Scott Fontaine covers Fort Lewis, McChord Air Force Base, the Washington National Guard and the veteran community. Fontaine has worked at The News Tribune since 2006. E-mail along story suggestions and tips to scott.fontaine@thenewstribune.com
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Matt Misterek is the communities and military team leader at The News Tribune and has supervised local military coverage since 2003.
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BAGHDAD – I just spent the day with Col. Larry Saunders. The former police chief of Lakewood is nine months into his assignment as senior advisor for the Baghdad Police College Transition Team.
The full story will be coming out sometime in April, but I can tell you this: The police academy the Iraqis have built is pretty impressive, and Saunders seems to relish his role.
He has an office at Forward Operating Base Shield in the heart of Baghdad but works next door at the police college, a 142-acre campus of class rooms, laboratories, ranges and living quarters.
I asked him what it felt like to put on the uniform after 10 years away from the military.
"It felt great," he said. "I love being a soldier. It’s a great way to end a career."

