The 62nd Airlift Wing, headquartered at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, McChord Field, has confirmed that Col. R Wyn Elder, 62nd AW commander, will relinquish command this summer to incoming Col. David J. Kumashiro. Kumashiro, who was previously the 436th Operations Support Squadron commander at Dover Air Force Base, is currently working with the Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell, which is a part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. As of press time, a date and time for Kumashiro's change of command had yet to be scheduled. 

Organizers of Alaska Air Cargo's annual "Copper Chef Cook-off" have announced the contestants in this year's chef competition.

(Record scratch sound)

OK, only one to us. Air Force Reserve Master Sgt. Robert Shulman, a 31-year Airman and chef, will represent Joint Base Lewis-McChord's 446th Airlift Wing during the chef competition at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow at Seatac Airport.

(Record scratch sound)

That's right, 6:30 a.m. It's a yearly tradition for Alaska Airlines to fly in the first Copper River Salmon of the season - Alaska's premier wild salmon - touching down before the sun comes up, then forcing the area's best chefs to cook the fish in a competitive atmosphere.

Read more...

Maj. Gen. Richard S. Haddad, deputy to the chief of staff of Air Force Reserve, testifies during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, on Capitol Hill, May 15. Active and Reserve component leaders testified to the subcommittee about the FY14 President's Budget request and projected construction projects. The proposed budget has $45.6 million to fund new Air Force Reserve projects. This includes a Joint Regional Deployment Processing Center at March Air Reserve base, Calif., a Squadron Operations Facility at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and an Entry Control Complex at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.

This from The News Tribune: A former stockroom foreman at the McChord Field Exchange has been accused in federal court of stealing more than $325,000 in electronics and other merchandise from the store.

Andrew Quitugua allegedly admitted stealing from the exchange for nearly three years and selling the ill-gotten goods to a man he met through Craigslist, court records show.

Quitugua, who has yet to enter a plea, is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma next month for a pre-trial hearing.

Read the entire story here.

From Air Force Times: SPOKANE, Wash. - Search teams are looking for a 26-year-old airman from Fairchild Air Force Base who's believed missing after taking his canoe out on the Spokane River.

Friends of James Ramse-Lassiter located his truck on Monday, parked at Riverside State Park at the Bowl and Pitcher area of the river. His canoe has not been found.

The Spokane County sheriff's office says Lassiter went out in his canoe sometime Saturday. Preliminary reports indicate he did not have a helmet, life jacket or exposure suit when he went on that outing.

Sheriff's deputies searched the area by jet boat and jet skis on Monday. Fairchild and the Border Patrol both provided helicopters to aid in the search.

Deputy Craig Chamberlin says searchers have heard from two people who say they saw a canoe Saturday while walking on a trail along the river. That may help focus the search.

From Air Force Times: One of the latest phishing scams targets fiancées of service members in an attempt to lure them into "registering" in the Defense Finance and Accounting Service "system" to be entitled to receive benefits if their service member dies - for a $350 fee.

It's not from DFAS. Rather, it's a typical scam used by phishers when trying to extract personal information and, in this case, money, from any victim who takes the bait.

As DFAS officials note on their legitimate website: "We will not send you unsolicited email messages with attachments (especially as poorly written as this!) or letters asking you to send money to pay for some benefit that sounds too good to be true."

If an email looks even remotely suspicious, do not click on any links or open any attachments.

Clover Park School District will begin enrolling kindergartners for the 2012-13 school year beginning Monday, May 14. Carter Lake Elementary School, 3415 Lincoln Blvd SW on JBLM McChord Field, will host its Kindergarten Parent Orientation Wednesday, May 16 from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. This meeting is for parents only. Parents are strongly encouraged to come and learn about the opportunities their children will have next school year.

For more information, call 253-583-5210.    

From Air Force Times:  What started as a half-hour jam session for airmen working the night shift in Afghanistan has landed a staff sergeant an audition for the reality show "The Voice."

