Fort Lewis soldiers will be firing mortars and blowing stuff up around post through next week.

The post announced that soldiers will be firing 60mm, 81mm and 120mm mortars during the day and night until Sunday. And they’ll be exploding C4 and other explosives next Tuesday through Thursday.

The USO Puget Sound Area helps hundreds of thousands of people each year, and the organization received its due recognition Thursday.

The organization – which runs only with the hard work of more than 250 volunteers – received a five-star standards of excellence rating from the parent USO.

The rating is based on a review of the organization’s operations, services, volunteer program and community outreach.

“This award represents the gold standard for non-profit organizations and I am extremely proud of our staff and volunteers who work with such dedication, making this achievement possible,” Tom Jaffa, the USO Puget Sound Area board chairman, said in a release.

The USO Puget Sound Area served 386,017 members of the military in 2008; volunteers worked 26,344 hours. It operates centers at Sea-Tac Airport and McChord Air Force Base and a “mobile canteen”.

During the winter storms last month that stranded thousands at Sea-Tac, the USO managed to keep its lounge staffed around the clock and fed more than 250 service members and their families.

USO Puget Sound Area also helped operate a Toys for Tots drive, sponsored children of fallen service members on a free trip to Disneyland, distributed holiday meals for more than 600 families and awarded $2,500 in grants.

(Photo: USO volunteers distribute care packages to Fort Lewis soldiers preparing for deployment.)

A 29-year-old Colville man was among four soldiers killed Monday when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters crashed in Kirkuk, Iraq.

Chief Warrant Officer Benjamin H. Todd, 29, was serving in Iraq with the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment – a unit of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, N.Y.

Also killed was 31-year-old Chief Warrant Officer Joshua Tillery of Beaverton, Ore.

The military said the crashed don't appear to be caused by enemy fire. The accident is under investigation.

Todd, who is survived by a wife and child, is the 310th Washington soldier -- one who was either stationed here or has listed this as his or her home state -- to die while deployed since Sept. 11, 2001.

He joined the Army in October 2000 and completed warrant officer training in 2005. He was assigned to Fort Drum in November 2007 and deployed to Iraq 11 months later.

His awards include the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Expert Infantry Badge and the Parachutist Badge. He was also posthumously awarded the Bronze Star.

Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski of Bovey, Minn., and Chief Warrant Officer Matthew G. Kelley of Cameron, Mo., also died in the crash.