This just in from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Public Affairs Office ...

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. - The 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) will be conducting a Valor Award ceremony Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the Carey Theater, on JBLM Lewis-Main, to recognize Soldier's heroic actions while serving the nation. 

Multiple valor awards will be presented including Silver Stars, Bronze Stars with "V" (valor) devices, and Army Commendation Medals with "V" devices.  Medals will be presented by the Commander of the U.S. Special Forces Command, Brig. Gen. Darsie Rogers and the Commander of the 1st SFG(A), Col. Robert McDowell.

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The Army recently released new standards for how long some enlisted soldiers can stay in uniform.

The House could vote as soon as Wednesday on a bill that would raise the nation's debt ceiling and reverse a cut made to some veterans' benefits as part of the recent budget deal.

Afghanistan has now announced it will release 65 of 88 Afghan detainees that the U.S. deems dangerous and played a role in killing and wounding dozens of American and coalition forces. 

A new, dramatic video shows U.S. commandos nabbing a top terror suspect in Libya.

Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) suggested military spending cuts made Benghazi compound more vulnerable.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno visited with NATO Land Component Command Headquarters personnel at Izmar, Turkey, to discuss the future of the Army and its NATO relationship.

Hillary Clinton had kind words for former CIA Director David Petraeus after his resignation.

Q&A: Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of US Pacific Air Forces

Three wounded warriors who recovered at Brooke Army Medical Center, are aiming to glide to gold in Sochi, Russia, next month to compete in the Paralympic Winter Games.

Since Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness launched its ArmyFit site two weeks ago, tens of thousands have logged on.

Meet Lt. Col. Luis Solano, the Army's first officer in a fellowship with the non-profit MITRE Corporation.

Training at Tuskegee: Turning dreams into reality.

Two factories that assemble the Boeing 787 are struggling to cope with a ramp-up in production that started late last year, and a huge backlog of unfinished work threatens to slow output. 

Here's some sad news: Shirley Temple has died. She was 85.

Really? Fred Armisen will lead the Late Night band for Seth Meyers.

Spend the day watching all of the Beatles' Ed Sullivan appearances.

The former Green Power Ranger broke a world record for, er, breaking pine boards while skydiving.

The actor who played McGruff the Crime Dog has been sentenced to 16 years in jail.

Saturday Night Live's Brooks Wheelan shot video of himself every day in 2013. It was a life-changing year for him, and the montage is inspiring to watch.

Bad dad or cool dad?

You know that master sergeant over at Wing Plans and Programs who everyone calls Master Sgt. Bark because he claims he could sell the brown, crunchy jerky-like crust on his ribs to Metropolitan Market and, as he says, "make a killin'. Has anyone ever tasted his ribs? (We get it. You don't want to go barking up the wrong rib.)

Seriously, though, it's time for Master Sgt. Bark to put up or shut up. The Air Force Personnel Center Directorate of Services is hosting the inaugural Air Force High Flyin' BBQ Challenge now through September. The competition is open to all active duty Airmen and sister service members at Air Force-led joint bases in the continuous United States who think their barbecue is the best in town and want to prove their barbecue prowess.

That's you Master Sgt. Bark!

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Firefighter Ashley Jeanes was awarded Volunteer Firefighter of the Year (2013) for her substantial efforts and contributions to the Bald Hills Fire Dept. in Yelm. Jeanes took advantage of a bit of free time in 2012 while her Joint Base Lewis-McChord active-duty husband, Sean, was deployed. According to a news release, "Firefighter Jeanes completed Firefighter I certification, Hazmat Awareness level certification, Hazmat Operations level certification, Firefighter II certification, as well as Fire Instructor I."

Oh, and besides the deployed husband, Jeanes is a full-time student with young children.

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Car bomb in the Afghan capital Kabul killed two United States contractors for the international security force ISAF today.

The Obama administration is considering lethal force against an American citizen overseas who has allegedly been working with al Qaeda.

The U.S. and South Korea announced plans Monday for two annual spring military exercises, which come amid questions of whether Seoul will assume wartime control of allied forces as planned next year.

