Exercise Cobra Gold 2014 - the largest multinational and multiservice exercise in Southeast Asia, which takes places annually throughout the Kingdom of Thailand - concluded Friday. This year's iteration included forces from the U.S., Kingdom of Thailand, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, and several other observer countries.

According to Rech Sgt. Sean Tobin from the 62nd Airlift Wing, aircrews from Joint Base Lewis-McChord participated in the exercise.

The 18-hour flight across the Pacific not only provided an opportunity for C-17 crews to gain experience conducting combined airdrop operations, but also gave them experience executing large-formation air refueling operations.

Read Tobin's full report here.

You may think you like beer, but have you spent hours on end discussing the qualities of hops while sampling more than 160 home and commercial microbrews? That's exactly what went down last night when the 2014 JBLM Brewfest consumed the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Club.

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It wasn't the big show - the TV telecast of the Winter Olympics hockey match between Canada and the United States. But this version - the Royal Canadian Air Force hockey team versus the NORAD Western Air Defense Sector - had the same opponents. And this Canadian-U.S. hockey match was just as important to the guys skating on the ice.

"It's all about bragging rights," said John Austin, a master sergeant with NORAD. "It's a pretty big deal."

Friday, about the same time the Olympic version was occurring, the local rendition had a similar result. Canada won. In the 20th edition of this annual Joint Base Lewis-McChord hockey shootout, Canada -  home of hockey and winter sports - has dominated the series.

The overlap of the Olympic and JBLM hockey matches was significant to the players.

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Congratulations to the following airmen who graduated Julius A. Kolb Airman Leadership School last week at McChord Field.

Staff Sgt. Ryan Abel, 627th Civil Engineer Squadron

Staff Sgt. Ramsey Tesch, 62nd Aerial Port Squadron

Senior Airman Manuel Bowden, 62nd Operations Support Squadron

Senior Airman Cleat Cooley, 62nd Aerial Port Squadron

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It's 3:21 a.m. and you're awake.

You've already, unwillingly so, opened your eyes at 12:48 a.m. and 2:34 a.m. As it is, you had a hard time falling asleep because you couldn't get your mind to stop racing, moving through to-do lists things to remember for the next day. When you finally do fall asleep, it's often a fitful one, laden with frenzied dreams of drill sergeants, night sweats and, ultimately, long periods of waking up and lying in bed with nothing to do, but think ... and wait to, hopefully, fall asleep again.

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Those who keep a flow chart on their refrigerators know this year has seen many a change in the command structure at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. If you have been keeping your ceremony invitations, you could construct an exhibit that would rival any holiday card display.

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UPDATE: Operation Ward 57 received its free van from the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program at noon, Friday, Feb. 21 at Toyota of Tacoma. We captured the ceremony on video, which you can see below. ...

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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.

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.

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UPDATE: The Washington state Senate honored U.S. Army Capt. William Swenson today.

"Captain Swenson was awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of gallantry - at the risk of his life - above and beyond the call of duty. The danger Captain Swenson faced that day was not some general risk of injury...it was the immediate threat of imminent death," O'Ban said, according to a news release. "No one ordered him to repeatedly place himself at the threshold of death to save his brethren. No one would have judged him disloyal for not going in a second, third or fourth time into mortal peril."

A photo from the ceremony is posted below, as well as information on the ceremony, which we posted yesterday.

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