Do you think the Clover Park School District bugs out early for Memorial Day Weekend? No, they do not. Just received good news from Gary Sabol, the community relations manage for the district:

Clover Park School District has received a Department of Defense Educational Activity (DoDEA) grant to improve K-12 student achievement at Lakewood Career Academy, Lakes High School and Woodbrook and Mann Middle Schools. The funds will focus on math and science achievement utilizing technology and engineering methods and provide teachers with professional development opportunities in science, engineering practices and computer science. The grant is also intended to improve each student's sense of community, personal responsibility and well-being through further development and expansion of positive school culture-building programs. Teachers will also receive training in positive school culture-building programs. This is the fourth DoDEA grant the district has received.

"These grants have been helpful in improving academic and support services to the district's military-connected student population, strengthening relations between schools and families and cementing the partnership between the district and Joint Base Lewis-McChord," said Maria Flores, supervisor of curriculum and instruction.

The funding of the three-year, $1.755 million grant begins June 15 and runs through August 2017.

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Armed pro-Russian separatists clashed with Ukrainian self-defense fighters near the eastern city of Donetsk today, two days before the presidential election, and at least two people were killed.

The Kremlin's crazy shock troops.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki issued a message to veterans defending his leadership and promising to fix delays in care that have rocked his agency and the Obama administration in recent days.

The House approved a measure that would authorize just over $600 billion in 2015 U.S. defense spending, while blocking A-10 retirement plans and ordering an independent group to study the Army's future.

The House passed legislation that tacitly approves a 1.8 percent pay raise for military service members next year, and includes a number of other pay, benefits and workforce provisions.

The leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee unveiled a $514 billion defense bill that differs in several ways from the version approved by the House.

The Senate Armed Services committee wants to put $320 million saved from cutting personnel to pay for flying the A-10 another year.

The Navy has dispatched a cruiser to the Black Sea in the latest sign that Washington is ramping up pressure on the Kremlin's power play in Ukraine ahead of a disputed referendum.

The intelligence community is on the verge of "revolutionary" technical advances.

DARPA has invented a device that gives soldiers Terminator vision.

The 10 algorithms that dominate our world.

Here comes the Headfoams.

Veruca Salt played for the first time in 18 years on Conan.

Watch the big drum-off between Will Ferrell and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith.

See a trailer for the new season of Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Finally: This lengthy piece explores the history of Don and Peggy's relationship on Mad Men.

Suddenly American idol is much better ...

LINK: Original photo by Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos

The four plastic yellow jugs with the red tops have fuses running out of them.

Leaning next to the jugs was a canister full of nuts and bolts.

These were bombs of the homemade variety, and they all had to be defused.

"It's going to be a long day for the team that has to work this cache," said Staff Sgt. Michael Frechette, 3rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion, as we stood in an underground bunker on Range 101.

"And if they make one mistake a buzzer will sound, meaning they made a mistake."

If the bombs were real, the mistake would be fatal.

"These teams have to be very careful and thorough," explained 1st Lt. Aaron Stutts as we left the bunker.

"It's what makes this competition as intense as it is."

Over the past several days, the 3rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion has been conducting an intensive ordnance disposal and military skills competition.

The battalion is assigned to the 71st Ordnance Group at Fort Carson, Colo.

>>> Four simulated bombs wait for a three-soldier team to defuse during the EOD Team of the Year Competition. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

Over the past several months, the battalion has been conducting team and individual-level military training to prepare for the competition.

The competition's events include a physical fitness test, a 10-mile ruck march, a casualty evacuation from a minefield, an improvised explosive land, an unexploded chemical ordnance lane, a suicide vest situation and weapons marksmanship.

"It is intense, no doubt about it," commented 1st Lt. Kurt Peterson, the battalion's public affairs officer.

"These soldiers are repeatedly put to the test."

Three teams of three soldiers faced one different problem after another.  On each challenge their skills were judged and points tallied.

