An astute Airman on McChord Field and a tech-savvy civilian network engineer on Lewis Main came up with a winning idea that likely saved Joint Base Lewis-McChord several million dollars.

Airman 1st Class Eric Tedor and Tim Allman were working on a project that gave Air Force employees computer access to Air Force networks on Lewis Main. Conversely, the network would give Army employees on McChord Field access to the Army's computer network. Tedor is a 21-year-old computer network technician known as a cyber transport specialist with the 62nd Communications Squadron. Allman is a network engineer for Network Enterprise Center, or NEC.

Sure, it seems like a simple problem, until you find out that each military service must use its own proprietary network. For many security and administrative reasons, there just isn't a way for the military to use one central network.

According to Department of Defense regulations, service networks are separate, so Army and Air Force networks can't commingle. With the joining of Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, there is ample reason to ensure that all civilian and military leaders can communicate with one another via e-mail and computer.

Fixing the problem looked complex and expensive. One of the primary solutions to the problem on JBLM was to run fiber-optic cable from McChord Field to Lewis Main.

"We aren't allowed to create an integrated or ‘purple' network, one that would combine Army and Air Force," said Air Force 1st Lt. Mica Myers, 62nd Communications Squadron officer in charge of networks and infrastructure. "So it looked like the only option was to run one from McChord Field to Lewis Main. It was estimated it would cost up to $13 million to run a fiber-optic network to Lewis Main."

Not only was the price tag high, the major construction project would have taken time and effort. According to Myers, just digging the trench for the cable would have taken several months.

With some sharp analysis and creative thinking, Tedor and Allman came up with an inexpensive way to piggy-back the systems - and save the joint base considerable time and money.

"The Network Enterprise Center worked in coordination with the 62nd Communications Squadron to develop the proposal of this solution that was presented to both the Air Force and the Army," said Heather Robinson, chief of services management, JBLM NEC.

"This joint effort ensured the solution was accepted and accredited by both services and is being implemented on base," Robinson said. "With this solution in place, we are able to save both the Air Force and Army millions of dollars in new infrastructure costs."

Tedor explained how the solution saved taxpayer money.

"When we came up with the proposal of a virtual network, or VLAN, it seemed like a best way to proceed," Tedor said. "It was the best use of our time and money.

"We used a VLAN network to extend one network through the other network. It allows us to tunnel the Air Force network through the Army's network without the networks touching each other, which keeps data from each branch isolated.

"In the field, we have a way of incorporating a network within a local area network. We thought this would be a perfect use of that configuration."

Currently, several computers to key leaders and employees are linked by the VLAN, with more connections likely in the future. With low start-up, maintenance and upkeep costs, the network appears to be an efficient and economical solution for Air Force and Army users on JBLM.

When Spc. Shane Rose became injured after dislocating his femur, his loss of the ability to walk was soon shadowed by other losses, those of independence and his sense of self.

His journey since came with the especially difficult and painful task of becoming someone different- stronger of spirit and weaker of body- than he was before.

Before, Rose spent his time healing Soldiers as a medic in the Army. Healing others had been a lifetime passion; in fact, he joined the military to get into the medical field.

"I grew up in a lifestyle of poverty, and it's kind of a black hole ... and it's kind of hard to escape that on your own," said Rose.

He enlisted in 2005, going first to Germany and then to Iraq, where he served with both the 1st Armored Division and with the Marines as a borrowed medic. It was in Iraq that Rose injured his right femur, destroying the connective tissue that held it in place- most likely from the weight of nearly 150 pounds of gear along with the increased activity of serving with the Marines, he said.

His femur didn't slip out until after he returned to Germany, while he was simply walking.

"I took a step with my right leg, and I knew immediately something was horribly wrong. It felt like bone-on-bone," said Rose. "It was the worst (pain) I ever felt."

At an aid station, his femur was put back into its socket, and while he felt some pain, he managed fairly well for the next several months. Then in one week, in the last part of October 2007, his life changed abruptly as he went from walking to being wheelchair-bound.

