Operation Family Support
In July 2007, Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a licensed clinical psychologist, began collecting resources, information and volunteers in order to found Give an Hour. Give an Hour is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free counseling and other mental health services to active duty servicemembers, National Guard members, reservists, and
Operation Family Support
The Capital Playhouse in Olympia offers a variety of summer programs focused on the arts, including the Kids At Play (KAP) series, which will put on five performances this year. The first performance will be "Willy Wonka," based on the popular book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl,
Housing
Capt. Dayne Nelson, who recently completed his six-year residency at Madigan Army Medical Center, knew that he would be PCSing this summer and that he would need to sell his family's home. Nelson and his wife Quinn purchased their home in DuPont back in March 2006, when the real estate
Focus
The Washington Army National Guard's 133rd Army Band, which is comprised of 41 citizen-soldiers, will kick off their annual week's worth of free summer concerts for the local community. Venues, which will span from Olympia to Tacoma to the peninsula, are chosen based on the location's popularity within the neighborhood
Military Life
"The entire Army community is changing, and the spouses' clubs are following suit," explained Officers' Spouses Club president Stacey Phillips, whose husband, Lt. Col. Michael Phillips, is a commander with the 308th Brigade Support Battalion, 17th Fires Brigade. For the past two years, the OSC has shared building space with the
Focus
I Corps bid farewell Monday to three of its highest-ranking officers as part of an honors ceremony on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Brig. Gen. Peter C. Bayer Jr., departing chief of staff for I Corps and Fort Lewis and Brig. Gen. Heidi V. Brown, departing deputy commanding general for sustainment, I Corps,
Military Life
"This has always been my dream," said the new reigning Mrs. Washington 2010, Carla Richards. "It took 24 years and nine tries - but I got the title!" On June 19, in what was her fourth attempt at the Mrs. Washington title since 2007, the 41-year-old Richards was finally crowned the
Veterans
There are two main issues plaguing the veteran community, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide, and one can often contribute to the other. Of the estimated 30,000 suicides that occur each year in our country, 20 percent, or roughly 6,000, are attributed to veterans. Point Man International, which was founded in Seattle
Veterans
The 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) memorial wall bears the names of 166 fallen soldiers from the unit, dating back to Vietnam. On June 1, that number rose to 168 as the names of the two soldiers from the unit to die this year were added. "All gave some, some gave
Education
The U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine funded FOCUS Program was created to help military families deal with ongoing and sometimes multiple deployments. On a basic level, the program strives to initiate family-level problem solving, clarify misunderstandings, enhance communication, and increase parents' ability to handle the emotional and behavioral reactions that
Focus
"I think, for military, finding child care is always a little bit harder. We are frequently in a new place with no family or friends nearby and often facing a deployment. It becomes more challenging," explained Tahara Norton, a military spouse from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It is Norton's own experience
Deals
The Pacific Northwest's outdoors have so much to offer - from gorgeous views and mountains to fish that people in other parts of the country can't imagine. What the outdoors here does not offer, however, is sunshine strong enough to give you a tan. As a result, when summer arrives,
Focus
"What's funny is that Bremerton started this tradition two years prior to it actually being named a holiday," said Frank Gentile, operations manager for the Bremerton Area Chamber of Commerce and retired Air Force master sergeant. "Back then it was ‘Bud Hawk Day' to celebrate his Congressional Medal of Honor.
Focus
If you ask anyone who knows her, Elisa Sukenick is a woman on a mission. Within minutes of a first introduction, you know that patriotism is something she takes very seriously. You also know that she stands behind every word she says - literally. In 2003, on the day the troops
Schools
"This started simply as an answer to the dramatic school budget cuts that eliminated many arts classes," said Paula Lemmon, founder of the Ovation Academy in DuPont. "Clearly, based on our rapid growth, this was a need that wasn't being met before." Lemmon arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord three years ago.
Focus
When Emyrse Geye was a high school senior at the Tacoma School of the Arts she decided to devote her final project - which could be an internship, an exhibition, a research or community service project, or a production - on something with which she was all too familiar: surviving
Veterans
Retired Col. John Dhane and his wife, Denise, have been married for 33 years. Together they raised two children, spent 21 years in the Army, started a successful orthodontic practice in DuPont, and have managed to change how local communities support the military. "We're taking it one step further than the
Housing
Prior to last September, there were no laws governing home inspectors in Washington. The only licensing that an inspector could obtain before then was a Structural Pest Inspector's license with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, enabling them to recognize things like wood decay and termite damage. While knowledge in
Focus
On April 23, the McChord Field Clubs and Community Center was a hot spot for the 100 guests on hand for the 32nd annual Retiree Activities Office's Dining Out event. In addition to providing local retirees a chance to swap war stories and memories, volunteers from the RAO were recognized, and
Veterans
In light of the recent overseas casualties that have rocked the communities surrounding Joint Base Lewis-McChord, one man was inspired to do something. "I just wondered how many residents of DuPont have been killed in action since September 11, 2001," said retired Col. Phil Courts. The longtime DuPont resident is familiar