The team with the most points would win the competition and move on to Fort Carson to compete in the 71st Group competition.

"The team that goes on to represent JBLM on the national level, and that speaks of us," Stutts said.

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Defense bill amendment to restrict wartime funding usage.

Thailand's army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha took control of the government in a coup saying the army had to restore order and push through reforms. 

North Korean artillery fired at least one shot which landed near a South Korean navy patrol ship south of the two sides' disputed maritime border.

The U.S. has deployed a Predator drone team of 80 military personnel - mostly airmen - to Chad to help find nearly 300 schoolgirls kidnapped in neighboring Nigeria.

UAV platforms begin to mature.

Air Force security failed nuke test.

A U.S. Senate subcommittee has backed the Pentagon's plans to curb military pay raises and housing allowances next year.

Spurred by allegations of mismanagement and scandal at numerous Veterans Affairs facilities, House members overwhelmingly approved a measure giving the department's secretary more power to fire underperforming employees.

Navy chief Adm. Jonathan Greenert says the Navy needs 11 aircraft carriers to meet security demands despite the Pentagon's plan to retire one and bring the count down to 10 to meet caps on defense spending.

The House passed by voice vote an amendment to the 2015 defense authorization bill that takes the Obama administration to task over the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

The first launch of an anti-ballistic missile from a new shore-based version of the classic Aegis missile system was successfully carried in Hawaii.

This incredible Russian dash cam footage shows a car driving through a forest fire while the drivers wonder if they are going to die or not.

18 places you should ride your bike before you die.

Song premiere: Peter Murphy's "Eliza."

Rolling Stone's new cover story is an interview with Jack White.

Watch the new trailer for the Roger Ebert doc, Life Itself.

Cool creature alert: Video from the Star Wars set.

It's gonna be a beautiful day, Walkie Talkie readers. So take Bert and Zachary Levi's advice: GO OUT AND PLAY.

LINK: Original photo by Lance Cpl. Charles Santamaria

The Ranger and Northwest Airlifter newspapers, with cover the Army and Air Force at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, are shipped off to the press every Wednesday around this time. It also happens to be the time Joint Base Lewis-McChord Public Affairs Office sends us news releases. This week, the PAO alerts us to JBLM's involvement on Memorial Day. Let's take a look. ...

Joint Base Lewis-McChord will honor the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of the United States with a Memorial Day ceremony Monday, May 26, at 11:30 a.m. at the base cemetery, the Fort Lewis Cemetery.

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Ready to rock and roll?

You can help support JBLM's roller derby teams - Bettie Brigade and its junior varsity squad JBLM Bratz - by attending this Saturday's double-header, then staying to celebrate with live and local rock bands.

The team, who have recently moved their headquarters off base to the "Bettie Bunker" in Lacey, need to raise money to support their new home - meaning they need to add bathrooms and emergency exits. Currently, port-a-potties are set up outside the front door.

"Being a non-profit organization,we depend on our fundraising events, skater dues, as well as donations to make improvements to our practice space," said Melissa Garibay, aka Miley Virus, skater with Bettie Brigade.

So what better way to throw a fundraiser then with live music? Mach Society, Buffalo Skies and Mosquito Hawk will rock for the rollers in an after-bout party that includes a meet and greet with the skaters, food and drinks.

Costumes are encouraged to support your favorite era: '80s neon or l'90s grunge.

Tickets are $10 from your favorite Bettie or through Brown Paper Tickets, or $12 at the door. Kids 8 and younger are free.

The concert is $5, or free with attendance to the bout.

JBLM BETTIE BRIGADE MAY-HEM INTERLEAGUE BOUT, doors open at 5 p.m., wheels roll at 6 p.m., music starts at 9 p.m., Saturdfay, may 24, Bettie Bunker, 5700 Lacey Blvd, Lacey, $5-$12, website

LINK: Words and photos from a previous Bettie Brigade bout

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Spc. William Rogers of Joint Base Lewis-McChord proved he was Army Strong at the U.S. Army Installation Management Command's Best Warrior Competition.

