Military Policy
The Overseas Cost-of-Living Allowance (OCOLA) is an allowance that ensures our service members who are assigned to a permanent duty station outside the contiguous U.S. (OCONUS) (i.e., foreign countries, U.S. territories, Alaska, and Hawaii) maintain the same level of purchasing power as service members stationed in CONUS locations - not
News Front
The Defense Health Agency's Hearing Center of Excellence Military Hearing Conservation Report for fiscal year 2021 revealed that hearing loss in the Department of Defense remains relatively stable among service members and civilians enrolled in hearing conservation programs. The report showed the percent of hearing-impaired service members increased slightly from 14.5%
Military Policy
April is the Month of the Military Child, a month highlighting the important role military children play in the military community. The Air Force surgeon general has made improving support for military children one of his priorities. The health and well-being of military children is always a priority for military personnel.
Focus
The Cascade Mountain range stretches nearly 1,200 miles from British Columbia to Northern California and is home to more than a dozen active volcanoes. That is enough to keep Brian Terbush, an Earthquake / Volcano Program Coordinator at the Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD) busy. "The USGS monitors 161
Explore
Summer is right around the corner and it's never too early to plan a road trip. Washington offers plenty of scenic and adventurous road trip options during the summer months. From the rolling hills of the Palouse to the rugged coastline of the Olympic Peninsula, there is something for every
Military Policy
ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) - The Air Force is changing the process of how First Term Airmen can retrain to provide additional opportunities for airmen to stay in uniform instead of separating. Effective June 1, all FTA can retrain into any Air Force Specialty Code they qualify for that is under 90%
Military Life
FORT LEE, Va. - Commissary customers stateside can stock up on their favorite items while enjoying deeper savings during the Defense Commissary Agency's "Hometown Heroes" Sidewalk Sale event May 1-29. McChord Field will host its sale May 26-29, while Lewis Main will be May 25-28. "The title of our sidewalk sale event,
Focus
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD - A dozen historical items documenting the extraordinary legacy of a Medal of Honor recipient who lived out his retirement in a community just outside of Joint Base Lewis-McChord fill an office room at the JBLM Headquarters building. Staff Sgt. Rebekaira Dickerson, with the 627th Air Base
News Front
JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD -17th Field Artillery Brigade soldier, 1st Sgt. Grant M. Bolin, a senior noncommissioned officer with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, received the Gruber Award on April 11, 2023. The award was named after Brig. Gen. Edmund L. Gruber, who as a first lieutenant, composed the
News Front
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD - The 627th Civil Engineer Squadron mission is to enable joint warfighters through building combat ready engineers and strengthening the joint base. Their continued dedication to the mission, along with the 627th vision to train ready, reliable, and integrated airmen has led them to receive the 2022
Military Policy
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS)— The U.S. Air Force is revolutionizing how it recruits and commissions the next generation of cyber professionals. The Air Force is utilizing the Cyber Direct Commissioning Program to address current manning requirements in the cyber workforce. Leveraging this authority allows the Air Force to
Family
Empowerment 4 Girls' mission is to affirm the self-worth of all girls as they work toward their vision of a just world where all youth are confident, resilient, and resourceful. They achieve this by providing girls with the tools, life skills and support network to succeed academically, socially and emotionally
News Front
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD - In her keynote address at the 2021 annual meeting and exposition of the Association of the United States Army, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth predicted that "fiscal year 23 will be the year of long-range precision fires." In February, the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force long-range fires
Family
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD - Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Morale, Welfare and Recreation group is inviting JBLM families to embrace their wild side and join in on the fun at this year's Kids' Fest event set for April 29. Themed "Welcome to the Jungle," the free event will kick off at noon at
Military Policy
"This happened to me" is a common phrase Liz hears. Elizabeth "Liz" Bruce, a civilian victim advocate for 201st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade (E-MIB) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), has dedicated her career to supporting victims of sexual assault. She is passionate about helping soldiers who have experienced
Health
Did you know that unmanaged stress can affect your overall well-being? Over time, unchecked stress levels can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, depression, substance use and more. This is why VA incorporates stress management tools into so many of our programs and resources, including our mobile apps. During
Focus
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD - On a Pacific Northwest winter day in early 1942, a U.S. Army Air Force Lieutenant Colonel came to McChord Air Force Base searching for a few good men from the 17th Bombardment Group to join him on a secret mission. The mission would not be easy
News Front
There are no major ongoing wars, but soldiers are still away from their homes and families more than ever before, according to a Military.com study published this week. Despite the absence of major conflict, military personnel continue to deploy for various missions, including training exercises, peacekeeping operations, and responding to natural
News Front
The MSM/GM conference kicked off on Monday with the presentation of store awards, including the COO X Award, the Building the Bench Award and the Services Cup. COO X Award The Chief Operating Officer's X Award is presented to one main Exchange in each of the size categories (super, large, medium and
Military Life
At Beachwood, Carter Lake, Idlewild and Meriwether, students and staff sported their brightest purple attire on April 14 to celebrate military-connected students and honor the sacrifices they make as their family members serve our country.
