Focus
Cadet Airman William Smith sat straight in the chair, looked straight ahead and said, "Joining the Civil Air Patrol looked like fun." He wasn't kidding. A member of the McChord Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), Smith is a 6th grader who is looking forward to six glider flights next
Focus
Loyd Case is perhaps most comfortable when he's in the driver's seat. After retiring from the Army with 20 years of service, Case took a job repairing forklifts, and his coverage area spanned across King and Snohomish Counties. "I put nearly 100,000 miles per year on my service truck," the 77-year-old Auburn
Focus
On April 23, the McChord Field Clubs and Community Center was a hot spot for the 100 guests on hand for the 32nd annual Retiree Activities Office's Dining Out event. In addition to providing local retirees a chance to swap war stories and memories, volunteers from the RAO were recognized, and
Veterans
There is nothing ordinary about 93-year-old Lodovico "Loody" Christofero's military career. His years in the U.S. Air Force included being stationed near the jungles of Eastern India, a pet leopard, and flying over the Himalayas. On a recent afternoon, Christofero sat in a conference room in the Museum of Flight where he
Housing
Prior to last September, there were no laws governing home inspectors in Washington. The only licensing that an inspector could obtain before then was a Structural Pest Inspector's license with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, enabling them to recognize things like wood decay and termite damage. While knowledge in
Housing
Belonging to the military means moving around fairly often, which in turn means having to be knowledgeable about the ins and outs of realty. Depending on the assignment or the current state of the housing market, service-members and their families often opt to rent rather than buy, which can raise
Housing
For nearly two-and-a-half years after first purchasing and moving into a condo in downtown Tacoma, Chris Lucero didn't even own a car. One might consider it an act of embracing urban living. Lucero, an associate vice president of an investment firm located downtown, got tired of living in the South Hill area
Housing
After a long day of classes at the University of Washington Tacoma, Jessica Berman leaves the hustle and bustle of downtown Tacoma and heads for her grandparents' house on 40 acres in Graham, about 22 miles away. "It's nice to come home and relax," she said. "It's very quiet." Berman, who also
Housing
In a perfect world, homeowners wouldn't be allowed to build an unsightly storage shed the size of a barn in their back yard, paint their house fluorescent orange or let the lawn grow as high as two feet. But it's been known to happen. Fortunately, there are some layers of protection for
Housing
In the 2,400 square miles that span both Pierce and Thurston Counties, Joint Base Lewis-McChord's presence is obvious. This area is known for many things, but at the top of the list is a large military population that lives as our neighbors - not just on the base itself, but
Housing
Military families interested in buying a house in the South Sound now have one more resource to turn to in helping them walk down the path to home ownership. Homes for Heroes, a national program formed in 2002, provides rebates and discounts for firefighters, emergency medical technicians, law enforcement officers and
News Articles
Military compensation is competing well against the private sector, as evidenced by the high rate of recruitment and retention, a Defense Department official told a Senate subcommittee today. Therefore, the department is focusing on targeted special pays and bonuses as an efficient means to give incentives for people to sign up
Health
Whether you access your health care through TRICARE or a private health insurance plan, you've probably had to sign a HIPAA form every time you filled out paperwork at your doctor's office. Do you know why? What exactly is HIPAA, and what does it mean for you? HIPAA is shorthand for
Focus
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar - "I tried to join the military - every branch," said Tad Wendler, from Rainier, while striking a gas metal arc torch inside the Stryker battle damage repair facility at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar. "But now I'm serving in another way." "I'm protecting soldier's lives," said Wendler,
Focus
ZAIDON, Iraq - When Maj. Bassim, commander of 4th Battalion, 24th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, needed assistance for a mission, help was just a phone call away. Soldiers with Company C, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, answered the Iraqi commander's request to accompany
Veterans
Memorial Day reminds Americans of the death of their fellow countrymen and women during wartime. The year, the day will be celebrated on May 31. "Memorial Day is very important to those of us who served in combat and may have lost a friend," wrote veteran Larry Heires in an e-mail. Officially proclaimed
Military Life
Joint Base Lewis-McChord spouse Brandy Richardson has only been a member of the Lewis branch of the Enlisted Spouses Club (ESC) for a year, but she knew how important it was to resurrect the club's annual Spring Bazaar. The ESC had hosted the Spring Bazaar annually for several years but
Veterans
Robert Kushlan is living proof that it's never too late for veterans to receive financial assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs to aid them in their journey down a new career path. The 67-year-old Port Orchard resident is currently in training to receive his Class A truck driving license through
Veterans
There are somewhere between 5,000 and 8,600 homeless veterans in Washington state, depending on which source you use. These vets come from every walk of life. They come from every age, ethnicity, education, and social background. Some are veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and others go back as
Veterans
Tom Curcio believes in serving those who served their country. As a retired U.S. Marine Corps staff sergeant, Curcio knows all about transitioning out of the military and reentering the civilian world. He wanted to do something to help soldiers who do not. His chance came in September when the Washington Department