Al Qaeda runs shadow army in Afghanistan; Taliban on verge of surge.

The U.S. House will begin work on nearly 170 amendments to a Pentagon policy bill, including ones that would add funds to weapons accounts, require arms sales to allies, and kill the measure that authorized America's post-9/11 conflicts.

The Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded its investigation to include 26 facilities around the country accused of mismanagement and hiding long wait times. 

President Obama has summoned Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and White House deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors for a meeting to discuss their investigation into mismanagement at veterans hospitals across the country.

Sen. Patty Murray says the VA failed to implement legislation she wrote to counter problems with the appointments system.

Why is Shinseki refusing more authority to fire VA employees?

Who broke the Department of Veteran Affairs.

The White House will reportedly comply with a court order to release a secret memorandum describing the legal justification for the 2011 drone strike against three Americans in Yemen.

The Senate Armed Services Committee's 2015 defense policy bill will reject a new round of military base closures.

A U.S. Senate subcommittee approved a measure allowing the Pentagon to spend billions on its most lethal forces while also clearing them to target the Boko Haram organization.

Senate Armed Services Committee members have cobbled together a plan to keep the U.S. Air Force's A-10 attack planes flying for another year.

Australia, Britain, Canada and United States have signed a symbolically important Memorandum of Understanding committing them to "a partnership on combined space operations."

A group of U.S. special operations leaders outlined what capabilities their troops will need in the coming years, focusing mostly on intelligence gathering technologies in places such as Africa and the Arctic.

A subcommittee defied the Army by supporting a panel to study the transfer of Guard attack helicopters to the active component.

The Defense Advanced Research Programs Agency's Information Innovation Office, or I2O, is hosting DARPA Demo Day 2014 in the Pentagon's courtyard today and it has four projects that could be bigger than the Internet.

Roughly 6,000 U.S. troops will take part in this year's "Eager Lion" exercise in Jordan from May 25 to June 8, a Defense Department spokesman said.

Animation teaches you what happened in World War II in 7 minutes.

The science of losing belly fat.

This is a rare view: Five skydivers in wingsuits soar over New York City.

The real mansion from Scarface - the iconic Brian de Palma movie starring Al Pacino as drug lord Tony Montana - has hit the property market.

Seven facts about the X-Men you might not know.

R.E.M.'s complete catalog and many rarities have been remastered for iTunes.

The Horror: Miley Cyruscovered The Smiths. (It's actually not bad!)

List: Best book recommendation services

You need To Know: Here's where Mad Men shot the Burger Chef scenes.

Yikes: There were 1135 Aryas, 241 Khaleesis and 67 Daeneryses born in 2013. And 15 Theons and five Robbs.

Lights out for this cat ...

LINK: Original Photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Bowcock

Hey Servicemembers! Bring your Seahawks gear and cameras to pose with the Seahawks Super Bowl Trophy at Camp Murray, Thursday, May 29.

The Seattle Seahawks 2014 Vince Lombardi Trophy will visit the Washington National Guard's Arsenal Museum on Camp Murray from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 29.

Along with the encased Super Bowl Championship trophy on display, two Seagal cheerleaders will also be in attendance to meet and greet with servic members and their families.

A $3 hot dog lunch — prepared by the guard's G4 directorate — along with various raffle items, will be available to benefit the Minuteman Emergency Assistance Fund, as well as the museum.

For any questions, please email wngpao@gmail.com. The Arsenal Museum is at Building 2 on Camp Murray.

SEE ALSO
Let's look at the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl champions parade again!

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The House this week will vote onlegislation that tacitly approves a 1.8 percent pay raise for service members next year.

The Pentagon still plans to increase funding for special operations equipment in the coming years, but after years of plus-ups, that trend is expected to flatten.

America still has way more air power than any rival.

