Fort Lewis will conduct late-night firing tonight through Thursday night. They’ll be shooting off 155mm howitzers and using C4 at “numerous firing points on the installation.”

Want to complain? Call the Fort Lewis public affairs hotline at 253-967-0852.

Maj. Gen. Timothy Lowenberg, the adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, will give a speech and participate in a Q&A session next week before the City Club of Tacoma.

Wednesday’s session is titled “The New National Guard: The National Guard of the 21st Century,” and a press release said Lowenberg will discuss the transformation of the Cold War-era Guard to today’s organization.

Lowenberg is also scheduled to “highlight the metamorphosis that has led the National Guard into current partnerships with 63 countries to defend the nation and its interests all over the globe. Gen. Lowenberg will also discuss the many adjustments the troops and their families have had to make and address the Guard’s wide-ranging roles and responsibilities.”

It’s open to the public, but you must RSVP by Monday. If you’re interested, here’s the info:

What: City Club of Tacoma dinner meeting
Who: Maj. Gen. Timothy Lowenberg, adjutant general of the Washington National Guard
Where: Wheelock Student Center Rotunda, University of Puget Sound, 1500 N. Warner St., Tacoma
When: 6 p.m., Nov. 5
How much: $23 for members, $30 for guests. Includes dinner and parking.
RSVP: By Nov. 3 at 253-272-9561

My colleague Brent Champaco reports Lakewood is considering covering diminished salaries for city employees who are deployed to active military duty.

The city already extends medical and dental benefits to deployed employees' dependents for up to two years. No city employees are deployed or preparing to deploy.

From the article:

Under the proposal, Lakewood would join four other local governments who cover or have covered an employee's lost salary if service overseas means a decrease in pay. The City of Tacoma covers the gap, and Pierce County does it for up to two years.

City staff will bring back more information to the City Council next week.
Councilman Ron Cronk requested that staff survey what private employers do for deployed workers, and Councilman Pad Finnigan also requested more information.

Philosophically, there are probably few communities that would oppose helping deployed employees in this way, Finnigan added, "I'd just like to see some data."

(Mayor Doug) Richardson, who is a brigadier general in the Army Reserve, said the large number of military veterans living in Lakewood would likely support the salary benefit.

"I find it very hard to believe they'd be up in arms that we're keeping families whole while they fight overseas," the mayor said.