More than 100 airmen assigned to the 4th Airlift Squadron departed McChord Field Aug. 26 for a 120-day deployment in support of the Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

The 4th AS is replacing the 8th AS, which is scheduled to return in the next few days.    

For more on the deployment, click here. 

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, more than 60 reservists from the 446th Airlift Wing will depart for various locations across Southwest Asia, with about 95 more preparing to head out within the next few months.

For more on what they'll be doing over there, click here.

Tech. Sgts. Steven Ostrander and Robert Fitzpatrick, both assigned to the 62nd Security Forces Squadron at McChord Field, received Bronze Star medals Aug. 18 for their leadership, forward thinking and technical knowledge during their deployments supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For more on the airmen and what they did, click here.

Members of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron deployed to the desert dropped more than 1,192,000 pounds to 22 different drop zones, including fuel, water, food and additional supplies needed by servicemembers on the ground at forward operating bases across the area of responsibility.

The endeavor, called Operation Everest, took place over the course of one week, and was an effort headed by the 816th EAS to "fully exercise the C-17 (Globemaster III) theater drop capability," said Lt. Col. Stephen Ritter, the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron commander.

For more on the mission, click here.

Airmen from the 8th Airlift Squadron, which left for a 120-day deployment April 22, are getting settled into their mission. Here is a report on their progress, written by a public affairs airman deployed from JBLM.

(62nd AW PA)- More than 100 airmen from the 8th Airlift Squadron will soon deploy to the Middle East in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. For approximately 120 days, the unit will operate out of a single base, managing and flying missions concentrated in and around Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa. 

The McChord Field airmen will take over the operations of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. The mission of the 816th EAS is to provide global strategic airlift, airdrop, aeromedical evacuation and humanitarian relief, to create an air bridge for personnel, equipment and supplies throughout their assigned areas of responsibility.

For more on the upcoming deployment, click here.

The JBLM-McChord Field Chapel Support Center and the USO is teaming up to host a dinner for deployed families from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday (March 1) at the chapel.

The dinner is open to McChord Field families with a spouse on a deployment or temporary duty assignment. 

The dinner will have a "March Madness" basketball and sports theme.

For more information, call the chapel at (253)982-5556.

Twenty-three security forces reservists recently returned home from a six-month deployment to Iraq.

Members of the squadron were responsible for perimeter security of the air base in northern Iraq, including detecting and stopping any hostile threats from enemy combatants. 

Read more about their deployment here.