JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- The 446 Mission Support Squadron commanded by Lt. Col. William Pelster was deactivated and the 446 Services Flight commanded by Lt. Col. Patricia Keenan was redesignated, combining both units to form the new 446 Force Support Squadron here, Dec. 1. 

The 446 Force Support Squadron was formally activated in a ceremony at Hanger 9 on Dec. 5. Following a welcome by Col. Gerald Vowell, 446 Mission Support Group Commander, the former MSS and SVF unit flags were retired and the new 446 FSS flag was unfurled, marking Colonel Pelster's assumption of command for the newly formed Force Support Squadron.

Colonel Vowell said the merger between mission support and services flight was part of an effort by the Air Force to streamline processes, increase efficiencies, maximize customer services, and cut costs associated with maintaining two separate organizations. 

"You put these two functions under one command structure and you can only improve customer services which will be a huge benefit to Joint Base Lewis-McChord community," said Colonel Vowell. 

MCCHORD FIELD - Joint Base Lewis-McChord will begin a major construction project at the Woodbrook Gate on McChord Field on Monday, December 6.  This construction project will result in a complete closure of the gate until mid-February, 2011.

The Woodbrook Gate is adjacent to Interstate 5 exit 124 and provides access from Gravelly Lake Drive to JBLM McChord Field through the Woodbrook Housing Area. This gate is normally open from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. Monday - Friday.

To mitigate the impact on traffic that this gate closure will cause, the base will increase manning at the McChord Field Main Gate to increase the numbers of vehicles processing through the gate. Additionally, the base will open the McChord Field North Gate located at the north end of McChord Field to allow for an alternate entry and exit point to the base.  The North Gate will be open from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.

The Woodbrook Gate construction will include the installation of a raised island with a guard booth for security personnel, and the installation of an overhead roof to provide protection from the weather for security personnel as well as customers while checking IDs. The construction will also include improved lighting at the gate.

JBLM officials are working to maintain the same level of service for drivers entering and exiting the base and will provide construction status updates as work progresses. 

BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Airmen here recently built 16 pallets of donated goods to be airlifted to Afghanistan.

"The shipment will allow the refurbishing and rebuilding of 25 hospitals and clinics in the region and will help transition more than 3,000 farmers from the Taliban-directed heroin trade," said Jan Mazotti, the business development director for commercial carrier CAP Worldwide. "And for that, we are proud."

Airmen here said were proud they could assist in sending winter coats, shoes and even irrigation systems to the region as well.

"Here at Buckley (AFB) this is a rarity," said Tech Sgt. Eric Pylka, of the 460th Logistics Readiness Squadron. "It's nice to get hands on again. (It's nice to) have that good feeling that we are doing something for somebody downrange."

"It's a very important effort," said Lt. Col. Stephen Wier, the 460th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander. "The Afghan people don't have a lot of medical supplies or toys for their children. Something like this can make a big difference. It makes me proud to be part of something like this."

The shipment included 10,000 winter coats, 8,000 shoes, 5,000 toys, 23 irrigation systems and seeds for 3,000 farmers as well as medical supplies.     

SEATTLE -- A lesbian flight nurse who was discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy says she expects to be reinstated to the U.S. Air Force reserve by next month at the latest.

Maj. Margaret Witt and her attorneys held a news conference Tuesday at the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington offices, saying that they have heard informally from the Justice Department that it is unlikely the federal government will try to block Witt's reinstatement while government lawyers appeals a federal judge's ruling giving her old job back.

Witt was suspended in 2004 and subsequently discharged after the Air Force learned she had been in a long-term relationship with a civilian woman.

U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton in Tacoma ruled two months ago that Witt's firing under "don't ask, don't tell" violated her rights, and he ordered that she be given her job back as soon as she met meet qualifications for the position.

This from Air Force Times: The Air Force is pushing dozens of chaplains out the door at the same time it is urging airmen with personal struggles to get counseling, often provided by clergy.

