JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - For the second time in as many weeks, the 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade assembled at Watkins Field, in observance of yet another very important event. Soldiers, family and friends took to the bleachers to watch, as the 201st BfSB welcomed its new command sergeant major, Dayron Vargas, and bid farewell to departing Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Thornton, in a change of responsibility ceremony, May 18.

During an award ceremony, Col. Paul Norwood, 201st BfSB commander, took a moment to honor the Thorntons' dedicated service.

"Our brigade has been the beneficiary of the service of the Thornton family for the past 42 months - not just us, but the Joint Base Lewis-McChord community and our I Corps teammates," Norwood said.

Norwood and the 201st BfSB took a moment to recognize the Thorntons' service to the Army and to the Army family.

On behalf of the president of the United States, Norwood presented the Legion of Merit, to Thornton, for exceptionally meritorious service while serving as the 201st BfSB command sergeant major. Kathie Thornton received a commander's award for her years of public service. Kathie served as an adviser to the Family Readiness Group, and was, for four years, the leader of the "Trees for Troops" program here at JBLM.

"Sometimes it felt like 42 days - sometimes like 42 years ... but it's always been wonderful," said Kathie Thornton.

Thornton and his wife Kathie both, humbly and modestly, deflected the credit for their awards back onto those soldiers and families whom they have worked with and served.

Norwood welcomed soldiers, family members and guests to the ceremony before introducing the arriving and departing command sergeants major. Norwood, Thornton and Vargas each took their turn at the microphone to enthusiastically embrace and reaffirm their respective positions and professional relationships before making their way to the parade field.

Somewhere near the middle of Watkins Field, and witnessed by all in attendance, the non-commissioned officer sword was drawn and handed to Thornton. Thornton ceremoniously passed the sword to Norwood, who, in turn, passed it on to incoming Vargas. This act signified the change of responsibility.

Vargas, a Ponce, Puerto Rico native, comes to JBLM from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He said that he's excited to be here and that he looks forward to taking care of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the 201st.

"I want these soldiers to know that I am here to serve them," said Vargas. "Sgt. Maj. Thornton has done a wonderful job here and I look forward to continuing that effort."

The 201st hosted a post-ceremony luncheon where many people met as the collective 201st BfSB Army family embraced the Vargas family. At the same time, they issued a fond farewell to the Thorntons as they head to Fort Meade, Md., where Thornton will serve as the 704th Military Intelligence Brigade's senior enlisted adviser.

Photo by Sgt. Mark Cloutier

The 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade commander, Col. Paul Norwood (left), passes the non-commissioned officer sword to incoming command sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. Dayron Vargas, in a change of responsibility ceremony at Watkins Field, May 18. Departing Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Thornton will relocate to Fort Meade, Md., where he will serve as command sergeant major of the 704th Military Intelligence Brigade.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. - Hundreds of service members gathered at the McChord Field Collocated Club, May 17, for this year's Asian-Pacific American heritage celebration.

Hosted by the 62nd Medical Brigade, the theme of this year's event was "Striving for excellence in leadership, diversity and inclusion."

"One of America's greatest strengths is its diversity. It is one of the few countries in the world that is comprised essentially of folks who lived somewhere else before coming to the North American continent. That diversity provides America its strength, as well as one of its biggest challenges," said Col. Theresa Schneider, commander of the 62nd Med. Bde.

"That challenge is: ‘How do you teach the children, the soldiers, the airmen, the DOD civilians, the Family members to understand that diversity, to appreciate that diversity, and to respect that diversity if you grow up in a part of America where you don't encounter diversity?' So within the Department of Defense one answer to that problem is to host monthly heritage celebrations such as the Asian-Pacific heritage celebration," Schnieder said.

Event emcee, Chief Warrant Officer Richard Forrest, began the ceremony with a brief history lesson on Asian Pacific heritage celebration month, started in 1978 when Congress urged President Jimmy Carter to declare the week of May 4 as Asian American Heritage Week.

"The day is significant because it coincided with the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants on May 7, 1843, and with the completion of the first continental railroad built largely by Chinese laborers on May 10, 1869. In 1990, Congress pushed for the celebration to encompass the entire month of May," Forrest said.

