Walkie Talkie Blog
Last week we announced a new club store format was to open at McChord Field. As reporter Melissa Renahan wrote, "The new format will feature a huge, new section of the store entirely dedicated to club packs and other oversized packaged products commonly found in commercial warehouse club stores, such
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GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING SPORT FOR 2.25.14 >>> After more than four decades, Vietnam War hero to receive Medal of Honor. Congress and others in the defense community pushed back on Pentagon plans to cut 120,000 personnel from the active and reserve Army ranks, retire entire fleets of Air
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Marcus Luttrell, the former Navy SEAL whose story is presented in the movie Lone Survivor, is recruiting singers to perform the "National Anthem" at each of the 11 stops on his 2014 Patriot Tour. Contestants are encouraged to submit a video using the entry form on the Patriot Tour Facebook Page
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Exercise Cobra Gold 2014 - the largest multinational and multiservice exercise in Southeast Asia, which takes places annually throughout the Kingdom of Thailand - concluded Friday. This year's iteration included forces from the U.S., Kingdom of Thailand, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, and several other observer countries. According to
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GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.24.14 >>> The U.S. Defense Department on March 4 will propose a five-year plan that boosts Pentagon spending by a total of $115 billion over sequestration spending caps. The U.S. Defense Department's latest military strategy review will stress the Pentagon's commitment
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GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.22.14 >>> A U.S. Army soldier was killed and seven were injured during a training exercise involving a large gun at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Ukraine parliament removes President Viktor Yanukovich, who flees Kiev in “coup. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has signaled that
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Congratulations to the following airmen who graduated Julius A. Kolb Airman Leadership School last week at McChord Field. Staff Sgt. Ryan Abel, 627th Civil Engineer Squadron Staff Sgt. Ramsey Tesch, 62nd Aerial Port Squadron Senior Airman Manuel Bowden, 62nd Operations Support Squadron Senior Airman Cleat Cooley, 62nd Aerial Port Squadron Senior Airman Sharif Delarge, 627th Security
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GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.21.14 >>> You wake up, tired and groggy, and you can think of only one thing: coffee. But in reality, first thing in the morning isn't the best time to hit the caffeine - and it's science that says so. The Ukraine peace
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Are you ready for a "V"-led acronym bonanza? The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the phased roll out of newly designed, more secure Veteran Health Identification Cards. The new cards are distinguished by additional security features and will have a different look and feel. In addition to being more secure,
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This just in from the folks at NORAD: North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct exercise flights today as they practice intercept and identification procedures. The exercise will occur over northwestern Washington. Although they are scheduled for the morning, the flights could be delayed due to weather concerns. The flights are scheduled to
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UPDATE: Operation Ward 57 received its free van from the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program at noon, Friday, Feb. 21 at Toyota of Tacoma. We captured the ceremony on video, which you can see below. ... Remember when we told you Operation Ward 57 - the organization that supports critically
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GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MONRING REPORT FOR 2.20.14 >>> Military can close bases without Congress's OK. The Department of Homeland Security is warning airlines to be on the lookout for terrorists potentially targeting U.S. flights with shoe bombs. The United States might have killed a dozen civilians in a wedding procession
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Looks like Rep. Graham Hunt (R-Orting) made the list with his list, if the list is about freshman legislators who sponsor bills that creat certified lists of veteran-owned businesses. Hunt's sponsored bill, House Bill 2744, would create a certified list, maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs, for veteran-owned businesses that
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GRAB A CUP AN DREAD THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.19.14 >>> The al Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed a twin bomb attack in Beirut today, saying such attacks would continue until Hezbollah forces withdrew from the fighting in Syria and its own fighters were released from Lebanese jails. There was a singular
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Bill Striegel, the Washington State Air Force Association vice president, just sent word the Puget Sound Military Support Coalition - AFA, AUSA and Navy League - has a bunch of PAC 12 Women's Basketball Tournament tickets for military personnel and their families, veterans and community partners. The tournament will be
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TODAY IN MILITARY SPENDING >>> Contract awards coming from the Pentagon dropped to $8.44 billion in January, the lowest point in nearly two years. Within the next six months, up to $8 billion of frozen Iranian assets will be released. With defense spending capped for 2015, it is unclear how Congress would substantially
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GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.18.14 >>> Five members of the Afghan Taliban held at Guantanamo Bay for years would be exchanged for the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured in Afghanistan in 2009. Syrian government troops have regained full control of a village in the
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Just when we were going to kick back with a scotch and cigar and read William DeGregorio's Complete Book of U.S. Presidents, Sen. Jim Honeyford's office sent us a news release on something pretty cool. In what has become an annual Senate tradition, Sunnyside Sen. Jim Honeyford joined his colleagues in
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UPDATE: The Washington state Senate honored U.S. Army Capt. William Swenson today. "Captain Swenson was awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of gallantry - at the risk of his life - above and beyond the call of duty. The danger Captain Swenson faced that day was not some general risk
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GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.17.14 >>> The U.S. Navy would get the largest chunk of the additional $36 billion the White House is considering giving to the Pentagon for fiscal 2016. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday accused Syrian President Bashar Assad of stonewalling in
