

Soldiers will complete the Manchu Mile, a 25-mile foot march, March 5-6 and a Spur Ride March 4-6.

The history of the Manchu Mile dates back to 1900. Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Regiment marched 85 miles during their assault on Tientsin as part of the Boxer Rebellion and the China Relief Expedition where the regiment earned the nickname "Manchus". During the Battle of Tientsin, the regimental commander, Col. Emerson H. Liscum, was killed by Chinese fire and uttered his dying words which became the regiment's motto: "Keep up the Fire!" Those who complete the foot march will receive a Manchu belt buckle, the only authorized belt buckle in the U.S. Army.

The cavalry squadron will execute a Spur Ride, March 5-6 to validate individual task proficiency of assigned Troopers and to celebrate the history and lineage of the unit.

Soldiers will be tested on the APFT and 18 individual tasks, qualify on the M4 rifle EST and complete a 12-mile tactical road march.

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4-2 Stryker Brigade headed for big changes at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Staff Sgt. Dayan Neely with the 20th Public Affairs Detachment files this report:

The U.S. Army owes a lot of its success in combat to the ability to operate in dark hours. Under black skies blanketed by clouds, soldiers from 4th Support Company, 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade conducted nighttime driver's training Feb. 27.

Soon, the soldiers will join 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. The night driving was part of weeklong training designed to fine tune the platoon's capabilities.

"All of the training that we're doing out here is going to accomplish our overall (desired) training and what matters at NTC," said 2nd Lt. Shaun Cunningham, the 4th Company's distribution platoon leader.

Utilizing night vision optics, the drivers maneuvered the rocky, rolling hills of JBLM's training areas, moving the convoy through water holes and up steep grades. The purpose of the exercise was to build confidence in much less than optimal conditions.
"My intent was to get everyone out here doing something or learning something new," said Cunningham. "We also are doing a lot of cross-training."

Cunningham pointed out that his platoon is short-staffed and that his soldiers stepped up to handle extra work as a result.
"The training itself was a little tasking because of our manpower issues," stated Sgt. 1st Class Fernando Perez, the distribution platoon sergeant. "But, [the training] has still kept the squad tactics in place, and that's what we're out here for."

At the end of the road course, a simulated enemy surprised the convoy with an ambush. The drivers and passengers were met with gunfire from every direction while passing through a training village.

"I just wanted everyone to get comfortable with night driving," said Cunningham. "And getting them used to direct fire, ambushes, reacting to contact, seeing what IEDs look like, and just the overall experience of what [combat] is like."

"I thought it was great!" said Pfc. Edward Gomez, a truck driver in the distribution platoon. "I'm new. I've only been here for four months, and I'm learning a lot."

For the next five weeks, the Air Force Assistance Fund will give the men and women serving on McChord Field a chance to contribute to the greater good of their branch.

"The most important thing to know is that the AFAF contributes to four foundations and organizations and they all do things for the entire Air Force family as a whole," stated Senior Master Sgt. Erik Johnson, a program leader for 2014.

The AFAF exists to provide assistance to members of the Air Force, regardless of rank and whether they are still serving or retired. Active duty airmen, Air Guard partners, reservists are eligible to make contributions, though anyone can contribute by making direct contact with an Air Force representative or one of the four foundations/organizations.

Each individual who donates must select which organization they donate to; AFAF representatives do not endorse one over another.

The first option is the Air Force Village (AFV), a retirement community dedicated to caring for retired Air Force officers' widowed spouses who need financial assistance. The AFV, founded 50 years ago, provides a secure, comfortable environment where widow(er)s are surrounded by friends in a home they cannot provide for themselves.

Similarly, the Air Force Enlisted Village (AFEV) was established in 1975 to ensure that surviving spouses of retired enlisted airmen are not living in less than desirable conditions or homeless. AFEV also serves the mothers of active duty and retired airmen and provides temporary housing to surviving spouses of enlisted members who die while on active duty.

Next, there is the LeMay Foundation, founded by General and Mrs. Curtis LeMay, which awards grants to the surviving spouses of both enlisted and officer retirees. In 2012, LeMay Foundation gave over $464,838 in assistance that benefitted widows with monthly grants to augment incomes that fall below the poverty line and it also provided one-time grants to assist with needs like hearing aids, dental care, and minor home repairs.

