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Kicking off observances for the Army 239th birthday, Army leaders paid tribute to the service's first commander-in-chief, and presented Purple Hearts to two Soldiers.

Pro-Russian separatists shot down an army transport plane in east Ukraine, killing 49 servicemen and dealing a blow to a military campaign to defeat the rebels and hold the country together. 

A Sunni Islamist offensive threatening to dismember Iraq seemed to slow today after days of lightning advances as government forces reported regaining territory in counter-attacks, easing pressure on Baghdad's Shi'ite-led government.

Iraqis answering top Shiite cleric's rare call to arms.

President Obama said Friday he is considering military action in Iraq, but will not deploy U.S. troops there.

On Iraq, President Obama has chosen the tough-love option. Here is a list of other options he can use.

Pros and cons of drone strikes in Iraq.

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl "looked good" after arriving back in the United States and is working daily with health professionals after being held by the Taliban for five years in Afghanistan.

Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson promised VA employees that whistleblowers will not face harassment or punishment for reporting misbehavior in the department.

Sen. Tom Coburn will release an oversight report next week exposing shortcomings at the VA.

Navy test pilots are conducting shore landings of the carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter to get ready for an at-sea landing later this year.

The request for proposal on the US Air Force's long range strike-bomber program will be issued soon.

The entrance to hell is in the center of Asia and it's terrifying.

How to stop Facebook from using your browsing history.

Bill Murray's hilarious costumes in Late Show with David Letterman.

Steve Buscemi's Park Bench Web series features Fred Armisen, Dick Cavett, Debbie Harry and others this week.

Chef Mario Batali delivers another delicious Web series (this time, for Hulu) featuring George Stephanopoulos, and look for Jimmy Fallon and Anthony Bourdain on upcoming installments.

Jeff Krulik's doc Led Zeppelin Played Here, which tries to find out if the rock legends really played a school gymnasium in 1969.

Here's Ice Cube saying "nice things" in an extremely angry way. ...

LINK: Original photo by Chief Petty officer David Votroubek

In May the Clover Park School District Board of Directors approved school attendance boundary adjustments for elementary schools located on Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). The adjustments take effect for the 2014-15 school year, which will begin on Aug. 27, and are the result of the opening of two new schools, Rainier Elementary School on JBLM Main and Meriwether Elementary on JBLM North. A third new elementary school is anticipated to open on base in fall 2015.

Although a public hearing for families to learn about the proposed boundary adjustments was held on April 21, the school district is continuing to reach out to parents to ensure that everyone affected is aware of the changes. Highlights of the proposed boundary adjustments and decisions regarding acceptance of attendance waivers include:  

• Kindergarten waivers will not be accepted for Hillside and Rainier Elementary Schools. This includes those families who may have siblings currently attending Clarkmoor, Greenwood and Hillside Elementary Schools this school year.

• No waivers (K-5) will be accepted for Meriwether Elementary School.

• All waiver students currently enrolled in an elementary school will be allowed to continue for the 2014-15 school year. A new waiver request form must be completed for final approval. A waiver request does not guarantee enrollment of siblings not currently enrolled.

• Current Clarkmoor Elementary students, who reside in the Parkway housing area, will attend Hillside Elementary starting with the 2014-15 school year.

• Boundaries were developed to define the residential areas on JBLM-North to a specific school of attendance (Meriwether or Beachwood). As such, students residing in the newly defined Beachwood attendance area will attend Greenwood Elementary School as a transitional school for the 2014-15 school year only.

If a student has special needs, the school assignment will be dependent upon where the special program is offered. For more information, please contact the special education department at 253.583.5170.

>>> The new attendance boundary map for Rainier Elementary on JBLM. Photo courtesy of Clover Park School Disrict

Kindergarten registration for the upcoming school year is open now. To enroll, kindergartners must be five years old by midnight on Aug. 31, 2014. For more information, go to cloverpark.k12.wa.us/Admin/Kindergarten.aspx. School offices will be closed in July so general student enrollment will resume the week of Aug. 4.

All of the relevant, revised school boundary maps can be found here.

By mid-July, parents may also visit the CPSD website and use the school/bus stop locator.

Additionally, each school has a complete list of addresses for its attendance boundaries. If you have questions contact your neighborhood school or the assistant superintendent of elementary schools, Othene Wade, at 253.583.5160.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 6.13.14 >>>

NORAD scrambled two F-22 Raptor and two F-15 Eagle fighters against a fleet of Russian bombers.