Thailand's army declared martial law nationwide to restore order after six months of street protests that have left the country without a proper functioning government, but denied that the surprise move amounted to a military coup.

A top White House official has promised that the CIA would no longer use vaccination programs as a cover for spying.

The White House is threatening a veto of the House version of a $601 billion defense bill over election-year moves to spare weapons systems and popular programs in the face of limited budgets.

President Obama is relying less on drones and more on foreign governments in the global fight against terrorists.

Retired Marine Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, 24, will receive the Medal of Honor for heroism in Afghanistan in 2010.

The United States invented the Internet, but we may not rule it any more.

Navy officials expect ship defenses to get a boost following the introduction of the Block 2 Rolling Airframe Missiles.

Turns out a littoral combat ship will be headed to Hawaii this summer after all.

A new bill would allow members of the military and their families to keep their current auto insurance policy if they are ordered to relocate to a new state.

House approves Congressional Gold Medal for Civil Air Patrol.

A small, easy-to-use and lightweight explosive screening kit continues to move forward toward full fielding as a means to provide soldiers with the capability to screen for suspected homemade explosive materials.

Army PULSE-W watercraft proves ability, benefit of enduring presence in Pacific.

Veterans remember historic Strike Brigade deployment.

This looks like some end of the world type weather.

Spielberg's masterful use of the long take is one of the things that make him so great.

"Fangirl" and "unfriend" are among the new words Merriam-Webster is adding to the dictionary.

McDonald's has a creepy new mascot.

How much money is it possible to win on Jeopardy!?

Here's a tribute to Road House for its 25th anniversary.

And finally, this story is for all the drummers.

Back To The Future love song ...

LINK: Original photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger

GRAB A CUP OF JOE AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.19.14 >>>

VA scandal hits new hospital.

President Obama and Congress are moving quickly to respond to a growing political firestorm over VA patient care allegations.

The international outcry over the abductions of Nigerian schoolgirls added to the growing list of challenges faced by AFRICOM.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey plans to push his NATO counterparts to increase security contributions in southern Europe along the Mediterranean.

On high seas, Vietnam and China play tense game.

John Kerry's doctrine: More intervention.

Why the military can't get enough of Amphibious Ready Groups.

Ukraine wants the U.S. to provide it with military body armor, vehicles and reconnaissance equipment left over from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to help it deter Russian forces in the eastern region of the country.

Undersecretary of the Army Brad R. Carson focuses on the service's top modernization priorities: the tactical communications network.

More than 13,000 troops from 24 countries are to take part in the annual "Eager Lion" military exercise in Jordan.

The House ducks on defense.

The high cost of the U.S. Defense Department's weapon programs threatens national security, the head of the Pentagon's advanced research-and-development arm said.

Researchers at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development take protective eyewear into the future.

The Army's capability to project land power grew this week with the induction of the M109A7 self-propelled howitzer and its companion M992A3 carrier ammunition tracked vehicle into low-rate initial production.

JBLM played a part in new Godzilla film.

U.S. Air Force Academy parachute team, Wings of Blue, celebrated 50 years of "standing in the door."

The gay widow of a soldier killed in Afghanistan has received word from the Department of Veterans Affairs that she will receive the same full benefits that heterosexual widows and widowers receive.

How corruption guts militaries: The Ukraine case study.

The British will allow Lockheed Martin's F-35B to make its first flight outside of the United States on July 4 when the country's newest aircraft carrier is christened by Her Majesty the Queen.

A-10 Thunderbolt attack jet lands on German highway.

Exploring the great outdoors from a remote control iPad-bot.

You can make an offer to buy Dracula's castle.

Facebook is building an app to take on Snapchat (again).

Morrissey says his Twitter account is fake.

The Coen brothers have announced their next film.

Watch Arcade Fire's new music video for We Exist.

Finally: When you mix Cruise and Yorke you get Thom Cruise.

What are you going to do today?

LINK: Original photo by Cpl. Adam Miller