Staff Sgt. Angie Johnson has YouTube to thank for all the attention.

Johnson is part of Air Forces Central Command's band Sidewinder. The band performed a quick acoustic set - without microphones or sound equipment - for 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron airmen Aug. 8.

The next day, fans posted a video of Johnson belting out Adele's hit "Rolling in the Deep." By Aug. 18, the video had logged 900,000 views.

It quickly garnered attention from cable and network news. Talk show host Carson Daly called on Twitter for Johnson to audition for NBC's "The Voice," a singing competition Daly hosts and featuring celebrity judges.

Watch the video here. 

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - The U.S. Air Force this week published a new instruction manual on dress code and appearance that provides airmen with more specific guidance on acceptable uniform and personal grooming standards, as well as body art, jewelry, cosmetics and "dental ornamentation." Airmen say this is the first time all the regulations have been easily accessible in one document.

Air Force officials say that most of the changes in the 179-page manual involve the addition of more detail and clarification to existing policy, something that airmen working at Kaiserslautern-area bases say was long overdue.

"It was a mess before," said Staff Sgt. Richard Wynn, 28, referring to the disorganization and ambiguity of the previous guidance. "It was so confusing ... it was so outdated. If you were out of regulation, people didn't say anything because ‘you can't prove that.' "

The updated guidance will make it harder for airmen to get away with dress violations, airmen at Vogelweh said Tuesday, but it will also be easier for airmen to understand what the regulations are, and limit room for subjective decisions on what is and is not allowed.

"It's a big relief," Wynn said.

To read the complete story, click here.

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Liposuction, a popular shortcut to a leaner body, might be a shortcut to a leaner paycheck, loss of rank or a career-ending ticket to civilian life for Airmen.

The cosmetic procedure is not an acceptable solution to trimming inches or weight to meet physical requirements, said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Dave Simon, chief of the medical staff for the 6th Air Mobility Wing. In short, trying to make tape via liposuction is not something the Wing will ever sign off on, and "sneaking" off to have the procedure done could not only lead to a ding on one's Air Force career, it could hamper readiness, jeopardize health or otherwise interfere with the duties of Airmen and jeopardize the mission, Col. Simon noted.

"I can't foresee any situation in which it would be approved," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Terry Haag, chief of aerospace Mmdicine at MacDill AFB. "It's cosmetic and elective, and not something you have to have done."

The primary concern is that with physical fitness requirements becoming more stringent and the emphasis on being "fit to fight," Airmen worried about that little extra around the middle will be tempted by the promises of liposuction.

The bottom line, however, is liposuction is a surgical procedure, which has risks, requires a recovery period and potentially renders an Airman-patient unable to perform at peak level, perhaps even interfering with duty or deployment.

"Infection," said Colonel Haag is the number one risk of liposuction. "There can be other complications, but that is the biggest concern."

Liposuction also doesn't make a person more fit, he said.

"It isn't real," Colonel Haag said.

In addition, unless a lifestyle change is made, such as adjusting the diet or exercising more or more effectively, the weight removed with liposuction is bound to return in short order.

"There are no shortcuts to physical fitness and better health," Colonel Haag said. "It's something that requires work and discipline."

From an Air Force and 6th AMW standpoint, a ready force able to deploy in short order is a priority, which is why any elective surgery has to be approved by a unit commander and medical staff. It also is why there can be severe consequences for Airmen who have elective surgery done without prior clearance.

Disciplinary action for Airmen who have surgery done without command or medical approval can lead to anything from a letter of reprimand to an Article 15 or even a courts martial under Article 92, dereliction of duty, said Capt. Joey Smith, chief of military justice in the 6th Air Mobility Wing Judge Advocate office.

The action taken depends on the Airman's history, as well as the commander's discretion, said Captain Smith. Among the options could be loss of pay, loss of rank and even discharge.