Al-Qaida-inspired militants who seized large swaths of Iraq's Sunni heartland this week have pushed into an ethnically mixed province northeast of Baghdad, capturing two towns there.

The Iraq government reportedly requested U.S. air strikes to target some regions housing extremists last month, but the Obama administration has so far declined.

Welcome to the New Iraq War: A few good options for the US.

The Big Burn: The Sunni-Shiite conflict explodes in Iraq.

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl touched down in the United States this morning in San Antonio, Texas, five years after being captured by Taliban forces. 

From Afghan sell-off to Pacific build-up: The strategy of logistics.

A new bill has been introduced in Congress that aims to offer relief to veterans that have had to pay for emergency health services.

Should the GOP win control of the US Senate, a window will open for lawmakers and the Obama White House to take one more shot at a sequester-killing fiscal deal.

The real five best fighter aircraft of all time.

The 600,000 asteroids we've discovered so far in one scary view.

Scientists have discovered evidence that all Earth may be hiding huge amounts of water - three times the volume of all our oceans combined.

In very bad news, a superbug resistant to last-resort antibiotics was found in imported squid.

Amazon has launched a streaming music service.

Harrison Ford was injured on the set of Star Wars.

Watch the trailer for the new Seth Rogen/James Franco movie, The Interview.

Really? A Cameron Crowe TV series?

Genius!

LINK: Original photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Billy Ho

Col. Daniel Walrath captured the moment nicely when he said, "A deployment is still a deployment."

About one hundred soldiers assigned to the 4th Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th US Cavalry returned home to Joint Base Lewis-McChord yesterday afternoon from a nine-month deployment to South Korea.

The unit, generally referred to as the 4-6 Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, deployed to Camp Humphreys, South Korea with 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters.

The aviation unit operated in support of US 8th Army, 2nd Infantry Division and the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade as the Army assumes more missions in the Asia-Pacific region in support of the service's strategic rebalance to that area of the world. 

The squadron will leave its aircraft behind after the deployment for use by the follow-on rotational unit.

It is the first of two groups to return; the rest will return early next week.

>>> Wyatt Van Hook straightens out a couple of chairs while awaiting the return of his father, Spc. Peter Van Hook. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

>>> Dylan Davis signals what his father, Capt. Kyle Davis, 4th Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th US Cavalry, will be doing when he gets home from his rotation to Korea. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

But for the family members sitting in the stands at Soldiers Field House, the deployment was over.

"I am very excited he is coming home," said Alissa Van Hook as she waited for her husband, Spc. Peter Van Hook. 

"This was my first deployment, and fortunately the time he was gone went by faster than I thought it would, and that was good."

>>> CWO2 Joel Garzelloni is happy to be reunited with his wife Karrie, and his children Enzo and Eva. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

During the squadron's deployment, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced in February a proposal to phase out the Army's entire Kiowa fleet as a part of the 2015 defense budget and its emphasis on drawing down the force.

JBLM's Kiowa squadron is among the first in line to close down. 

The Kiowa, the smallest combat helicopter in the Army, is used for scouting, observation duty and light-attack missions.

Closing the 4-6 affects the 400 local aviators and support soldiers.  After the soldiers take post-deployment leave, they will either move on to new units or separate from the military.

But for a while on a beautiful, sunny day yesterday afternoon, the emphasis was on family and reunions.

"They've been gone for about nine months, and I think it's great these soldiers have family members waiting for them," pointed out Gary Steffensen, as he waited for his son, Staff Sgt. Samuel Steffensen.

"And we are proud of every one of these soldiers."

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.12.14 >>>

U.S. drones fired missiles at Taliban hideouts in Pakistan killing at least 10 militants in response to a deadly attack on Karachi airport in the first such raids by unmanned CIA aircraft in six months.

On brink of disintegration: Another city falls in Iraq.

The al-Qaida-inspired group that led the charge in capturing two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week vowed to march on to Baghdad.

The return of al-Qaeda.

The Senate passed a bill Wednesday night that would allow appropriators to begin work on the 2015 Intelligence Appropriations bill.

The Veterans Affairs Department is, by many accounts, broken, and Congress has a lot of ideas to fix it.