"We found out later ... that the blood supply had been interrupted, but not a lot, and gradually the right sequence of events went into place and the tissue (connected to the femur) just died," said Rose.

It wasn't just his ability to walk that left him. Rose couldn't dress himself, or even go to the restroom without his wife helping him.

The Army transferred him to the Warrior Transition Battalion to be as close to his family as possible for their built-in support structure. There, he relied on his wife and the help of Spc. John Schroeder, a medic who served as Rose's caregiver.

Soon, the anger and frustration built, along with the questions of "Why me?" and "What did I do to deserve this?", and then, finally, blame.

"I would actually wheel around the hospital and try to pick a fight with people," Rose said. "The fact that I did that - me- that's not the type of person I am, but I did that."

Doctors spent months examining him, trying to find the best plan of care to treat his dislocated femur, which Rose said is an extremely rare injury.

In May 2008, Rose saw a civilian practitioner in Seattle - Dr. Phil Downer, an orthopedic specialist who was "the best of the best for all things hip." That led to two surgeries - one to remove dead tissue, and a second to replace it with artificial tissue.

"Within 72 hours of my surgery, I could stand. I couldn't do it very well, but I could function," he said.

While he could stand, he couldn't walk- the surgery had also sewn his femur and hip together.

Enter physical therapy, every single day. In the first sessions, his therapist, Michael Hammond, would move his leg for him.

"He was mean enough to get the job done; I can't compliment him enough," said Rose. "The physical therapy was hard; it was rough; it hurt; it was miserable to go to. But the results were rapid and apparent."

His systematically recovered, going from a wheelchair to crutches, to walking in a pool, using a cane, elliptical training, and finally, running.

"I'm still not fast, but I can run," Rose said. In fact, he passed his diagnostic physical fitness test in January, at his new unit with the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe in Belgium, where he returned to duty in November 2009. He plans to take and pass his official test at the end of February.

He credits WTB Command Sgt. Maj. James Davis with encouraging him to stay in the Army; he was one of the first leaders to tell him, "Absolutely, we'll keep you."

He's received similar support with his current unit. Rose had to re-qualify to practice as a medic; he also got help from his unit with again meeting physical standards and other military training. He plans to eventually apply to get into a physician's assistant program. His advice to other injured Soldiers is to persevere.

"I know how hard it is, I really do. If I had known how I feel now back then, it would have been easier," he said.

"Getting from hell to being human again is a hard process. But it gets easier if you just keep on going. You can't quit."

They came to retrace the steps of their ancestors.

To see first hand "Yll-whaltz" or Muck Creek, where salmon have spawned for thousands of years. To journey past village sites and sacred burial grounds and walk along the Squally Plain, where Chief Leschi is said to have trained his warriors prior to the Indian Wars.

More than 200 Nisqually and Puyallup tribal members and friends arrived by bus at Range 91 on Sunday for the third annual Leschi-Quiemuth Honor Walk/Run.

The Joint Base Lewis-McChord command team of Col. Thomas Brittain, Col. Kenny Weldon and Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Barnes greeted the group as its members stepped off the bus.

"I want to welcome each and every one of you here today so that we can honor the Nisqually tribal history as we take this walk, tour and/or run," Brittain said.

The group of military and tribal members stood in a circle to say a prayer of blessing prior to the start of the event.

"I'm glad to see you young people here because this is your history," said Zelma McCloud, an 80-year-old Nisqually tribal elder who led the prayer.

"This land used to be where your ancestors lived; it was part of the reservation years and years ago."

In 1854, Isaac Stevens, governor of the Washington Territory, appointed Leschi and his brother, Quiemuth, as chiefs so they could sign the Medicine Creek Treaty.

The treaty officially formed South Sound Reservation lands that led to the Indian Wars of 1855-1856.

Chief Leschi, who had befriended many of the European settlers, believed the treaty was an act of trickery by Stevens.

Chief Leschi was hanged on Feb. 18, 1858. He had been charged with the murder of a colonel in the volunteer militia during the war.

