Veterans
On any given day, more than 150 homeless veterans wander along the streets and highways near Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Some stand on the off-ramps outside the bases' gates, holding signs asking for money. A common scene for commuters passing through the Madigan Healthcare System Gate is a homeless veteran who
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Myah will always have a special place in Shirley Schmunk's heart.Myah is a dog named after her son, Spc. Jeremiah Schmunk, who died in Iraq in 2004.Shirley remembers Jeremiah's vocal nature, which coincidentally Myah shares.She keeps her son alive through pictures and talking with other family members, but Myah will
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Captain Gregory McCrum has quite a Christmas surprise for his two children: he is home seven months early. He and 170 other Soldiers from 62nd Medical Brigade and 17th Fires Brigade stepped off a chartered plane at McChord Field Tuesday night, representing the last large troop movement of
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Through Congressional budget battles over military spending and political wranglings over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord will continue to support the allied mission in Afghanistan, upgrade its infrastructure, drive resilience initiatives and develop staff efficiencies, Col. Thomas Brittain said Nov. 22 after
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I Corps Soldiers are playing a vital role in securing Afghanistan and helping the Afghan people take control of their country, I Corps Commanding General and International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Commander Lt. Gen. Mike Scaparrotti told local mayors and retired military leaders at Joint
Education
It's hard to argue with Pierce College's claims to having amazing students, ones who not only get good grades and overcome adversity, but do it while serving their country. A cancer diagnosis didn't stop Sgt. Brandon Booth from maintaining a 4.0 grade average. Being a single father
Health
It is the last thing a Soldier wants to hear: medically "unfit" and can't continue to serve. The reasons are plenty - musculoskeletal issue, multiple sclerosis or battle injury. A year ago, the process to receive disability benefits from the Army and Department of Veterans Affairs would
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Major Anne Simpson held Sgt. Mathew Horton's hand while she coaxed him out of an anesthetic sleep. Horton whispered something in her ear, and she replied, "That's just your heart waking up, sweetie." Meanwhile, medics and other nurses were looking at Horton's chart and evaluating the numbers on a heart
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Pet adoptions can have benefits beyond just a new friend arriving to share the house. The Tacoma Humane Society is partnering with the Pet Brigade on Joint Base Lewis-McChord to the provide the joint base community gift certificates for adopting pets from the local animal rescue agency. "When
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He spent four years helping to build the framework for joint basing throughout the Department of Defense. And this week, he retired from one of the joint bases he helped design. Colonel Jerry K. (Kenny) Weldon II will leave behind a career that spanned two decades of
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Dedra Lewis performs her duties with a calmness not typically associated with her rank of Air Force chief master sergeant. While other E-9s might raise the volume to assert themselves, her deliberate approach transmits an air of confidence. As the Air Force senior enlisted adviser for the
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Joseph Claypoole's lifelong dream is to be a military doctor helping troops at an austere forward operating base thousands of miles away from the U.S. If he can't get into Harvard Medical School, his fallback plan is to work as a military attorney serving in a Judge
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The unit commander charged with maintaining and protecting McChord Field's network and communications security at the head of the 627th Communications Squadron handed over those responsibilities to a new leader June 24. Lieutenant Colonel Robert W. Povlich Jr., passed the unit guidon to Maj. Ross C. Morrell
Schools
It was high drama Tuesday at Carter Lake Elementary School. Tension gripped the small party of female second graders crowded around the portable lie detector monitor. The NCO administering the test stared intently at her subject, monitoring the subleties of his body language, measuring his heart rate
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The 627th Security Forces Squadron Airmen patrol the flight line and streets of Joint Base Lewis-McChord McChord Field 24 hours a day, protecting both aircraft and base tenants from harm. They perform their duties with care and professionalism, according to the Department of
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The 361st Recruiting Squadron had been in this position before. Despite a new opponent, new tournament and a negligible home-court advantage, the Air Force volleyball team eaked out a championship victory against Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 593rd Sustainment Brigade. The team took home its third straight championship
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The Airmen of the 1st Air Support Operations Group wear blue uniforms, but don't solely consider themselves Air Force. They work for the Army, providing tactical air command and control and operational weather briefings for Joint Base Lewis-McChord units like I Corps, the three Lewis Stryker
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Staff Sergeant Keven Blackwell uses lingo some Airmen might not be accustomed to like "fourth point of contact," "high speed" and "hooah." That's because Blackwell is a former Army medic now serving in his role as an Air Force network infrastructure technician with the Western Air Defense Sector. The computer