The Senate overwhelmingly passed emergency legislation on Veterans Affairs Department health visits and administrator accountability, paving the way for the reforms to become law in a matter of days.

The House adopted an amendment to allow veterans to apply for food stamps while their disability claims are pending with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

After two overwhelming votes in two days, members of Congress say they are confident they can agree on a bill to improve veterans' health care and send it to the president's desk by the end of the month.

US House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor's stunning primary defeat is a huge blow to the US defense sector, and could allow an up-and-coming GOP deficit hawk to replace Cantor, or even become House speaker.

Hagel testified before lawmakers, answering anger-laced questions about the negotiated release of Bowe Bergdahl.

The House Appropriations Committee approved funding for 38 of the fifth-generation fighters - four more than the Defense Department requested.

How the Army should pivot to Asia.

The Air Force just copped to its secret stealth drone.

Program offers partially paid break from Army.

Army develops first-of-its-kind phase-coherent fiber laser array system.

Networking brings international training to JBLM.

A 3,000 gallons per minute reverse osmosis water purification unit and two 3,000 gallon water bags were used in support of the Quartermaster Liquid Logistic Exercise at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

NASA's real life Enterprise may take us to other star systems one day.

How a 3,000-car race would look if the Earth was the Moon.

The world's biggest TV can be yours for $1.7 million.

A new documentary tells the story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Finally: Puff Daddy/Diddy/Sean Combs released a music video inspired by Game of Thrones.

Be careful when you fry a drone over a beach in Connecticut. ...

LINK: Original photo courtesy of the New York National Guard

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Straight Talk: Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza discusses Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the community and the future.

Senate Dems breaking with White House over plan to leave U.S. troops through 2016.

Sunni insurgents from an al Qaeda splinter group closed in on Iraq's biggest oil refinery after seizing the northern city of Mosul in a devastating show of strength against the Shi'ite-led government. 

Iraq's terrorists are becoming a full-blown army.

US urges Iraqi unity to defeat violent insurgency.

Bowe Bergdahl Release: Expect pointed questions as Hagel takes the hot seat.

The president has come under criticism over the swap for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

Special Forces deaths fuel A-10 debate.

US House appropriators killed an amendment that would have kept alive the Air Force's A-10 fleet, becoming the first defense panel to endorse the service's cost-cutting plan.

Bonus pay is part of Air Force nuke reforms.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed another chapter in Afghanistan as the Transatlantic Afghanistan District's South Area Office was inactivated.

This Republican House majority leader Eric Cantor's loss ranks as the biggest Congressional upset in modern memory.

A House of Representatives panel voted for a 1.8 percent troop pay raise in fiscal 2015, though the boost is far from guaranteed.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said a bipartisan deal to overhaul the Veterans Affairs Department will soon hit the Senate floor.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk slams US Air Force certification process.

What the Army's new COIN manual is missing.

The Canadian government has vowed to significantly boost military capability in the Arctic, but after years of such promises, a major roadblock still stands in the way - money.

White supremacists are recruiting at Fort Carson, Colo.

Extremely rare photo of two armed F-16s escorting a Boeing Dreamliner.

NASA releases spectacular X-ray image of an entire spiral galaxy.

Motorcycle jumps over plane that's flying sideways close to ground.

Watch the trailer for Dumb and Dumber To.

Of Course: Morrissey canceled the rest of his tour.

So now Will Ferrell and Chad Smith have challenged Lars Ulrich to a drum-off ...

Lovely: This is a marriage proposal fit for a journalist.

Finally: Get ready for Sloth Week.

This just hurts to watch. ...

LINK: Original photo by Spc. Edward Siguenza

Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza understands perfectly well the function of a town hall meeting.

"This brings us together," the commander of I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord said this morning.

"Members from the business community, academia and local government are here," he said to the nearly 100 listeners.

Eagles Pride Golf Course at DuPont hosted the two-hour event. 

In a candid, clear and relaxed manner, Lanza talked about the trust the Army and JBLM have built with the local area and the sustainment of the force as the country faces uncertain economic times.

"We will sustain the trust we have built with this community," Lanza said.  "Forums like this build on that trust."

Read more...

On Flag Day the Olympia VFW Post 318 will host a fundraising dinner and also offer a patriotic service to the surrounding community.