According to Washington State Senate Resolution 8727, the Senate formally recognized the injustice on March 4, 2004. From that date, Chief Leschi has been regarded by the state as a courageous leader and a great and noble man.

The 7.2-mile walk and 12.5-mile bus tour journeyed along old Nisqually Reservation Allotments on JBLM Lewis Main that today are used as an artillery impact area. The tour ended at the Clear Creek Fish Hatchery.

The event first took place three years ago on neighboring Puyallup tribal lands, where Chief Leschi is now buried.

"For a time, Chief Leschi was buried here (JBLM) at a place that we'll be walking right by," said Dr. Bret Ruby, who works in the JBLM Public Works Environmental Division. "But then in 1917 when this part of the reservation was taken, they moved his body up to the Puyallup Reservation."

Last year the walk was moved to the present location after JBLM and Nisqually officials decided it would be a good way for tribal members to reconnect with the land.

"You might think taking 200 people through an impact area sounds like a crazy idea," Ruby said, "but (Col. Cynthia Murphy, former garrison commander, and Brittain) understood how important these places are to the people here and without question said, ‘This is the right thing to do. Let's make it happen.'"

As families made their way along the walk, they shared the stories their elders had told them about life on the old reservation.

For June Charles, 39, whose father was Nisqually and a World War II veteran, the walk along the prairie was the first time she'd seen the land from his stories.

"I've only seen the tribal side," she said. "I (had) to just come out and see for myself."

Grace Byrd, 39, a member of the Nisqually Tribe, said that five generations of her family showed up to walk.

"This is an honor to travel lands walked by our ancestors and our people," she said.

See more images from the walk at the following multimedia gallery:

The Nisqually Valley News has a great piece on Patrick Pastor.

Its deployment to Iraq at an end, the bulk of I Corps' soldiers will redeploy to Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in mid-March.

This is not to say that some of those soldiers have not already returned.

Over 120 soldiers from the Corps' Analysis and Control Element (CACE) redeployed in early December. 

An advanced element of about 100 soldiers returned several days ago.

The main body, however, is scheduled to return mid-March, and I Corps Public Affair Office (PAO) will issue a press release prior to the main body and command groups' return, which will be headed up by Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, commander, JBLM, and Command Sergeant Major Frank Grippe.

The Corps has much to be proud of.

Upon deployment to Iraq, I Corps expanded partnerships at all levels, particularly with the Iraqi Ground Force Command (IGFC) - Iraq's counter-part to I Corps.

I Corps relationship with IGFC proved essential during every operation, particularly in partnering with  providing direction to various divisions.  This foundation of cooperation will further future work.

In June of last year, Iraqi sovereignty became a fact.  American forces exited Iraqi cities and turned security responsibilities over to the Iraq police and army.

The success of this transfer of power - which could have begun a violent period - hinged on the close coordination between I Corps and the Iraqis. 

Insurgents and terrorists were unable to target the coalition forces repositioning into belts around the cities.

I Corps orchestrated the merging of US Force-Iraq (USF-I) into a single command with one commander on January 1, 2010.  This merger also coincided with the one-year anniversary of the implementation of an existing Security Agreement between the two countries.

The transition reflects the progress taking place in Iraq.  Just as important, the work is part of the draw down efforts of American forces as it prepares to meet a withdrawal date of December 31, 2011, as outlined in the Security Agreement with Iraq.

While the Corps' service has reinforced the working relationship this country enjoys with Iraq, it also has greatly improved security throughout the country.

On January 6, Iraqis celebrated National Iraqi Armed Forces Day in Baghdad and in several over provinces throughout the country.  The focus of the day was to pay tribute to US forces and recognize the growth of the new Iraqi Army.

Although not confirmed, it is believed that Col. Kevin Kilb, commander, 62^nd Airlift Wing, JBLM, will fly the command group back. 

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Members of the 513th Transportation

Company will be reunited with their families at a ceremony currently

scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Wilson Recreation Center.