Finally, the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) has provided worldwide emergency assistance to airmen and their families since 1942 and sponsored educational and proactive community programs to help improve their quality of life. Whether the emergency is a death in the family, a car repair, or basic living expenses, AFAS can step in. There are also $6 million in needs-based education grants available to eligible spouses and dependent children.

In 2013, AFAS direct assistance totaled over $17.4 million across the Air Force, which equaled approximately 75,000 assists to airmen and families in need.

According to Johnson, 2013 donations earmarked for the AFAS from McChord Field were tallied at a little over $5,000; in turn, McChord Field airmen and families received close to $160,000 in assistance that ranged from community programs to dental care.

"Our goal this year is to reach and contact 100 percent of the eligible contributors," said Johnson, who is part of a team of more than 30 airmen working on the fund. "We are all working together to make this a successful year."

The Air Force Assistance Fund campaign will run from now until April 11. To donate or get further information, contact Johnson at erik.johnson.2@us.af.mil or Master Sgt. Leda Weslow at leda.weslow@us.af.mil. Each unit also has unit project officers who can help.

Did you attend the command sergeant major change of command ceremony at Madigan medical Center Wednesday?

Staff Sgt. Christopher Klutts with the 20th Public Affair Detachment did.

When Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew T. Brady joined the active Army as a combat medic in 1987, he had no idea he would eventually become the senior enlisted service member at a hospital responsible for delivering care to more than 120,000 people.

A change of responsibility ceremony at Soldiers Field House Feb. 27 marked the end of Brady's tour at Madigan Army Medical Center and a beginning for his replacement, Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew J. Rhoades.

"Those of us who've chosen this military lifestyle, either by duty or association, accept transition as an integral part of it. And even sometimes when we don't always like it, every couple of years, leaders are going to change," said Col. Ramona Fiorey, the Madigan commander.

Read Klutts full report here.

It's probably about this time every winter that you grow weary of your usual early-morning on-the-way-to-work grab-and-go breakfast of a cold in the middle egg white wrap paired with a Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino. You begin looking for something novel to stave off the watery chill creeping into your bones trudge toward work.

This scenario isn't the case, most likely, if your final destination is Joint Base Lewis-McChord. You have tunnel vision for the Cannon and Castle Dining Facility (DFAC) on Fort Lewis North.

According to Capt. Tania Donovan with 17th Fires Brigade, the "concept of feeding soldiers on the go has come to fruition at the 17th Field Artillery Brigade and 555th Engineer Brigade, Cannon and Castle Dining Facility (DFAC) on Fort Lewis North."

Apparently, the bigwigs at Food Management Assistance Team (FMAT) conducted the inspection that examined all food service programs on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The Cannon and Castle DFAC received a big thumbs up, especially its "grab and go" operation.

"The ‘grab and go' operation has proven to be a success, feeding on average an additional 270 soldiers a day," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Phillip Saunders, accountable officer for the Cannon and Castle DFAC.

Soldiers can enter the facility from the side entrance and walk directly into a University-style cafeteria kiosk. There, they have a variety of options to choose from.

The wait time? Only five to seven minutes per soldier.

Read Donovan's full story on DFAC here.

There's no doubt that Tillicum Elementary School third grader Zinessa Patton loves science. The youngster has been an avid science fair participant for the last four years at her school; for the last two of those years, she's been a science fair award winner and has received a number of accolades for her work.

In 2013, her school science fair project "Brain Freeze" was awarded first place at school. She then went on to participate in the Clover Park School District's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Fair (STEM), where the young scientist received public recognition from Lakewood's mayor for her efforts.

For the 2014 fair, Zinessa created the presentation, "The Human Heart." She took first place again. Her project will be featured in the upcoming STEM Fair Saturday at Lakes High School.

It gets better.

Members of the 514th Ambulance Ground Paramedics from Joint Base Lewis-McChord served as judges for this year's Tillicum Elementary School science fair. Impressed with Zinessa's "Human Heart" project, the team invited her to give her presentation to other team members at JBLM. The student scientist was thrilled by the invitation and graciously accepted. Along with her family, Zinessa visited the base on Feb. 21. According to Zinessa's mother, Zina Cockrell, Zinessa absolutely cherished the experience. The family thanks all of those involved at the 514th Ambulance Ground for making this event happen.

It doesn't stop there. Zinessa is not only a budding scientist and a straight-A student, she's a philanthropist, too. She raised $250 for the American Heart Association.

