In her final days as vice commander of the 446th Airlift Wing, Col. Lisa Tank is reflecting on a legacy of leadership, one that is leaving an indelible mark on reservists at McChord Field. 

The colonel has been selected as director of the Joint Operations Center at U.S. Pacific Command, Camp Smith, Hawaii. 

"The hardest part about this is realizing that I'll no longer be a part of this fantastic team," said Colonel Tank. "We simply have the highest quality of reservists here."    

For more on the story, click here.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash.  -- Seven combat controllers assigned to the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron received several medals Wednesday for their accomplishments while engaged in combat operations in Afghanistan.

Read more 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.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - What an exciting way for about 250 men and women to start their Air Force career and for Joint Base Lewis-McChord to start Air Expo 2010. 

About 250 new Air Force recruits will be sworn-in at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning during a record-breaking ceremony at the JBLM Air Expo.

Col. Kevin Kilb, 62nd Airlift Wing commander, will enlist approximately 250 new recruits into the U.S. Air Force Delayed Entry Program.  This enlistment breaks the previous record of 178 DEP recruits swearing-in at the same time.  All of the men and women enlisting have come together through recruiting efforts throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The enlistment will take place on the Air Expo flightline in front of a large military aircraft static display, just before the aerial acts take to the sky at 11 a.m. 

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash.  -- The McChord Honor Guard Team has been named the 2009 Air Mobility Command Honor Guard Team of the Year. 

The Honor Guard Team has conducted 624 total funeral honors, to include final escort of 417 war veterans. In addition, they have performed flag folding at 225 retirement ceremonies and have executed 47 Joint Color Guards and parades.

"An average working week for our team includes 30 funerals and more than six color guard events," said Tech. Sgt. Bonnie Longie, 62d Airlift Wing Honor Guard NCOIC. 

Sergeant Longie has been the McChord Honor Guard NCOIC for two years, and she says she has seen vast improvements in the Honor Guard members.

"This team is very impressive," said Sergeant Longie. "They carry a level of pride unlike anything I've ever seen."

The Honor Guard requires a certain number of Airmen from each squadron to fulfill its quota. At any given time, there are 72 members, broken up into three teams of 24. Those teams rotate throughout the year, switching back and forth from stand-by to active status each month. 

"The volunteer rate has significantly increased," said Sergeant Longie. "Last year, we had a 65% volunteer rate. This year, that number is up to about 95%."

This year's AMC Honor Guard Team has not only completed an outstanding number of ceremonies and events, but they've also created a brand new training program that has been benchmarked AMC wide.

"The training program used to be a month long, but we've actually been able to cut that down to two weeks," said Capt. Tammy Ortung, 62d Airlift Wing Honor Guard Commander.

The revolutionized training program still includes the same vital training for funeral procedures, rifle practice, color guard and discipline. The new program has been recognized and adopted by other AMC Honor Guard teams. 

"We are representing the Air Force," said Captain Ortung. "We need to ensure our team is trained and prepared to show the proper respect and honor to these fallen servicemembers."

The men and women serving in the McChord Honor Guard Team continue their highly dedicated and determined attitude towards giving their fellow servicemembers the proper respect they deserve.

"There is a certain pride and professionalism that comes along with being a part of the Honor Guard," said Sergeant Longie. "These Airmen understand what it means to honor fallen servicemembers."     

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber will recognize the Howard O. Scott Citizens of the Year at its 29th annual presentation May 4.

The chamber is currently seeking nominations for the award.  Guidelines are as follows:

1. A Reservist or National Guard member, any service;

2. A resident of Tacoma or Pierce County;

3. Professional in both military and civilian occupations;

4. An exemplary volunteer in the community

5. Additional consideration given if the nominee is an employee of a Chamber member or owns a business that is a Chamber member.

Nominations should be no longer than two pages (no photos).  While military professionalism is important, this is usually a given standard, according to a letter from Gary Brackett with the chamber.  As such, he recommends the nomination focus on the nominee' s volunteerism in the community.

Selection of the honoree will be made by the Military Affairs Committee of the chamber.  Wing Reservists' nominations should be submitted to Lt. Col. Anna Sullivan, 446th AW Public Affairs, in Bldg. 1214.  Deadline for submitting nominees to public affairs is April 19.

Courtesy 446th AW Public Affairs

A pair of local former WWII female pilots were among a select group honored March 10 in Washington, D.C.

Each received the Congressional Gold Medal, the top honor awarded to a civilian.

Here is a link to the story in The News Tribune.

Nearly 2,000 emergency services vehicles from all over the U.S. and Canada gathered at McChord Dec. 8, lining up for the miles-long funeral procession for the slain Lakewood police officers. One airman from the 446th Maintenance Squadron stood at attention for nearly four hours as the procession exited the flightline. Read more here.

Four reservists from the 446th Airlift Wing have earned 2009 Fourth Air Force Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez awards in their respective categories.

• Civilian manager - Ralph Myers, 446th Aircraft Maintenance Group
• Senior NCO Aircraft Maintenance - Master Sgt. Brian Goodin, 446th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
• NCO Aircraft Maintenance - Tech. Sgt. Anna Jezek, 446th AMXS
• Airman Aircraft Maintenance - Senior Airman Joshua McCabe,446th AMXS

The award is presented to maintainers who have demonstrated the highest degree of sustained job performance, job knowledge, job efficiency and results in the categories of aircraft, munitions/missile and communications-electronics maintenance.

Retired Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez, now 77, visited McChord in April to partake in the 62nd Maintenance Group’s Knuckle Buster award ceremony.

After serving at McChord as a maintenance officer in the 325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing in 1962, Marquez later became commander of the 325th Organizational Maintenance Squadron in 1964.

“I fell in love with maintenance guys here at this base,” Marquez said on his visit.

When you think about local companies that support their reserve and guard members, Boeing automatically comes to mind because of all its close work with the government.

But Microsoft was recently awarded the 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award — the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers who support guard and reserve employees.

Maj. Stephen Oliver, a reservist with the 446th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and a Microsoft employee, was one of two reservists who submitted the company for the award.

Check out the print paper in the near future for more on this story.