The 513th Transportation Company deployed to Iraq in February 2009. The

company operated from Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, where it supported the

movement of supplies north into Iraq and assisted in one of the largest

and fastest military retrogrades of equipment in history.  The unit was

responsible for more than three million miles traveled on the roads of

Iraq and supplied all areas of the theater and most classes of supply

for U.S. Forces in Iraq. 

The "Roadrunner Warriors" were part of the Joint Logistics Task Force

57, which consisted of both U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force transportation

and maintenance units.  The unit also took part in moving ammunition

within Kuwait in order to assist in the resupply of forces in

Afghanistan.

The initiation of Joint Base Lewis-McChord means more than the changing of a few signs.

Soldiers donned Air Force blue coveralls last week as part of an ongoing personnel swap between the 555th Engineer Brigade and the 62nd Civil Engineer Squadron.

The exchange aims to provide valuable training to junior enlisted Soldiers and bolster the cooperation between Army and Air Force engineers.

Staff Sergeant Adam Stadler, section leader in the 62nd CES electrical shop, said the swap has been mutually beneficial.

"The last couple of days, they have been shown a lot," Stadler said. "It's definitely different having them here, but it's been good."

In one example of the work being done, the Soldiers helped replace fault indicators on high-voltage power transmission lines near access gates on JBLM McChord Field.

To ensure their safety, Soldiers wore protective blue coveralls during the indicator installation.

Safety is the main priority, whether they are training or responding to an actual service call, he said.

Air Force NCOs team up with Soldiers and mentor them during on-the- job training. Specialist Juan Cardoso and Stadler were hoisted in buckets up to the high-power lines.

With 13,800 volts flowing through the line, every step must be done carefully, Stadler said.

Cardoso watched as Stadler attached the indicator to a pole and set its spring- loaded latching mechanism.

While Cardoso held the live line steady, Stadler placed the indicator.

The indicators show a bright orange circle when a line loses power, helping crews locate the source of an outage much quicker than without them.

"In about three minutes, it'll turn black," Stadler said.

Cardoso placed the next indicator while Stadler steadied the line. On the first try, the indicator failed to latch on properly, and Cardoso had to reset it.

With a resounding click, the small box latched firmly in place.

"There was a little difficulty with the first one," Cardoso said, "but it's beautiful now."

On the ground, Spc. Keith Schleis, who has been in the Army for two and a half years, said the experience gained by working alongside the Airmen was invaluable.

"It's been great to be able to get out and do my job," Schleis said. "We don't get to work on these kinds of projects when we're not deployed."

Because Army engineers have a substantial tactical role downrange, their time in garrison is spent conducting combat training, he said.

"You start to lose all the little things you get if you don't do it all of the time," Schleis said.

Stadler said that productivity for the electrical shop has skyrocketed with the extra hands.

"It has nearly doubled our workforce," Stadler said.

In the 62nd CES utility shop, Soldiers have been tackling work orders from replacing toilets to fixing a break in an eight-inch water line.

Shop foreman Tech Sgt. Jason Norberg said the Soldiers were eager to get to work.

"They really hit the ground running," Norberg said. "It's been going great."

Soldiers and their Airmen mentors have responded to urgent calls for important tasks and everyday minor maintenance, completing them well, he said.

"They've done a really good job for us," Norberg said. "It's good to see the other side of the coin."

While installing a new toilet bowl in a C-17 Globemaster hangar rest room, Spc. Nicholas Engel said the different experiences were challenging and enjoyable.

"It's been extremely beneficial," Engel said. "I don't really get to do this part of my job a whole lot."

Engel said he's gained skills that he didn't have before the swap.

"I think coming over here has helped on both sides," Engel said.

A Soldier from the 595th Military Police Company competed in and won the 2009 Army Corrections Command Soldier of the Year "Best Warrior" competition held Jan. 22 and 23 in Tampa, Fla.

Private 1st Class Eric A. Bugarin, an internment and resettlement specialist, accomplished his goal when he won the ACC "Best Warrior" competition, as he represented the 508th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade during the American Corrections Association Winter Conference.