The Asia-Pacific Cultural Center, with the help of the JBLM Library and Museum, set up cultural displays in the lobby of the McChord Club.

The Northwest Korean Dancing Academy and Tiger Tae Kwon Do Academy provided entertainment.

A presentation with pictures of Asian and Pacific Islanders engaged in everyday life activities played on screens around the room throughout the observance.

This year's guest speaker was Patsy Surh O'Connell, founder of the Asian Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma, Wash.

"In 1996, we established non-profit organization called Asia Pacific Cultural Center, representing 47 Asian and Pacific region countries. A recent ‘National Geographic' article indicated that we now have 4,000 languages in the world, but by the year 2100, nearly half of those languages will be gone. That means we are losing the cultural heritage around the world. As we live in modern society of new technology the Internet is a way of life; that does not mean that we have to lose our parent language that reflects our heritage as we assimilate into and adapt to a relatively new American culture," O'Connell said.

O'Connell spoke of the importance of maintaining cultural identity.

"Many of today's second and following generations don't have a deep understanding of their parents' homeland or have real value of their cultural roots. I always compare our cultural root to a tree. The tree that has only surface roots blows over easily in the winds, but deep anchoring roots will ensure that tree will not go down with even strong winds."

In her speech, O'Connell gave a few brief statistics about future generations of Americans.

"The census indicated that by the year 2050 half of Americans born will be of mixed races, from several ethnicities and cultures. If what is good from each of our cultures of origin is shared, understood and made a part of each individual's daily living, I believe we'll be of stronger character and best prepared to withstand any kind of adversity that comes our way.

"It is our generation's responsibility to keep alive what is good from our cultural heritage. The mission of the APCC is bridging communities and generations through arts, culture and education and business. It's important to understand that we are all one and that we can celebrate our sameness while we respect each others' differences," O'Connell said.

After an awards presentation to honor guests of the celebration, the event concluded with a food sampling that offered traditional Asian and Pacific Islander dishes.

"At its essence, the reason why we're here is learning. To take an hour and to engage with people who may come from different backgrounds than you so that when you leave today you have a better appreciation, understanding of the soldiers, Airmen and [others] who you will work with in your career.

"It's about bridging those cultural differences so that people have a better understanding and respect for what makes America great," Schneider said.

Photo by Sgt. Mark Miranda

Ferdinand Steward, an instructor with the Tiger Tae Kwon Do Academy performs a freestyle demonstration of martial arts weaponry during the Asia-Pacific Heritage Celebration May 17 at the McChord Field Collocated Club. Hosted by the 62nd Medical Brigade, the theme of this year’s event was “Striving for excellence in leadership, diversity and inclusion.”

JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD, Wash. -- Carolyn Erickson, Reserve Component supervisory human resources specialist, 191st Infantry Brigade, Division West, is presented with a gift of appreciation at her farewell luncheon in Lacey May 9. She was selected for the HQDA G-3/5 Strategic Education and Development Program (formerly the Harvard Strategist Program). Erickson, a major in the Army Reserve, will pursue a master's degree in public administration at Harvard University, followed by a utilization tour within the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army G-3/5 and the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve. (Photo by Leslie Thomas, 191st Infantry Brigade, Division West Public Affairs)

FROM SPOUSEBUZZ...

Only six words to describe my entire military life?  Try: AIRFORCE BRAT. NAVY WIFE. ARMY MOM.  OK, that's really seven words. And kinda boring.

Six more words: WAITING. WAITING. WAITING. WAITING. WAITING. JOY!

That's a little better, but is it isn't quite what I am looking for ...

This week USAA is asking its members to take a moment to think about what matters most, write their life stories in just six words, then share it.  Those who share their story may have it featured in an upcoming issue of USAA Magazine or on usaa.com.

SEE THE REST HERE

It costs about $60 for a family of six to visit the Seattle Art Museum.  
If that same family visited the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle, the cost would be about $40.

However, from now until Labor Day more than 700 museums throughout all 50 states are offering free admission to active duty military personnel and their families through a program called Blue Star Museums. The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention Common Access Card or an identification card, and includes active duty military in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserve and up to five immediate family members.

