Focus
For 20 years Joint Base Lewis-McChord Aquatics Director Bill Miller lobbied for a complete overhaul of Kimbro Pool. The pool finally closed its doors last October, but when they reopen in September to a multi-million dollar renovated facility, complete with an indoor splash park, Miller won't
Focus
Life can take unexpected turns, even for men of the cloth. When Chaplain (Col.) Gary Studniewski returned from Iraq in 2009 at the end of a deployment with 555th Engineer Brigade, he was prepared to move on from Fort Lewis. Instead he made the promotion list to colonel
News Articles
From the size of the stumps still in the ground, the large oak trees that came down near Grandstaff Library on Joint Base Lewis-McChord Lewis Main two weeks ago were very old. But as Joint Base Lewis-McChord expands its roads to meet the needs of the growing
Schools
The students of Carter Lake Elementary School erupted in applause as the names of four classmates were announced at a school assembly. The students called to the front of the courtyard had not only increased their test scores but also won a schoolwide raffle for a
Focus
Specialist Vilmar Galarza-Hernandez always had a smile on his face. The 21-year-old Soldier never complained and always said yes. His positive attitude touched his fellow Soldiers in 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment. "His smile always made my day better. His attitude always made me feel it's not
Military Life
Jeremiah Fountain had planned on finding a job when he left the Army last October. But with no interesting jobs open, and his wife Myra, a first lieutenant in the 709th Transportation Detachment, expecting their first child, he decided that it was time to go back to school
Military Life
With their families and friends looking on, future doctors, nurses, teachers and engineers received scholarships from the JBLM Family Member Scholarship Fund at the Family Resource Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord June 8. The 24 recipients are the children and spouses of Soldiers stationed at JBLM,
News Articles
Sergeant Timothy Mills didn't have high expectations when former National Guardsman Sgt. Michael Knapp was first assigned to his section in 2009 as a private first class. But after working with him, Mills came to admire Knapp as one of the best Soldiers he has ever met or worked
Focus
Shawn Bowen pulled his three challenge coins from his flight suit May 17 before boarding a C-17 Globemaster III on JBLM McChord Field. He was ensuring that his 4th Airlift Squadron tour guides had their coins as well; if they failed to produce coins they owed the
Veterans
Retirees from across the Pacific Northwest will take over McChord Field's Hangar 9 May 18 for Joint Base Lewis-McChord's annual Retiree Appreciation Day. The annual health and information fair is a collaboration between retiree service offices for Army and Air Force retirees at JBLM. There will be 56
Military Life
Andrea Terialles had to be convinced to log her and her family's many volunteer hours onto the Volunteer Management Information System, the tool used by volunteers across installations worldwide. "That's not why we do the service," Andrea said. What finally convinced her was the need for the Army to
News Articles
A wounded warrior reached a career milestone last week that appeared impossible five years ago. With the passing of the NCO sword, Command Sgt. Maj. John Blue assumed responsibility as the commander's chief enlisted adviser for 2nd Battalion, 357th Infantry Regiment, 189th Infantry Brigade. Command Sgt.
Focus
As 13-year-old Kyle Smerer waited for the Seattle Mariners' home opener against the Oakland A's to start April 13, he was hoping that his dad, 1st Sgt. Steve Smerer, of 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, was watching the game from Afghanistan. Kyle was to "Steal-A-Base" after the
News Articles
Two popular Seattle-based bands are making the trip to Ellensburg, about an hour from Yakima Training Center in Central Washington, for a benefit concert for Wounded Warrior Project. The show, The Price of Freedom: A Concert for Wounded Warriors, is being put on by the Civil
Schools
Tri-fold presentation boards were lined up on the tables that spanned Pacific Lutheran University's Olson Auditorium Saturday afternoon. The judges took their time inspecting each display, making notes as they read the findings of the high school students from around the region. Among the judges, many
Kids
Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs and Trefoils-these classic cookies are often what people first think of when they see Girl Scouts, but on the 100th anniversary of the worldwide organization, scouts on Joint Base Lewis-McChord are doing more than selling their signature treats. Scouts have been participating
Support
In a show of support for the Soldiers of 3rd Brigade., 2nd Infantry Division currently deployed to Afghanistan, family readiness groups are planning to walk locally 6,750 miles, the distance between Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Afghanistan, before the brigade returns later this year. "This is something we
News Articles
After the January snow and ice storm, 1st Lt. Alex Wingate, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, knew that the ranges his 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division unit was scheduled to train on in February were going to be a mess. "It was clear early on that it was