The day of the competition, Bugarin was confident he would outdo the other three Soldiers after receiving words of motivation from his supervisor, 1st Sgt. Jamie A. Kleppen.

"I knew on the physical fitness portion I had excelled because the first sergeant was timing me, but I was a little nervous about the board," said Bugarin.

The competition consisted of an Army Physical Fitness Test, a written exam, hands-on warrior tasks - including skill level one areas of first aid, communication and combat maneuvering - a mystery event and a board appearance in front of the ACC command sergeant major, the United States Disciplinary Barracks command sergeant major and command sergeants major from other Army internment and resettlement battalions.

"I know to always go in with confidence and shoot for first place, but when I was waiting for the winner to be announced, I was still a little nervous," Bugarin said.

"I already knew he was going to win and I have an overwhelming sense of pride by his accomplishment," Kleppen said.

Bugarin comressed three months of training into 10 days before the competition, running about three to four miles with Kleppen every morning, and doing about 100 push-ups and crunches a couple of times a day. He also studied for the board four to five hours a day - and all the work paid off.

"I really feel accomplished and proud, but even more so because my battalion commander, (command) sergeant major and first sergeant were excited and proud of me for winning," added Bugarin.

Bugarin will go on to compete in June for the title of "Soldier of the Year" for the Military District of Washington in Washington, D.C.

"I'm really excited to have the opportunity to compete at this level," he said.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Members of the 47th Combat Support

Hospital will be reunited with their families at a ceremony currently

scheduled for 11 p.m. Friday at Soldiers Field House.

The 47th Combat Support Hospital deployed to Iraq in February 2009. Upon

arrival, the unit assumed control of the 1st Forward Surgical Medical

Detachment, operating three Level III hospitals near the cities of

Tikrit, Mosul, and Al Asad- providing surgical, nursing, and ancillary

care to military personnel throughout the northern and western portions

of the Iraqi theater of operations.

While deployed, 47th CSH personnel conducted 57,000 patient evaluations

or procedures, hosted the first-ever web-based tele-medicine consult

between its Mosul-based hospital and Brooke Army Medical Center in San

Antonio, Texas, and conducted clinical training with Iraqi military

forces, and at the Tikrit Teaching Hospital.

"This merger creates an even more powerful asset in the defense of our nation," said Army Col. Thomas Brittain, Joint Base Lewis-McChord garrison commander. "We have worked together on deployments and now we are bringing that joint system back home."

As of Jan. 31, Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force base merged to become Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). The difference between this merger and one in the corporate world is that there will be no reduction in workforce here. In fact, base officials expect that the realignment will create new jobs as they work to improve services on the base. Department of the Air Force civilians will keep their positions but be systematically transferred to the Department of the Army over the next eight months.

"The biggest expenses we face now are administrative. The relocation of base employees along with the set-up of different offices," said Joint Basing PA Specialist, Joe Jimenez. "Plus there will be costs involved with rebranding, starting with replacing signage."

The hope is that the joint base system will eventually yield cost savings in the form of utilities and contracts. Of the 12 existing joint bases, JBLM is the largest under Army management and the only one with a Corps command. It would stand to reason that since the Air Force faces the most changes they would be apprehensive, but according to Jimenez, supporting the Air Force's mission was always a top priority.

"We are excited. This is about finding the best practices, decreasing the duplication of services and working towards common solutions that deliver improvements," said Air Force Col. Kenny Weldon, deputy commander, Joint Base Garrison.

"Despite all that went on before now, the real work starts today," said Brittain. "Through a phased integration JBLM will control everything that is not considered fly away, go-to-war services for the installation." In total, there are 49 functions for the city that JBLM will handle.

The transition will be complete by Oct. 1, 2010 at the start of the new fiscal year. By that time, all contracts and services will be provided through the Army. JBLM will support a population on base and in neighboring communities of more than 100,000 people, which includes service members and their families, civilian and contract employees and retirees.