Entertainment
GROUNDED is about coming down from the blue sky and into a drone's grey image on a computer screen. It is characterized by powerful and questioning dialogue from a chair on a stage that narrates a war that is very recent. A compelling one-woman presentation written by George Brant and produced
News Front
The Olympia Armory is part of a long history of the Washington Army National Guard's presence in Olympia, as well as being a central part of the city's cultural history. Built in the late 1930s on the site of the Washington School, and recently listed on the Olympia Heritage Register, will
Health
In providing mental health services, Olympia TMS has rebranded to Pristine Mental Health in order to strengthen connections with patients and their families. The founder of Pristine Mental Health is Dr. David Penner, MD, a Harvard-trained, dual board-certified psychiatrist. Realizing the future of psychiatry had begun to shift toward the use
News Front
Representative Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) co-led and secured language for the Military Family Hunger Prevention Act of 2021 to help service members and their families make ends meet. Begging the question, how many military personnel need help? "Congress and the Department of Defense need to show that we value service members and
Focus
Since 1941 the United Service Organizations (USO) Northwest has supported the area's service members and their families while adapting to meet their needs. The USO Northwest - which celebrated its 81st birthday on Feb. 4 - is present throughout the states of Washington and Oregon. With approximately 300 volunteers, the organization
News Front
Imagine having groceries from the commissary delivered to your doorstep. The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) will soon make online grocery delivery a reality, including at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Agency officials have identified eight stores that will be part of a pilot program to test the idea of doorstep delivery of
Health
For many Americans, and some veterans, living through the past several years of COVID-19 induced chaos has been a struggle. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, this struggle has had - and will continue to have - a negative effect on mental health. Specific to veterans, the CDC reports
Family
St. Frances Cabrini School invites the Joint Base Lewis-McChord community and the surrounding local area to its annual open house. "St. Frances Cabrini School would like to invite all interested families to attend the open house," Rose Vlad, Director of Development & Admissions, wrote in an email. The open house is part
Veterans
John Coucoules' life has been one of ups and downs, but throughout it all he has persevered by reading and learning as much as he could. Born in Savannah, Georgia in 1927, he currently resides at Patriots Landing. He related how at the age of five he moved a chair to reach
Veterans
The Washington National Guard is comprised of more than 8,000 citizen soldiers and airmen dedicated to the mission of safeguarding Washington state and, if need be, the United States. "The National Guard is the only service where you can fill up sandbags and help your neighbor, put out a fire, and
Focus
Sgt. Laurie Wash believes that journalism is a great way to learn valuable lessons and apply them in her role as a non-commissioned officer. "I think journalism is a great place for people who have a diverse number of interests because it allows you to peek behind the curtain into many
Focus
Growing up the son of a career Army soldier who retired from then Fort Lewis, Bryan Grenon learned the value of hard work, dedicated involvement, and setting and meeting high standards. "He did it through sheer presence," Grenon began, "and he made me want to do my best and fight through
Focus
The Army made John Troxell. "I would say that joining the Army was the greatest influence in my life," began the retired Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC). "Prior to that, I had no purpose, motivation, direction or inspiration to achieve or reach my
Health
Holistic health is characterized by a comprehension of the parts of one's well-being as being interconnected and explained only by reference to one's whole body. With regard to the continuing efforts to move forward with its Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program, in Army-speak this means that a soldier's health includes
Focus
Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh, Commander, Washington Air National Guard (WA ANG), is most proud of the six years he spent as an enlisted airman. "I started with nothing, and I've gone from Airman Basic to now the General Officer ranks," he began, "and my foundation was laid down as an enlisted
News Front
The images of and stories about service members suffering chronic illnesses and various cancers after throwing waste items into burn pits during combat operations over the past two decades only presents a part of the toxic exposure problem the military faces. While it is clear that burn pits do release toxins
Focus
First Lieutenant Evan Myers watched as Raleigh Bamer pulled back the piece of tattoo tracing paper that left a stencil of a wizard on his right leg just above the ankle. This is not the first time Myers has seen this. He estimated he had been tattooed 15 times and that
News Front
The good news for the Defense Department is that the vast majority of military members have been vaccinated for COVID, so there won't be a mass exodus of troops come December's deadline. By all recent indications, roughly 90 to 95% of the force has complied with the mandate, with those numbers
Jobs & Education
Education is vital to the building and maintaining of a career in both the civilian and military sectors. For many working adults and soldiers, this education has to have a degree of flexibility. UMass Global (University of Massachusetts Global) is one such educational experience designed to help individuals who have busy
News Front
Sgt. Cuatro Ramirez watched as Spc. Austin Donnelly and PV2 John Springer did a dozen push-ups in the sage and sand of the Yakima Training Center. "They are eager to learn and to work," Ramirez said, "and most important they are confident and motivated; they are outstanding soldiers." "It's pretty high speed,"