By the end of this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, the Air Force will have no more than 480 active-duty chaplains - the total stands at 528 today - and the number could dip to 470, according to the Office of the Chief of Chaplains. A PowerPoint slide obtained by Air Force Times puts the number at 465.

The number of Air Force chaplain assistant positions will hold steady at 338, according to Beth Gosselin, a service spokeswoman.

Chaplains of all denominations will be involuntarily separated through a selective early retirement board and reduction-in-force process. Roman Catholic priests, in shortest supply across the military, are eligible to leave only through early retirement.

For more on the story, click here.

JOINT BASE LEWIS - MCCHORD, Wash. -- With record cargo, passenger and air traffic, the 455th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron at Bagram Airfield is getting some help from three Reservists with the 36th Aerial Port Squadron, here in supplying the fight in Afghanistan. 

Soon to deploy are Tech. Sgt. Richard Gerren, 36th APS inspector, and Staff Sgts. Michael Pritchett and Luis Rosado, 36th APS ramp specialists. In their first deployment to Afghanistan, these Reservists volunteered to support the air mobility effort in the war's cargo hub, with a mission to move enormous amounts of cargo and passenger traffic in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

"There's a lot of pride in serving," said Sergeant Rosado, a Lynnwood, Wash. native who is also a crane operator for a local drywall company.  

"I like the front line," said Sergeant Gerren of his impending assignment as liaison and hazardous material inspector for the 455th EAPS. "It's all an adventure to me," he said. Sergeant Gerren  is also a construction maintenance supervisor for the State of Washington Department of Corrections.

All packed and ready to go, the aerial porters have planned their departure by ensuring their training, personal affairs and finances are in order. Equally important, their families and friends are ready for the mission as well.

"I just want to do my part," said Sergeant Pritchett of his upcoming mission.  "Unfortunately, I may miss the traditional black Friday shopping experience, but I made sure my wife had some extra money on hand," he said. 

Not only do Reservists rely on their military units, they also depend on their civilian employers for continued support during deployments. 

"My civilian employer offered to offset my base pay while I am away, which certainly helps," said Sergeant Pritchett, who is a fiber network field technician with an Oregon-based communications company.

The 455th EAPS is part of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, which serves U.S. Air Forces Central and provides close air support, combat search rescue, aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and airlift capabilities to U.S. and coalition forces supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.    

This from The News Tribune: American forces likely will keep fighting in Afghanistan through the end of 2014 - three years later than the date President Barack Obama announced when he heralded his war plans last year - under a timeline unfurled at a NATO conference in Lisbon, Portugal, this weekend.

The new date sends a message to soldiers and airmen at Joint Base Lewis-McChord that they can expect to continue their role in a dangerous war zone over the next four years.

But while the shift to 2014 has been discussed widely in the media the past few weeks, it doesn't appear to be triggering much talk among local service members yet.

Those stationed at the base have come to expect nearly continuous overseas assignments since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Many don't see that trend changing despite the ongoing drawdown from Iraq and the proposal to scale back in Afghanistan.

"It's always go," said Capt. Dave Braun, 30, of Spanaway. He's a pilot in the Lewis-McChord-based 62nd Airlift Wing who recently returned from a four-month assignment flying into Afghanistan.

To read the entire story, click here.

MCCHORD FIELD, JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- The McChord Field Fitness Center Annex reopened Nov. 16 with several new and improved fitness resources for the JBLM community. 

After 10 months of restorations and refurbishment, some of the biggest differences gym goers will notice include remodeled locker rooms, new exercise equipment and an elevated indoor track. 

"The renovations were made to provide Airmen the opportunity to meet the new fitness standards and maintain their healthy 'fit to fight' lifestyles all year round," said Thomas Ward, McChord Field Fitness Center and Fitness Center Annex Facility Manager. 

According to Mr. Ward, this $1.2 million project was conducted to create a more resourceful environment for people to establish convenient exercising routines during the cold winter months. 