The dinner will start at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 14 and conclude around 7 p.m. The menu that afternoon will feature steamer clams and spaghetti, not to mention oyster stew and oysters on the half shell for just $13 per person. There will be bottled non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase and a full cash bar will also be open.

All of the proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward building repairs at the post and then any additional funds will be part of the veteran service organization's monthly donations to the USO.

In honor of Flag Day, Post 318 will also be taking in any damaged flags, which are considered no longer fit to serve as a symbol of the country, so that they can be properly disposed by burning in a dignified ceremony.

Read more...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 6.10.2014 >>>

Five American Special Operations service members were killed in southern Afghanistan.

More violence erupts near Pakistan's busiest airport, Taliban vows full-out war.

Islamic militants overran parts of Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, today, driving security forces from their posts and seizing the provincial government headquarters, security bases and other key buildings.

A Navy ship with Marines aboard became a rescue craft in the Mediterranean, coming to the aid of passengers aboard a sinking boat.

The Veterans Affairs Department's inspector general is investigating 69 medical facilities for manipulation of appointment wait times and has contacted the Justice Department in cases where staff has found evidence of potential criminal or civil wrongdoing.

Developments over the past couple of weeks have led analysts to expect "a wave of attacks" by the Pakistani Taliban, of which the assault on the airport in Karachi from Sunday night into Monday appears to be the first.

The House Armed Services Committee will investigate the Obama administration's swap of an American prisoner held for five years for five Taliban leaders that caused a political firestorm over the lack of congressional notification and fears the high-level Taliban could return to the Afghanistan battlefield.

NATO launched one of its largest military maneuvers in the Baltic states since tensions spiked with neighboring Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

America's ultimate strategy in a clash with China.

Chinese weapons that worry the Pentagon.

Army kicks off first-of-many 239th birthday events.

Army-licensed action figures, minus the firepower, target preschoolers.

The interior of the VG-22 Osprey could have been used in Aliens.

Guy jumps from speeding truck into 328-foot-deep gorge.

The masterful 360-degree long shot in Sunday's Game of Thrones.

Watch the trailer for Jeffrey Brown's new book, Goodnight Darth Vader.

Watch Arcade Fire cover Echo and the Bunnymen's The Cutter - with Ian McCulloch.

What?: Will The Kinks reunite?

Hear Morrissey perform a new song.

List: Movies that were shelved for years before they were released.

Finally: Ghostbusters infographic.

Getting excited for the World Cup? The whole world is! So much so that they're doing ridiculous things like playing soccer with flaming coconuts that basically shoot out flames whenever they kick it around. Oh and they're doing all that kicking barefoot.

LINK: Original photo by Spc. Joshua Edwards

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 6.9.14 >>>

Pakistani Taliban Attacks Karachi Airport: Militants armed with grenades and assault weapons dressed as security guards, killing 18 people in a retaliatory siege that lasted more than five hours.

Top 10 conclusions about the VA crisis.

U.S. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has told people treating him at an American military medical facility in Germany that he was tortured, beaten and held in a cage by his Taliban captors in Afghanistan after he tried to escape.

Hillary Clinton says she gave "very direct instructions" to security experts during the 2012 Benghazi attack in an effort to secure the U.S. mission.

U.S. sends stealth bombers to Europe.

House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) said acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson is "doing a great job."

Supporting the troops does not start when they return from war.

Army continues the rapid development of the cutting-edge boost-glide Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) missile program.

The Chinese engineer who helped Tehran develop its ballistic missiles is one of America's most wanted, with a $5 million reward on his head.

Why no female Blue Angels pilots?

Unmanned intel app could keep small units informed.

A computer has successfully managed to fool a bunch of researchers into thinking that it was a 13-year-old boy named Eugene Goostman.

Amazon has a new best-selling author list that's updated hourly.

Another day, another Ant-Man director ...

List: Best '90s soundtrack albums

List: Twenty-one Things You Might Not Know About Gremlins

Watch Sir Mix-A-Lot perform Baby Got Back with the Seattle symphony.

George Strait has broken the Rolling Stones' record for concert attendance.

Nice: The drummer for Weezercaught a Frisbee during a show - and never stopped playing!

Teen invents footwear that will charge your phone as you walk.

In our thoughts ...

Astronaut Jones by djgreenuts

LINK: Original photo by Spc. Ryan DeBooy