Guides
I remember fighting with my brother to see which one of us would sit in the front seat of my parent's station wagon. A 1966 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon, it possessed 390 cubic inches of power captured in eight cylinders and controlled by a three speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission. I usually lost
Military Life
The challenge of Infinite Obstacles is for you to "get over yourself." "I've seen the simplest obstacles make people question their physical strength and recognize their fears," said Staff Sgt. Kristopher Xaros as we sat in a coffee shop. A child of the military, Xaros has served for 14 years, earning numerous
Guides
A walk down Sixth Avenue - or 6th Ave - is to stroll headlong into some cool Tacoma history. "One of the best things about Sixth Ave is that there's a small town feeling here," said Brittany Stefansson as she waited on customers at Shakabrah Java. "Ninety percent of our customers
Health
Running through Tacoma's Point Defiance Park is like running through a cathedral of green, peace and quiet. For the members of Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Team Red, White and Blue (RWB), The Mission Continues and Team Rubicon the park offered the perfect spot at Owen Beach to launch the 4th annual
Jobs & Education
About three years ago, the Veterans Resource Center opened on the Clover Park Technical College campus. "A lot of good comes out of this office," commented Army veteran Shawn Durnen, the center's lead navigator, as we sat on a comfortable sofa in a large, well-lit and information-rich room in a converted
News Front
Sgt. Andrew Portacio could taste his Expert Infantryman Badge. Kneeling on the side of a wet and worm strewn two-lane road last Friday morning just outside Scouts Out Gate and a few yards from the finish of a 12-mile road march, he held an EIB in his lips. His ruck weighed 45
News Front
A single, light blue handled shovel stuck into the ground caught my eye. The color was apt; light blue is the color of the infantry, the Army's oldest branch. As to shovel, its purpose was to turn a piece of earth marking a sacred place for the construction of a memorial honoring
News Front
The soldier's eye never moved as he stood at attention surrounded in a cloth sea of red, white and blue. Patriotism and a sense of sacrifice bring about that kind of reaction. Yesterday afternoon, more than 75 organizations converged on and in Tacoma's Stadium High School's gymnasium for the area's 30th annual
Family
Keona Ames studied the green LEGO before putting it on top of a yellow LEGO. "This is a great activity," commented Spc. Robert Ames as he watched his daughter. "We've been to these events before, but this is by far the largest variety and activities." In its tradition of support Joint Base
Military Resources
Chronic pain is a brutal experience. How it is addressed is complex and challenging. Researchers at the Madigan Army Medical Center will soon initiate a study to evaluate new ways of addressing chronic pain courtesy of a $1 million, three-year research grant from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. "The
Military Life
Joan Brown writes with a lyrical touch about the challenges and triumphs she faced as a military wife. Move - And Other Four Letter Words is a prize-winning memoir of Brown's life as her Air Force husband moved from assignment to assignment. A memoir about Brown's mobile marriage, the book presents fascinating,
Benefits & Deals
Shakespeare and due process go together. "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers," utters Dick the Butcher in Shakespeare's play Henry VI. In the play, Dick is a follower of the rebel Jack Cade, who believed if he disturbed the law he could become a king. Hence, contrary to what
Heroes & Awards
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Campbell waited a long, hard time for his Purple Heart. To be exact, he waited 44 years to receive the medal in order to honor the men he had served with. "This medal honors them," he said. Approximately 150 soldiers, airmen, local officials, family members and friends gathered
News Front
For every action there is a reaction. Especially in this are when it comes to downsizing the active duty military. The action is sequestration, the forced federal budget cuts that reduce $500 billion from planned military spending by 2021. Congress adopted sequestration in 2011 to force a long-term budget agreement, but since then
Stage
For Richard Baker the line between life and death is very thin, almost transparent. He served in Vietnam; he came home with PTSD; he tried suicide twice; then a Veterans Administration doctor suggested Baker return to Vietnam. He did. "I fell in love with the place and the people and never felt
News Front
The Army says it will listen to opposition to the budget cuts driving the drawdown of military members. Jan. 21, 2015 from 10 a.m. to noon in the McGavick Conference Center at the Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood, Army officials will listen to concerned individuals about its proposals to cut
News Front
Instability in one part of the world can have dramatic impacts in other parts of the world. Recognizing this, the Department of the Army announced yesterday that the Chief of Army has directed the 7th Infantry Division headquarters, located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, to add a "deployable capability" while simultaneously maintaining
Military Resources
The elves were busy this year at Santa's Castle on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. "I think we've given out close to $200,000 worth of toys," said Shelly Hinzman, the vice president for inventory, as she inspected recently delivered books and toys. "Just to give you an idea about the generosity of some
News Front
Collaboration builds lasting relationships. For the 34th time, American and Japanese soldiers are working together during Yama Sakura 67, Japan's largest command post exercise. The bilateral exercise, which began on Dec. 8 and ends on Dec. 14, is being conducted at Camp Asaka, Japan. "This is one operation; we are literally working side-by-side
Military Policy
I met Gary Sinise almost 15 years ago at McChord Field. Tuesday morning, I had the chance to reconnect. Nothing's changed about him - he is the same sincere and humble man I met a decade-and-a-half ago. What's more, his focus remains squarely on servicemembers and their families. "It's great to be
