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
Veterans
Retired Col. John Dhane and his wife, Denise, have been married for 33 years. Together they raised two children, spent 21 years in the Army, started a successful orthodontic practice in DuPont, and have managed to change how local communities support the military. "We're taking it one step further than the
Focus
When Spc. Craig Carpenter deployed the first time in 2007, he injured his lower back by packing too much weight. In 2008, the 27-year-old deployed a second time and his pre-existing condition worsened. "I didn't realize that I had an injury," said Carpenter, who is a member of the National Guard. "It
Focus
The Army faces a fast paced operations tempo that demands the best of its leaders. Developing the best among noncommissioned officers, or NCOs, begins with attending and completing the Warrior Leader Course, or WLC. The 15-day course hones leadership, training and war fighting skills. The training during WLC promotes leading from
Focus
Approximately 13 medals will be awarded to Airmen of the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, McChord Field, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, during a ceremony here at 9 a.m. April 29. The medals are being awarded for combat actions during the deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. During the ceremony, Staff Sgt. Sean Harvell will
Focus
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A 28-year-old Army sergeant accused of killing his wife during an argument and hiding her body in a storage crate has been ordered held on $750,000 bail. Sheldon Plummer appeared before a judge Monday in Olympia via video feed. He is being held in the Thurston County
Explore
After extensive testing and evaluation, the military has launched an improved system to better compensate servicemembers who personally move their household goods on military orders. All services began using the new system April 15. Moves initiated prior to that date will continue to process under the terms in place at the
Distribution
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Downrange Journal
As February comes to a close on the battlefields of Southern Afghanistan, the men of Task Force Buffalo reminisce about seven months of tough patrolling and look toward the future when they can return to their families. The Buffaloes made their mark in Afghanistan by engaging in some of the
Downrange Journal
When one thinks of a fire base typically, images of a lone hilltop in Vietnam come to mind, cannoneers slinging empty canisters while packing the breach with powder bags to send another round out in support of their infantry brethren in the valleys below. Fast forward to 2010 Afghanistan, where
Downrange Journal
Lost in the deafening sounds of firing howitzers, helicopters on the LZ, and heavy machinery is the quiet buzzing of a small, remote controlled aircraft. Although it sounds like an angry lawnmower, this is no ordinary remote controlled aircraft. The aircraft, affectionately called the "Shadow" is equipped with a state
Downrange Journal
Staff Sergeant Matthew Sanders walks gingerly through the night, crouched over in the awkward stance required to avoid the low hanging branches of the pomegranate trees and still see the path in front of him. The Soldiers in his squad follow behind, each holding on to the man in front
