Focus
Although Julie Harlow hasn't worked in retail since she was a teenager, she counts her blessings each day when she comes to work. Harlow, 43, is one of three blind employees who work at the Express Store on JBLM-McChord Field located at the south end of the 62nd Logistics Readiness Squadron's
Operation Family Support
While life for a deployed airman can be difficult at times, it can be harder on his or her family back at home. But a new program designed by Air Force Services Agency officials as part of the Year of the Air Force Family campaign is designed to help ease some
Operation Family Support
Despite the plethora of support programs available to airmen and their families, in times of high operations tempo and steady deployments sometimes those who need the programs most don't take advantage of them. The Year of the Air Force Family is designed to bring those programs back to the forefront and
News Articles
Airman 1st Class Daniel Werth's face lit up with youthful enthusiasm as he started talking about the prospect of helping those in need. On the eve of his first deployment, the 20-year-old Michigan native wasn't quite sure what he was going to face, but he was sure going to tackle the
Roll Call
This year's Northwest Pacific Joint Service E-9 Ball will be sponsored by the Air Force. The ball is set for 6 p.m. Feb. 6 in Hangar 9 on McChord. All E-9s, including active duty, reserve, guard, retired, and their guests are invited to attend. Attire is mess dress or service
Roll Call
The Olympic Flight Museum in Olympia hosts the 10th annual Paper Airplane School & Contest from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 13. The event is open to participants of all ages, and will focus on various types of folding and flying paper airplanes - from simple examples to the "cutting
Focus
Retired Alaska Airlines mechanic Harold Smith never hesitates when he's asked when he's going to finish building his kit airplane. "Tuesday," he always answers matter-of-factly. There's never a week, month or year attached to the Tuesday, and that's the great thing about it, according to the 71-year-old Smith. Smith has been working on
Business News
FOR A GOOD CAUSE: The Pierce Military Business Alliance presented Chief Master Sgt. Greg Warren, the 62nd Airlift Wing's top NCO, with a check for $5,000 Tuesday during the Lakewood Area Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Committee meeting at Burs Restaurant. The grant is for McChord's Operation Warmheart. Pictured are
News Articles
Heading home to McChord late last week after flying a mission to Afghanistan, Capt. Rick Kind and his C-17 Globemaster III aircrew received a sudden change of plans. The 4th Airlift Squadron aircrew was rerouted to McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. to help play a key role in supporting Operation Unified
Veterans
The Social Security Administration has set up a Web site that helps military service members receive expedited processing of disability claims from Social Security. At http://www.ssa.gov/woundedwarriors/, answers to several questions about applying for disability benefits can be found. Benefits available through Social Security are different than those from the Department of Veterans
Roll Call
The Washington Veterans Home, located in Retsil (two miles east of Port Orchard), offers a full service rehabilitation program that includes occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech language pathology. The program is covered under Medicare Part A and B, as well as most private insurance companies. Personalized medical care and pharmacy
Roll Call
Armed Forces Blood Bank hosts a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Chapel Support Center on McChord. The blood collected from the drive goes directly to aid wounded servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Interested donors (ages 17 and older) should weigh at least 110 pounds,
Roll Call
This year's Northwest Pacific Joint Service E-9 Ball will be sponsored by the Air Force. The ball is set for 6 p.m. Feb. 6 in Hangar 9 on McChord. All E-9s, including active duty, reserve, guard, retired, and their guests are invited to attend. Attire is mess dress or service equivalent
Focus
It's not a stretch to say that Rollies Tavern in Lakewood is world-famous. Throughout the tavern's 33-year history, airmen who've stopped in to have a drink or grab something to eat at one time or another usually also pick up a few stickers with the tavern's logo and location printed on
Focus
The opportunity to probe, invade and infiltrate a network containing highly sensitive or classified information is the kind of stuff computer hackers dream about. For the nearly 100 airmen in the Washington Air National Guard's 262nd Network Warfare Squadron based at McChord, it's just another day at the office. "I can't do
Military Life
Growing up an only child in a house with two working parents, there were times when Joan Brown felt very lonely. It's a problem she doesn't have anymore. Life as an Air Force spouse and the more than 20 moves throughout the world have brought so many friends into the fold that
Military Life
When the McChord Air Museum rolls its latest completed restoration project, a B-18 Bolo, out of the restoration hangar and to its permanent location on Heritage Hill, it may bring tears of sadness to some sets of eyes. For the last 22 years, a group of nearly 30 museum volunteers have
Transitioning
Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base will likely grow a lot closer in the coming years as joint basing starts to take shape. But soldiers don't have to wait until the unspecified moves to take advantage of all that McChord has to offer. Fitness and recreation The fitness and outdoor recreation opportunities
Veterans
Ruth Sharp was determined not to let her hip replacement surgery keep her from one of her favorite activities. Despite needing the aid of a walker in the early stages of her recovery process, the 73-year-old Air Force spouse continued to honor her volunteer commitment to the Retiree Activites Office at
Military Life
Daniel Yeomans has seen it all before. A young airman enlists in the Air Force and plans on simply honoring their initial four-year commitment and then getting out with a clearer picture of their future. But while serving, the airman's eyes are opened to privileges and opportunities they may not have