The Senate will vote this week on whether to repeal the $6 billion cut to military pensions that was included in the December budget deal.

The White House and Pentagon, after weeks of back-and-forth debate, appear ready to expand the Defense Department's budget starting in 2016.

North Korea paid a fine Saturday for trying to ship undeclared Cuban arms through the Panama Canal, possibly in violation of UN sanctions.

An ammunition plant, three installations, and three environmental teams recognized for their outstanding environmental and sustainability program achievements with Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards for fiscal year 2013.

A San Francisco-based developer of solar and wind power is the latest company to join to the U.S. Army's multi-billion-dollar alternative energy program.

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh met with deployed service members and received Regional Command (South) mission updates at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

Service members from around the world converged on the Kaiserslautern Military Community to train international partners from Africa for Central Accord 14 Phase I.

After more than a year of modification maintenance, the newly created AC-130J Ghostrider took to the sky for the first time as a gunship.

Ten Soldiers from the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program watch Russian history at Sochi opening ceremony.

Sgt. 1st Class Steven Janotta pitches idea for Army Retirement Medal.

A fired executive from one of New Jersey's red-light camera vendors contends in a lawsuit filed in Arizona that the company provided lavish gifts and bribes to government officials in 13 states - including Washington - to secure new contracts.

Watch a 15-minute preview of the new season of Game of Thrones.

Preview the new HBO comedy from Mike Judge, which stars T.J. Miller.

What happens when you plug in the locations from Kerouac's On the Road into Google Maps? You get this free manual of driving directions.

22 Things the New York Times Has Called a 'Guilty Pleasure.'

Will Ferrell has challenged the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith to a drum battle!

Have you visited the "Dumb Starbucks"?

Eight of the most fascinating items from Carl Sagan's personal archives.

Finally: A movie about beavers that are zombies and eat women in bikinis.

This just in from the 7th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office:

A 7th Infantry Division Soldier killed Feb. 6 in a traffic accident on Interstate 5 has been identified as Pvt. Reymon B. Tolentino, 28, of Skokie, Ill.

Tolentino was on a transport bus returning from the Seattle-Tacoma International airport when the accident happened around 4:30 p.m. in Pierce County.

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Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel hints at hiring an ethics enforcer for the military.

Hagel also officially announced the president had nominated Robert Work as deputy secretary of defense.

The incoming No. 2 American commander in Afghanistan said today that his immediate focus is on supporting upcoming Afghan elections - not on the possibility of U.S. troops remaining after the NATO-led combat mission ends.

The Syrian civil war "has become a matter of homeland security" as authorities seek to identify any foreign fighters who might be a threat to the United States.

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Gen. Mark Welsh III became the Air Force's 20th Chief of Staff in August 2012. Then, like his fellow Chiefs, he had to deal with Congress and budgets. About 150,000 of his civilians were furloughed. Sequestration forced him to pencil out modernization against readiness. Next, he had to deal with a nuclear force knee deep in drugs, cheating, gambling, drunkenness and incompetence. When all said in done, the Air Force plans to cut about 22,500 airmen, or 7 percent of its active-duty force, this year.

It's no wonder Welsh III hit the road.

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This morning the new USO Northwest SeaTac Center received the teak decking of the WWII battleship USS Colorado (BB-45) donated by Boeing. There were more then 75 people in attendance, including TSA, Port of Seattle representatives, Boeing employees, USO volunteers and board and two crewmembers from the USS Colorado with their families.

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It was announced Tuesday, Nov. 6 that Lt. Gen. Robert Brown, who assumed command of I Corps in July 2012, would be moving on. Brown has spent the last 18 months redirecting I Corps' focus to the Pacific Rim. He also used his position on the base to work on suicide prevention, sexual assault prevention and to help transitioning soldiers acclimate to the civilian workforce. He's awesome.

Stepping into the role is Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, who took command of I Corps Tuesday. Lanza, a 33-year Army veteran, was commander of 7th Infantry Division since October 2012, when he worked with the Army to stand up the 7th ID.

Below is our Storify on how the whole I Corps change of command ceremony went down. ...

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