This program was started as a pilot partnership among Blue Star Families, a nonprofit organization that benefits military families, the National Endowment for the Arts and more than 700 museums across America to offer free admission to families with a parent or spouse serving during this time of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Through this initiative, military families are offered an opportunity to visit museums when many will have limited resources and limited time to be together.  For more information on participating museums in other states, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

Exciting changes are underway for military spouses that could affect families who serve for generations to come.

It used to be, in the not-so-distant past, that a decision to marry into the military was a decision to not have a career of your own. Even if a spouse could juggle the demands of military home life plus a paid position, who would hire her (95 percent are female, according to Defense Department figures) knowing she would be gone in a couple of years due to a forced military relocation? And how would she even get to the point of applying for a job if she had to renew her professional license - nurse, teacher, realtor, therapist, just to name a few with such requirements - in every new state?

Both of those employment hurdles are getting lower as Defense Department, White House and nonprofit entities rally state legislators and the corporate and business communities to make things easier.

Through the work of DOD's Military Community and Family Policy office and Michelle Obama and Jill Biden's "Joining Forces" campaign, 16 states have passed laws to improve professional license portability and another 11 have legislation pending. Also, DOD's Military Spouse Employment Partnership last week added 34 employer "partners" for a total of 128 that post jobs on the site specific to military spouses. As part of the program, the employers - CACI, General Dynamics, Dell, Microsoft, American Red Cross, GEICO, and Sterling Medical are just a few - agree that their positions can move with hired spouses.

The catalyst for change has been the spouses themselves who spoke up about the need. Indeed, DOD officials say 85 percent of military spouses have responded that they either want or need a paid job.

One spouse who turned her frustration into action is Lauren Weiner, a former federal employee analyst with the White House budget office, whose career came to a halt when she relocated with her husband, Charles, a Navy civilian, to Naples, Italy, in 2004. Unable to find a senior-level professional job on base - and spouses aren't permitted to work off-base in Naples - Weiner networked with Naples-based wives and found others in the same situation.

Weiner responded by starting her own government consulting business, Wittenberg Weiner Consulting, LLC. In just a few weeks, she hired her friend, Donna Huneycutt, a lawyer and Navy wife, to help keep up with the expanding workload. Together, the two built the business - Wittenberg as president, Huneycutt as executive vice president - to what is now a 60-person firm in which 75 percent of employees are military spouses.

Besides giving back by hiring other spouses, Wittenberg Weiner last year started the nonprofit, In Gear. It provides a forum for community support, information-sharing, and mentoring for career-minded military spouses. It also partners with other organizations working to support the professional endeavors of military spouses, such as the Military Spouse JD Network, which is working to ease state-by-state attorney licensure requirements for military spouses.

"We realized there was this incredibly talented pool of spouses out there," Huneycutt said, "and we wanted to make sure this was more than a pit stop in those spouses' careers."

Weiner and Huneycutt represent a growing number of spouses who refuse to accept that a military life means the end of their working life - or a 20-year hiatus. Military spouses who want to work outside the home in any field are getting more opportunities all the time, and that is good for everyone - spouse, service member, and the military community.

FROM ARMY TIMES...

Two soldiers based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord died when enemy forces attacked their unit in Afghanistan, the Pentagon announced Monday.

Sgt. Michael J. Knapp, 28, of Overland Park, Kan., and Sgt. Jabraun S. Knox, 23, of Fort Wayne, Ind., were killed May 18, in Asadabad, Afghanistan. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion (Air Assault), 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade.

Afghan officials said they were killed by enemy rocket fire that also killed three civilians. Four others were wounded when the rocket struck the base in Nari district of Kunar province. The area is a haven for insurgents fighting along the poorly marked bord..
SEE THE REST HERE

Former DuPont mayor Tamara Jenkins and The Ranger newspaper publisher Ken Swarner will be inducted into the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Civilian Hall of Fame during a ceremony May 23 the McChord Field Clubs and Community Center.

"It's a huge honor," Jenkins said about being inducted. "When I got the call I was absolutely speechless."

Jenkins spearheaded a number of projects, helping to strengthen city ties with the JBLM community. The first was the annual Operation We Love our Military appreciation day that she helped organized during her election campaign in 2007.

She said more than 1,000 people showed up and the inaugural event collected about $70,000 in three months. She was also a lead supporter of the JBLM Community Connector Program. Along the way, the city has supported military members and their families.

