The theater at McChord Field has reopened for free weekend movies. See "Elmo in Grouchland" (G) at 4 p.m. today. For the complete schedule, visit www.JBLMmwr.com.

A new phase in the McChord Field Main Gate construction project on JBLM began Wednesday and is scheduled for completion May 2. Inbound traffic remains the same; outbound traffic is rerouted through the Main Gate canopy and winds around the Visitors Center.

The D Street Gate on JBLM Lewis North The striping project is complete. The next East Drive project plans repairs starting at the end of the D-Street widening to DuPont/Steilacoom Road requiring road closure, likely in July.

The McChord Field Woodbrook Housing Gate has reopened. Operating hours will be extended during McChord Field Main Gate construction. The gate will be open 5 a.m.to 7 p.m., seven days a week through May 2.

The McChord Field North Gate will operate extended hours, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, except weekends and federal holidays. The extended operating hours will continue through May 2, to accommodate construction at the McChord Field Main Gate.

A traffic circle is being installed at the intersection of A Street and 17th Street on Lewis North, to be finished May 2. However, light poles will not be delivered until late May. Traffic barrels with lights will mark the roundabout. There will be intermittent traffic delays when the poles are installed, which should take a day.

Drivers using Jackson Avenue near Madigan Army Medical Center should expect delays for a few months as contractors begin repairing a one-mile stretch of road from the barricades near the Madigan Gate to Transmission Line Road. The project consists of two phases: the first phase involves repairing cracks and potholes, and the second phase places an overlay on the road during the night and the project finishes in August. Paving should be completed on 41st Division Road by today and work on Jackson starts next week.

More information about traffic revision updates and construction changes will come as the contractor announces them. For road conditions, call 967-1733.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. - Children's anticipation and excitement built up like runners at the start of a marathon while they eagerly stood fast to gather up Easter eggs during the annual Easter Dash at the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Fest Tent April 16.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord families watched as their children inched closer and closer to the starting line as the countdown commenced during the MWR sponsored event.

On the count of one, they barreled into the field of balloons where Easter eggs lay hidden, waiting to be collected just as fast as the children could get their hands on them.

The eggs, to some of the younger children's dismay, did not contain any sweets. The object of this Easter event, however, was to find the special prize egg, strewn about with hundreds of other eggs.

The prize egg, with unique markings and slightly larger than the rest, was scattered underneath the hundreds of balloons now floating around creating obstacles for the children to navigate.

To obtain the prize egg would prove to be no easy task during this Easter Dash.

There were three different heats in the fun-packed event comprised of children aging from three and under to 12-year-olds, each heat claiming a winner.

Balloons popped everywhere as the children had a blast laughing and running around the balloon field collecting as many eggs as they could fit in their baskets.

It did not take long for the last egg to be snatched up, leaving the children hoping the prize egg lay in their baskets, now filled to the brim with Easter eggs.

"It's all about the children," said Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers President Sgt. Danielle Batiste. "Our whole goal was to make this fun."

CeeJay Byrd, an 11-year-old who found the prize egg for his age group, said his favorite part of the dash was, "falling on my face to get the winning egg."

Pain is only temporary when prizes are at stake. 

Byrd and his family were the winners of a one-night stay at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington and passes to the Hands on Children's Museum in Olympia, Washington.

After each heat was completed and prizes awarded, the children had the opportunity to meet and have their picture taken with the Easter Bunny.

FROM THE 62ND AW ...

A big round of applause to the 62AW/Team McChord Quarterly Awards Winners: 
Ms. Janel Colbo, A1C Leah Young, Capt Summer Kolcun, Ms. Anna Cullen, SrA David Sopczak, 1Lt Kristina Sawtelle, Ms. Carol Emondt, SSgt David Albertson, Mr. Daniel Wissman, SSgt Roberto Rodriquez, SMSgt Robert Childress, 1Lt Jeffery Marshall, and A1C Jesselee Kahaloa!

Very well deserved!    

MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. -- Airlift in the Air Force serves more than mission support for other military agencies. It also provides airlift under specific circumstances for more than 17 agencies, like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, local fire departments, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

To facilitate airlift for these non-DOD agencies (and some DOD agencies), seven Reservists from the 86th Aerial Port Squadron here deployed April 13-18 to North Island Naval Air Station, Calif., to provide training on how to use military airlift, from preparing cargo to correctly filling out necessary paperwork. 

Patriot Hook 2011 participants from the 86th APS were Senior Master Sgt. Patrick McMullen, Tech. Sgts. Wayne Duckworth, Mary Kelley, Tracy Sheridan, John Waight, and Joshua Warbiany, and Staff Sgt. Steve Szatkowski.

Known as Patriot Hook, this exercise is an annual Air Force Reserve Command opportunity to deploy Airlift Control Flights to establish an operational mobile command and control and joint inspection site. The goal was to assist in the deployment of affiliates to simulate forward deployment during contingency operations.

The goal for the Reservists from McChord Field was to train the affiliates so they are prepared to forward deploy when the national emergency call comes. They must have all their equipment weighed, marked, and all the required paperwork completed with little or no assistance from the military, in order to deploy using military aircraft. 

"We want to make sure that in the event of a real-life crisis for which they need to deploy, they'll be able to do it," said Sergeant Sheridan, a 12-year Air Force Reserve veteran.

The learning curve was high for many of the agencies.

"When they came through, most of their packets, if not all their packets, were not complete, so we had to go from what I call zero to sixty," said Sergeant McMullen. "Sixty is being out the door. A lot of them started off pretty much as zero."

Using a variety of airlift aircraft, such as the C-17, C-130, and KC-135, the civilian volunteers from the non-DOD agencies were taught about load planning, manifesting passengers and cargo, and took part in the actual loading of the aircraft.

At the end of the exercise, Sergeant McMullen, an employee of Regents Blue Shield, had a collection of business cards so he could get a jump on next year's exercise.

"I like to stay in touch with participants so we can talk about what they need from us and what we recommend they bring to the exercise," said the 20-year Air Force Reserve veteran. "We try to involve the users in identifying the equipment they would really need (when responding to an emergency). This is an exercise not to see what we can take off and get away with; it's an exercise to see what they need and how we can accommodate that."

And of course, an exercise in the proper completion of all that paperwork, according to Sergeant McMullen:  "If the paperwork doesn't weigh as much as the airplane, it's not ready to go yet."    

MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. -- Just as Summer is sneaking up on us (even with Spring missing in action), so too is the Air Mobility Command air mobility competition, RODEO 2011.

AMC's Rodeo will be held at McChord Field, Wash., July 18-30 and the call is now going out for volunteer Wranglers.

According to Senior Master Sgt. John D'Aprile, 446th Maintenance Group, there are MPA's available for Reservists who volunteer and who live in the local area.

Reservists will need to contact Sergeant D'Aprile at 982-2803 and complete a Wrangler Letter of Intent in order to volunteer.    

An airlift squadron from McChord Field 
deployed Thursday in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.
More than 100 Airmen from the 62nd Airlift Wing's 10th Airlift Squadron 
departed for a 120-day deployment to the Middle East. The Airmen will take 
over operations of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron.
The unit will operate out of a single base, managing and flying missions 
concentrated in and around Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa. They are 
replacing McChord's 7th Airlift Squadron who are scheduled to return in May.
Their mission is to provide global strategic airlift, airdrop, aeromedical 
evacuation and humanitarian relief, to create an air bridge for personnel, 
equipment and supplies throughout the assigned areas of responsibility.
"It's always hard leaving behind your loved ones, but our Airmen are motivated 
and committed to the mission," said Col. Kevin Kilb, 62nd Airlift Wing 
commander. "They are prepared, professional, and looking forward to supporting 
their fellow combat warriors."
The 62 AW's four active duty flying squadrons share responsibility for the 
deployed squadron and rotate operating the 816 EAS continuously. The 
deployments allow Air Mobility Command to consistently position assets closer 
to the action.