Veterans
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) launched their new Medical Disability Retired Pay Estimator, an interactive online tool for medically retiring Wounded Warriors, available at the DFAS website. The scenario-driven tool provides users the ability to estimate their post retirement income from DoD and VA such as retired pay,
Explore
Black bears, an octopus tree, a blimp hangar, museums, the Winter Olympics, ice skating, winter gardens, a castle, and a space center are but a few of the hundreds of settings for day trips in the Washington Puget Sound area. With winter break just a little over a month away, it's
Explore
When the air cools and the days darken to dreary desolation, trade the dissonance of city noise for the cozy solitude of a winter cabin. The season offers a peaceful beauty among snow covered hills and crystallized pines, an oasis for the soul. The warm fireplaces beckon while backyards become
Operation Family Support
The Christmas holiday is over, and the budget is tighter this month, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun. Although winter sports equipment can be quite expensive at the local resorts, there are some local on-post facilities that are offering good deals on rentals and trips. To rent equipment, check
Spouses
The deployment is over. Your Soldier is home. Many assume that this will be the "fairy tale" ending of a long, stressful story. Often, however, the homecoming includes some unanticipated strain of its own. Read here for some ideas on how to reduce the strain of the homecoming. Things
Schools
Want to know how your child's school ranks? Looking to move and schools are your top criteria. Scroll through our list to find your school and follow the links to various rating organizations, maps and/or other information. PIERCE COUNTY Beachwood Elementary School American Lk Ave & Concord St Lakewood, WA 98433 Pierce County Phone: (253) 583-5200 http://www.greatschools.org/washington/lakewood/366-Beachwood-Elementary-School/ http://tinyurl.com/ybm856l http://tinyurl.com/ybvhhef Carter
Resources
After Kevin Butler was injured falling into power lines, his wife saw three lapels in the doorway: There was a casualty assistance officer, rear detachment commander, and chaplain. But her eyes never left the lapel of the chaplain as she was informed of the fact that her husband had been involved
News Articles
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. - Army leaders who've been prompted to rethink tactics and war-fighting doctrines because of Iraq and Afghanistan also see a need to re-examine how they educate soldiers about ethics. Some of the interest in ethics is tied to the wars: the black eye of the Abu Ghraib prison
Focus
Capt. Carl Subler is a dusty boots chaplain. "I am a priest who happens to be in the Army," he said as we sat and talked outside his tent. "I am here to serve soldiers, any soldier." The only Roman Catholic chaplain assigned to 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Subler has the wonderful
Focus
FOB Blackhawk - There is deliberateness akin to how a surgeon works that goes into the planning of an artillery strike in the fire direction center, or FDC. Except instead of using a scalpel to work, the center uses 155mm howitzers. Attached to the 5th Stryker Brigade's 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment,
Military Life
When American Idol's season nine debuts this January, they will have already missed out on a local rising star. Dawn Joyner, who performs under the name "Elli" has been stationed out of Fort Lewis for the past two years with her soldier and family. Her husband, Sgt. Chris Joyner, is currently
News Articles
Frank Pastizzo used a keyboard, harmonica, a juggling lesson, drama, humor, and life experiences to captivate an audience of about 250 people at Madigan Army Medical Center. In one routine, he demonstrated how easy it is to get people to say what you want them to say. "Say SHOP," Pastizzo said. The audience
Military Life
Jennifer Smith, known to her friends as Jenn, works tirelessly in the Fort Lewis community to support soldiers and families not only in the 5th Stryker Brigade where her husband commands, but also as the president of the Officer's Spouses Club. The Ranger sat down with her recently to get a
Roll Call
On January 11th, fifty-one Army MWR libraries will begin their Dear John books-to-movies promotions featuring the latest Nicholas Sparks' romantic novel coming to the big screen on February 5th. The promotion offers authorized MWR patrons over the age of 18 multiple opportunities to win movie-related prizes. Those who visit their participating
Operation Family Support
When her husband Spc. Nigel Davis deployed, Brenda Davis prepared herself to deal with whatever happened during his absence. So when the family car broke down, a 1997 model, she went for assistance. She was directed to Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that offers assistance primarily to privates through sergeants. As directed,
Veterans
For any family, a loved one's burial costs can be significant. For families of veterans, these costs may be greatly reduced. Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent (www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/tahoma.asp) offers veterans, their spouses and their dependent children free burial spaces, headstones or markers, opening and closing of gravesites and perpetual care. To be
Veterans
When a soldier's military career ends, navigating the civilian world can often leave him or her feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information available. There are a multitude of Web sites for every benefit imaginable. For some veterans, the overload of information can take months to wade through. For others,
Veterans
Santa Claus exists. "When people ask me if I ‘do' Santa, I tell them, ‘No, I am Santa,'" said Ron Kearns. He certainly looks the part. The minister of the New Hope Community Church and a former chaplain to the Steilacoom Department of Public Safety, Kearns' white hair and beard, ample girth, twinkling
News Articles
Imagine what it would be like to spend seven solid months in the air ... or make five round trips to the moon and back ... or even make 103 trips around the earth at the equator. These statistics are just a few things that it takes 5,000 hours to. However,
Veterans
Ruth Sharp was determined not to let her hip replacement surgery keep her from one of her favorite activities. Despite needing the aid of a walker in the early stages of her recovery process, the 73-year-old Air Force spouse continued to honor her volunteer commitment to the Retiree Activites Office at
