News Tribune reporter Adam Lynn files this story after interviewing the new top airman in the Puget Sound area Friday:
------------------------------------

The new commander of McChord Air Force Base will have his hands full as the Obama administration moves to draw down troops in Iraq and increase operations in Afghanistan.

McChord and its 4,600 military and civilian personnel and 43 C-17 cargo jets certainly will play a central role “if a decision is made to shift forces anywhere in the world,” Col. Kevin J. Kilb said Friday.

“Obviously, we’re focused on doing our part to win today’s fight,” Kilb said after being installed as commander of the 62nd Airlift Wing during festivities at the base south of Tacoma. “The continuous support of the war fighter is what we’re focused on.”

He replaces Col. Jeffrey Stephenson, who has been appointed as chief of staff of the Air Force Chair at the National War College in Washington, D.C.

Local concerns also will occupy Kilb, a 20-year Air Force veteran who has commanded units across the world.

Kilb, 43, told The News Tribune that one of his top priorities will be ensuring that McChord’s merger with Fort Lewis goes as smoothly as possible. Wing commander assignments usually last 20 to 24 months.

The two Pierce County military installations are scheduled to become a single base by October 2010. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission ordered the consolidation in 2005.

“Making sure we get that right” while “taking care of our airmen and their families” will require a concerted effort over the next year or so, Kilb said.

“We want to become the model joint base in the Department of Defense,” he said.

Kilb comes to McChord from Air Force headquarters in the nation’s capital, where he served as chief of the Global Mobility Division and chair of the Global Mobility Panel, Directorate of Programs, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Programs.

He is a command pilot with more than 3,600 hours of flight time in aircraft including the C-17A, C-130E/H Hercules and UH-1N Huey helicopter.

Kilb’s duty stations included a deployment to Iraq in 2006, where he commanded the 407th Air Expeditionary Group at Ali Air Base near the ancient city of Ur.

He and his wife, Stacey, have three daughters, ages 6, 5 and 5 months.

Adam Lynn: 253-597-8644
adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com

Postings will be a tad more erratic the next couple weeks. I'll be on vacation, but I'm confident others back at the TNT will update this when news breaks.

And since I'm posting about Stars and Stripes, I should give the paper credit: It has the best coverage of Iraq by a Western media outlet today. It receives funding from the Department of Defense but is editorially independent -- no S-2 folks poring over each story before it goes out. Its reporters certainly don't envision themselves as stenographers for guys with stars on their shoulders.

But apparently they're doing too good of a job for the military's taste.

From today's edition:

Asserting that Stars and Stripes "refused to highlight" good news in Iraq that the U.S. military wanted to emphasize, Army officials have barred a Stripes reporter from embedding with a unit of the 1st Cavalry Division that is attempting to secure the violent city of Mosul.

Officials said Stripes reporter Heath Druzin, who covered operations of the division’s 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team in February and March, would not be permitted to rejoin the unit for another reporting tour because, among other things, he wrote in a March 8 story that many Iraqi residents of Mosul would like the American soldiers to leave and hand over security tasks to Iraqi forces.

"Despite the opportunity to visit areas of the city where Iraqi Army leaders, soldiers, national police and Iraqi police displayed commitment to partnership, Mr. Druzin refused to highlight any of this news," Major Ramona Bellard, a public affairs officer, wrote in denying Druzin’s embed request.

So the reporter's main crime, in the view of military officials in Mosul, was that he reported what Iraqis told him? Aren't these the people the Pentagon, Central Command, Multi-National Force-Iraq, et al, say we're there to help?

There are a few other allegations: Druzin used quotes out of context (the old standby of an angry PAO), he "behaved unprofessionally" (no examples given in this story) and that he asked to use a computer to file a story during a communications-blackout period (he can ask; they can say no).

But here’s a whopper:

Additionally, Col. Gary Volesky, the 3rd Brigade’s commander, asserted that Druzin "would not answer questions about stories he was writing."

Someone should tell Col. Volesky there's something called the First Amendment. Reporters don't need to say what they're working on -- some do as a courtesy, but it's far from a requirement -- and if the colonel tried to quash the story, it gets into a thorny issue: prior restraint by the federal government.