"It will directly contribute to the goals of the newly established Comprehensive Airman Fitness program by providing an indoor facility and lots of space for guests to exercise and implement their own individual routine," said Mr. Ward. 

Some other improvements include the removal of the juice bar, which allows more room for cardiovascular equipment. The sauna has also been extracted, creating space to expand both the male and female locker rooms. 

"The extra equipment and larger locker rooms will be able to facilitate more people at once," said Senior Master Sgt. Cleofas Trejo, 627th Force Support Squadron Sustainment Services Flight Superintendent. "These improvements will help introduce more Airmen to a healthy lifestyle." 

Also, the fitness center offers aerobic exercise classes, which will resume at the newly reopened annex at their regularly scheduled times. Kum Jones, a retired Army spouse and frequenter of the McChord Field Fitness Center, said she enjoys the aerobic classes and is looking forward to utilizing the indoor track.

"I love coming to the gym as often as I can," said Mrs. Jones. "I love running, but I don't like treadmills. I can't wait to use that new track!" 

The new indoor track, with its 12-inch corner banks and state of the art cushion turf, provides servicemembers a resource to train for their physical fitness test. Although, accomplishing 1.5 miles takes 28 laps, the new track gives JBLM community members an alternative when choosing how to stay fit.     

This from the AP: JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Search and rescue aircraft discovered what military officials believed to be the wreckage of a missing Air Force F-22 jet on Wednesday south of Denali National Park in Alaska.

The wreckage was spotted at 10:15 a.m. about 100 miles north of Anchorage, but a helicopter crew could not land, according to Air Force officials. A rescue team was still looking for the pilot, said Col. Jack McMullen, 3rd Wing Commander at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.

"We're still doing an active search for the pilot," McMullen said. "Perhaps he ejected."

The jet had been in the air about an hour and 20 minutes and was nearing the end of a training run at 7:40 p.m. Tuesday when ground radar lost track of it and another pilot on the mission lost communications, McMullen said.

The pilot, whose name has not been released, had split off from the other jet and was about to do a "rejoin" before they returned to Anchorage as a unit flying about two miles apart, McMullen said.

The other pilot refueled in the air and began searching for the missing aircraft.

The Alaska Air National Guard aircraft joined the search and continued until about 5 a.m. Wednesday. New crews picked up the search.

McMullen said he had no details on the terrain where the crash was spotted.

A helicopter was nearing the crash site as he spoke, McMullen said, and likely will confirm whether the pilot was with the jet.

"We have not confirmed that he is with the plane, so we're going to continue looking for him until we have confirmation of where the pilot is," McMullen said.

If he ejected, he would be prepared for subzero weather.

"They have survival gear," McMullen said. "He's Arctic trained to survive in that environment. He's got the gear on. He's got stuff in his survival kit, so that he could hunker himself down and fight the extreme cold."

The twin-engine F-22 Raptor entered service in the mid-2000s and arrived at Elmendorf in August 2007. It's far more maneuverable and stealthy than earlier jets and can cruise at more than 1 1/2 times the speed of sound without using its afterburner. Its top speed is confidential.

Congress last year stopped production of the plane, built by Lockheed Martin Corp., by eliminating $1.75 billion that would have added seven F-22s to the Air Force's fleet.

An F-22 crashed in March 2009 near Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing the pilot. In July, a C-17 cargo jet from the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf crashed during a training demonstration for an air show, killing all four crewmen aboard.

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials announced their preferred basing decision for eight C-17 Globemaster IIIs Nov. 16. 

The preferred base, approved by the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force, is Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y. Along with the C-17 basing action, 12 C-5 Galaxies assigned to Stewart ANGB will be retired.

"The Air Force has completed its initial analysis of a full range of alternatives and determined that basing the C-17 at Stewart is the preferred alternative," said Kathleen Ferguson, the Air Force deputy assistant secretary for installations. "This is not a final basing decision; it is the alternative we believe will fulfill our mission responsibilities while considering economic, environmental, and technical factors." 

Once the environmental impact analysis process is complete, a final decision will be made.