But it's not just her efforts through public office that have had a positive impact on the JBLM community. Every branch of the military is represented in her family. Jenkins said it's been important for her to embrace her heritage, culture and where the city is today.

In terms of personal satisfaction, She said the award ranks just below the day she married her husband Clint Jenkins. The two have been married for 21 years.

One of her priorities stepping into office was that DuPont and the military installations needed to come together.

"I wanted it to be one community," Jenkins said.

Another member of the community whose family has made a longstanding difference by telling stories about the military community is Ken Swarner, co-owner of Swarner Communications, the publishing company of the The Ranger, The Northwest Airlifter and the Weekly Volcano newspaper publications in Lakewood.

After 61 years of telling stories about a world that most people don't get to see, Swarner believes the military newspapers have served the community well.

"To be intimately involved where professionalism is at such a speed and sacrifice is at a high stake, it's an honor to have spent a career getting to know those folks," he said.

Swarner was born into the family publishing company. The Ranger launched in 1951 and was handed down to him and his brother Ron Swarner. He's written a weekly humor column since 1999 but has worked just about every job, including 18 years as a field reporter and editor.

"I'm happy to represent my entire family who has spent nearly 50 years of supporting the installation and producing these products," he said. "I'll certainly be up there representing my entire family."

Swarner is secretary of the Pierce Military Business Alliance, Sub-chapter President in DuPont of the Capt Meriwether Lewis Chapter of the Association of the United States Army, and co-chair of the Lakewood Chamber's Military Affair's Committee.  His company has adopted two units on JBLM, and he is organizing the adopt a unit program at McChord Field. He serves as the chairperson of the Single Soldier Project, which puts gift baskets in the rooms of returning single Soldiers and Airmen.  Swarner's company hosts regular free military support events such as the Pampering the Spouse event in Feb 2012, and the Salute to Military Kids in Oct 2011.  Hehosts the free FRG in a Box program to support family readiness groups and their social gatherings, He is a member of the Air Force Association.  Swarner is also the 2010 Bryce Lily recipient at McChord Field.

The Civilian Hall of Fame was created to permanently recognize and thank men and women in the communities around JBLM who work to benefit service members, their families, our installation and the armed forces.

Nominees are selected by senior I Corps and installation officers, and may include business leaders, heads of civic organizations, local government leaders, or any individuals who have shown great support for Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Honorees are selected for their outstanding contributions and service throughout the community.

FROM ARMY TIMES...

At military installations, suburban-style sprawl is out and walkable communities are in, under new Defense Department planning guidelines released Thursday.

The guidelines call for "compact development" that incorporates mass transit and a mix of residential housing close to shops and other businesses. Energy conservation is a key goal; trees and other greenery should be considered as well.

It's "about doing things more efficiently so we can preserve land for future missions," said Dorothy Robyn, deputy undersecretary of Defense for installations and environment. "We think it will improve quality of life, but for us it's also about doing our jobs better."

She spoke at a forum sponsored by the National Capital Planning Commission and George Mason University.

SEE THE REST HERE

FROM ARMY TIMES...

Pending changes to at least 17 grooming regulations have evoked a flood of passionate responses from the ranks, for and against - but mostly against. The comments have been prevalent in blog and Facebook posts as well as letters to Army Times.

Some soldiers, such as Capt. Charles Caruana, give the changes a stout "Hooah!"

"It is about time someone decided that the Army has ‘lost its way' in trying to be over-accommodating when it came to soldier appearance," he said in a letter to Army Times. "If soldiers are ‘offended' by the new, upcoming rules then they should put the Army in their rearview mirror and drive out the gate. ... I found it disgusting that I saw an off-duty soldier in the shoppette at Fort Lewis's North Fort, unshaven, torn shirt and blue jeans ... with an earring and lip piercing. I could hear some Airmen behind me in line comment that he was a good example as to why the Army is the ‘ghetto service' that accepts anyone. I am glad the [sergeant major of the Army] is taking steps to fix this image."

But Caruana was a minority. Army Times received more than 100 letters complaining that the proposed new rules were too much to impose on a force that has weathered a decade of back-to-back deployments, more than 44,000 casualties and more than 5,000 dead.

SEE THE REST HERE