Or maybe the military should read the introduction to its own ground rules for embedding in Iraq: "These ground rules recognize the inherent right of the media to cover combat operations and are in no way intended to prevent release of embarrassing, negative or derogatory information."

Attention, National Guardsmen: The military wants you for Afghanistan.

Stars and Stripes has a story today about the importance of the National Guard soldiers -- specifically ones with civil affairs-type expertise -- in Afghanistan.

From the story:

Gen. David Petraeus, head of Central Command, has already suggested they could use more of the agribusiness development teams — manned by National Guardsmen from rural areas — that train Afghans in modern farming techniques. Thirteen already are in place.

An expansion of the State Partnership Program, which links state National Guard units with overseas militaries (Washington is partnered with Thailand), is also being considered.

If you haven't checked it out yet, look at Peter Haley's slideshow of 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment training with the Land Warrior system. We spent a day with the soldiers from 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division last week, and I turned out this story.

Today's lone story about local troops (other than my story about Rev. Tim Vakoc) comes from DVIDS, which offers a story about a psychologist with 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

Fort Lewis spokesman Joe Piek shared this story he wrote for the Northwest Guardian about Fr. Tim Vakoc when the two were deployed to Iraq in 2003.

Soldiers gather for Christmas services

By Lt. Col. Joseph Piek
3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division

FOB PACESETTER, Iraq – As Arrowhead Brigade soldiers kept round-the-clock pressure on non-compliant enemy forces in the nearby town of Samarra, many 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Soldiers gathered from across the base camp to pause for Christmas services.

For one relatively silent night, the long-abandoned and cavernous Iraqi air force hangar that serves as a dining facility by day was transformed into a cathedral-like chapel.

Chaplain assistants from across the brigade as well as 296th Brigade Support Battalion volunteers arranged rows of plastic patio chairs like pews, as the praise band greeted churchgoers with familiar Christmas carols. Others passed out candles from a box deployed from Fort Lewis to mark the occasion.

=> Read more!

The Air Mobility Command Rodeo returns to Fort Lewis next month. From the public affairs office:

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. - More than 100 teams and 2,500 people from the Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, as well as allied nations, are expected to participate in Rodeo 2009, Air Mobility Command's premier mobility competition, set to take place July 19 - 25, 2009 here.

"This year will mark the thirtieth anniversary of this competition with our international partners," said Lt. Col. Philip Kase, Rodeo 2009 McChord director. "We are excited to continue this important friendship and look forward to an unforgettable Rodeo."

The international competition focuses on readiness, and features airdrops, aerial refueling and other events which showcase the unique and wide-ranging capabilities of military security forces, and aerial port, maintenance and aeromedical evacuation personnel.

=> Read more!

A Catholic priest who was critically injured while deployed with his Fort Lewis unit died Saturday, more than five years after his Humvee struck a roadside bomb in Iraq.

The Rev. Tim Vakoc becomes the first chaplain to die of wounds sustained during the war in Iraq. The former major from Minnesota – known to most as Father Tim – suffered brain damage and lost an eye from the May 30, 2004, attack. He had most recently lived at a nursing home in New Hope, Minn.

"He was a great man of God," said Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Piek, who served with Vakoc on the fateful deployment to northern Iraq. "He was universally known and universally loved by the soldiers."

According to an online journal that tracked Vakoc’s recovery, the 49-year-old died Saturday night while surrounded by friends and family. No further detail on the cause of the priest’s death was given, and family members couldn’t be reached Monday.

=> Read more!

Brian McGovern, a Fort Lewis public affairs NCO deployed to Afghanistan, offers this piece about Father's Day in South Asia.

When I heard someone mention that it was Father's Day. Huh... I had completely forgotten. My thoughts went to my dad, who is bravely suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. And then I thought about my kids. But I couldn't call or email anyone, since we were under a commo blackout.

His post -- like most of his blog -- is worth your time.

For this following the deployment of 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, this could be interesting: Small Wars Journal copies Gen. Stanley McChrystal's initial guidance to the troops upon taking the top military job in Afghanistan.

