Focus
You might say Col. Bruce Bowers' path to becoming the 446th Airlift Wing's commander started in a decompression chamber in the mid-1980s during undergraduate pilot training. After a stint working as an F-15 Falcon developmental engineer at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., while on active duty, Bowers entered into undergraduate pilot
Veterans
Even after separating more than 13 years ago, there is one life mantra military service taught Air Force veteran Brian Leonard that he still strongly embraces every day. "Take pride in what you do and how you do it," said Leonard, who served with the 78th Security Forces Squadron at Warner
Focus
Ryan Latham is used to rolling out the red carpet for local military members. As the group events coordinator for the Tacoma Rainiers and the ballclub's main link to the military community throughout the Puget Sound, Latham routinely works with various units to make area Servicemembers feel welcome at Cheney Stadium. But
Focus
Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry is still getting used to becoming part of the select group of 85 living recipients, and one of two from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been getting the rock star treatment since receiving the medal a week ago from
Focus
Even after serving 35 years with the McChord Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, when 84-year-old Lorraine Robertson puts on her Airman Battle Uniform, she really feels like she's part of something special. "When I put on that Air Force uniform, you just feel good - invigorated," she said. Robertson, a
Focus
Molly Feider had no doubt her volunteers were doing good work at the McChord Field Medical Clinic's pharmacy. But she wanted to see the operation for herself and thank them for their hard work in person. Feider, a project manager for the United Way of Pierce County's RSVP program, helps connect volunteers
Focus
As the tapping of military challenge coins on various tabletops echoed throughout the 4th Airlift Squadron's Heritage Room, a wide smile broke across the face of 9-year-old Evan Waara. He'd started the traditional Air Force "coin check." And when an Airman sitting on the other side of the room finally couldn't produce
Veterans
Don't be surprised if a large chunk of Cheney Stadium is filled with fans wearing red, white and blue in addition to their normal Tacoma Rainiers garb come Sunday afternoon at the Rainiers' 1:35 p.m. game against the Salt Lake Bees. Sunday is Disabled American Veterans Day with the Tacoma Rainiers.
Operation Family Support
It was a nice change of scenery for McChord Field Senior Airman Michael Robinson. Robinson, a member of the base's Honor Guard, routinely performs his duties during ceremonies at military funerals - up to nearly 80 per month. Those ceremonies are serious, somber affairs. But on July 1 at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma
Focus
MASON COUNTY - Air Force Col. Julia Scott saw a wide range of grisly injuries during her time working as a chief nurse at a military base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, during her most recent deployment. So no amount of twisted ankles, bee stings, open blisters, allergic reactions and high fevers could
Focus
The Tacoma based Mary Ball Chapter of the Daughter's of the American Revolution couldn't just stand by and watch a monument created to preserve an important event in American history fall into disarray. It goes against everything the organization stands for. So chapter members sprang into action and kick-started a yearlong restoration
News Articles
Master Sgt. Paul Slattery just couldn't stay clean. Working in a maintenance shop at a deployed location earlier in his career, Slattery was constantly covered in grease and oil. "My supervisor would always tell me to go and get a new pair of boots," he recalled with a laugh. Slattery enjoyed working on
Focus
McChord Center United Service Organization volunteers are steadfast in their dedication to the center and serving troops who come through. But when duty calls to help serve others in need, a couple of the center's volunteers recently stepped up to help on a national level with other organizations. About two weeks ago,
Focus
Even before he enlisted in the Air Force, Lanny Zoeller was interested in aviation. He served as a B-52 Stratofortress crewmember for four years during the Vietnam War, and his love for aviation is still strong after retiring from the Air Force nearly 40 years ago. Zoeller flew his North American
Focus
Whether you like running or not, it's a key part of the Air Force's Physical Fitness test. "Unless you're on a medical profile, you have to do your mile-and-a-half run," said Patrick Conway, 62nd Medical Squadron exercise physiologist and fitness program manager at McChord Field. So it's best to embrace it or
Business News
A robust community partner program that has swelled to more than 130 members is one of the reasons the Air Force Association's McChord Field chapter is able to do so many great things. And McChord chapter leadership members want to make sure the community partners that put forth effort that goes
Operation Family Support
BELLEVUE - A single mother with two young children under the age of eight, it's no easy task for Senior Airman Cassie Osuna to find time to speak to the right people about what educational benefits are available to her. Throw in Osuna's full-time job at Safeway as a cake decorator
News Articles
Sandwiched between a deployment to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, about five years ago, Col. R. Wyn Elder spent two assignments at McChord Field. And after two other assignments on the east coast and another in the Midwest, Elder's Air Force career has led him back to McChord. In front of a crowd
Operation Family Support
Even though the Northwest Natural Horsemanship Center in Fall City had already successfully assisted in the healing process for a handful of Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB), owner Jim Hutchins wanted more. "My goal was to get the families involved," Hutchins said. So the owner and director of
Kids
As part of the fourth class since its inception, the Washington Youth Academy will celebrate the graduation of 117 cadets on Saturday in Tacoma. Word of the success of the program is spreading fast throughout the state, and that's something that academy officials hope to keep going, said Elizabeth Bergmann, WYA