Zina Cockrell says Zinessa's love of science and school is in the genes.

"My mother taught science for 37 years in Gig Harbor," says Cockrell. "I was exposed to science at an early age. The same thing happened for Zinessa. She started loving science at a young age."

Where the dirt road narrowed is where the gunfire on the left began.

Quickly recovering from the surprise attack on their three-vehicle convoy, soldiers spilled out of the trucks and returned fire.

The woods echoed with the sounds of M4s and an M240B.

As the firefight escalated, two soldiers sustained wounds. While one soldier began to apply first aid, the convoy commander - with a telephone in one ear and a radio in the other - coordinated his soldiers while calling for a quick reaction force for aid.

Within seconds the attack ended.

The woods were silent.

A moment later, Sgt. 1st Class Fernando Perez called together the soldiers assigned to the Distribution Platoon, Forward Support Company, 14th Engineer Battalion for an immediate assessment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord yesterday.

He reminded the dozen soldiers in front of him to remember to use the Field Standard Operating Procedures they had learned.

>>> Sgt. Ricky Schneider, Distribution Platoon, Forward Support Company, 14th Engineers, takes cover during an ambush while calling for support. Photo credit: J.M. Simspon

"Your convoy commander gave a very good brief," Perez said. "What made it particularly good was the fact that he made you guys repeat it back to him."

After touching on a few minor discrepancies, Perez told his soldiers to mount up and head for the next objective.

"You're doing good; keep it up," he said.

As the Army downsizes its force and trains to fight in a more conventional manner, its training has to keep pace while remaining combat ready.

A forward support company is a mobile and multi-functional unit that includes a field feeding section, distribution platoon and a maintenance platoon organized to provide support to a combat or combat support battalion.

"We have to be able to get up and move, sometimes without the use of convoy escorts during day and night movements," Perez explained.

"This training sharpens that ability."

>>> Soldiers assigned to the 14th Engineer's Distribution Platoon run for cover during an ambush on their convoy. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

The 14th Engineer Battalion will travel to the National Training Center later this year in order to sharpen its convoy skills.

"We may not always have the electronic warfare capability; we are relying on our eyes and ears as we shift back to a more conventional way of fighting," Perez said.

"We have to be able to deal with ambushes, IED attacks and indirect fire, and this is valuable training for us to get."

Quite often the journalists stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord lead off their reports and feature stories with soldiers doing or saying something awesome. It's a natural lead paragraph. Soldiers and airmen perform spectacular feats. With such a lead, the story grabs a hold of us and never lets go.

One of our favorites at JBLM, Staff Sgt. Christopher McCullough, wrote a report on Arrowhead MPs training with pepper spray. This report doesn't lead off with quotes or colorful descriptions. It just makes a statement. And McCullough nailed it.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Pepper spray shows up on television and in the news quite often. There is a good reason for that. It hurts. It really hurts.

In order to certify their ability to carry pepper spray, military police officers with 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division held training Feb. 21 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Pepper spray, also known as oleoresin capsicum, OC spray, OC gas, and capsicum spray is a chemical compound used for riot control, crowd control, and personal self-defense. It irritates the eyes, causes tears, pain and even temporary blindness.

This mandatory training teaches the MPs what it feels like to be hit with OC spray and also forces them to work through several obstacles while under its effect.

Read McCullough's full report here.

The Spartans of ancient Greece would be proud of the "Spartans" of the 595th Military Police Company, 508th Military Police Battalion (Internment/Resettlement) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Tuesday afternoon, the unit - under the command of Capt. Adam Fulton - received for the first time the coveted Brig. Gen. Thomas F. Barr Award for fiscal year 2013.

The award is presented to the best military police unit (company or smaller) that is attached to or supportive of the Army Corrections Command.

"Today we honor the hard work this unit has done," said the company's 1st Sgt. Kathryn Fair.

Read more...

Last week we announced a new club store format was to open at McChord Field. As reporter Melissa Renahan wrote, "The new format will feature a huge, new section of the store entirely dedicated to club packs and other oversized packaged products commonly found in commercial warehouse club stores, such as Costco or Sam's Club. DeCA called the new store format a "Commissary Club."  

The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Public Affair Office forwarded a statement today confirming the official opening date of the Commissary Club at the McChord Field Commissary will be Friday, March 7.

Read our full story on the new Commissary Club here.