It begins:

The situation in Afghanistan is serious. The outcome is important--and not yet decided. Our actions this year will be critical. We must, and will, succeed.

Success will be defined by the Afghan people's freedom to choose their future--freedom from coercion, extremists, malign foreign influence, or abusive government actions.

The outcome will be determined by our ability to understand and act with precision, the values we display, our unity of purpose, and our resolve.

To lead the daily roundup of newslinks about local troops, I submit a source that hasn't been seen in these parts too often. The Pakistan Observer -- which bills itself as the "eyes and ears of Pakistan" and "widely read and trusted daily" reports about the American troop buildup in Afghanistan.

Here's part of what it has to say about 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, which is leaving for South Asia:

The US Stryker Brigade presently under deployment in Kandahar will operate alongside the Canadian Task Force that is struggling to stem the Taliban resilience to evict the occupation forces in the province for the past four years, losing 119 dead and several hundred wounded in the process. A key objective of this troop reinforcement is to impose a greater authority over the southern provinces before the Afghan presidential election on August 20. Taliban leaders have boycotted the ballot, declaring any vote under foreign occupation to be illegitimate.

=> Read more!

Local troops in the news today:

3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division:
4th Brigade Combat Team welcomes new commander during ceremony at Fort Polk (Alexandria Town Talk)

14th Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade:
1st Cavalry's 4th Brigade Combat team honors FALLEN at memorial (Killeen Daily Herald)

Navy:
Band to salute Navy vet (The Olympian)

62nd Security Forces Squadron
On the Way to the Market (DVIDS)

Spc. Ryan Young found his wife amid the crowds and pulled her in for a long hug. Around the couple, people cried and smiled. Others took photos or dashed to their cars, trying to savor every last minute before heading to war.

Young, 28, admits he has mixed emotions about leaving. He will miss his wife, but he said a soldier’s duty is to fight when the nation calls.

"I had fun on my first deployment to Iraq," the infantryman said. "But this one’s gonna be tough at times."

Young is one of about 3,900 soldiers from 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division who begin leaving this month for a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan, a cornerstone of a larger push by the U.S. military to bolster a war effort that has struggled to keep the peace. The brigade marked their tour, the first such assignment for a Stryker brigade and the largest troop commitment from Fort Lewis to the South Asian country, during a ceremony at Watkins Field on Friday.

=> Read more!

Hakan Persson held an anti-tank missile launcher and smiled like a new father.

"You can fire this one inside a building with no problem," said the product manager for Saab Bofors Dynamics, a Swedish weapons manufacturer. "It's called at AT4 CS because CS stands for 'confined space.'"

Several soldiers gazed at the display at tubes and rockets and nodded. At a nearby booth in Fort Lewis’ American Lake Community Center, police officers admired the latest sniper rifles Remington had to offer. And a few soldiers from 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division agreed to be on the receiving end of a Taser.

It was all part of the SpecOps West Warfighter Expo, a three-day event featuring more than 70 vendors selling a range of equipment targeted at military and law enforcement. On display were rifles, knives, heavy weapons, communication gear, customizable notepads and sunglasses. This is the event’s third year in Pierce County; the previous two shows were at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. As many as 2,000 people are expected to attend this week.

=> Read more!

Got this release from the Border Patrol folks:

CBP Apprehends U.S. Army Deserter At Sea-Tac Airport

SEATTLE – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport apprehended Earl Wayne Weeks on an outstanding NCIC Army desertion warrant out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina last Thursday, June 11.

Weeks had entered Canada in October, 2008 at Carway, Alberta as a visitor. He had made the decision to leave the U.S. military without proper discharge. On May 31, Weeks turned himself in to Edmonton, Alberta Police, requesting to be returned to the United States. Subsequently, he was turned over to Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers in Edmonton, Alberta contacted CBP officers at the U.S. Pre-clearance office at the Edmonton Airport, who confirmed the outstanding warrant on Weeks. CBSA officers from Canada escorted Weeks to Sea-Tac Airport on June 11 under a prearranged agreement, and turned Weeks over to CBP officers and the Port of Seattle Police.

=> Read more!

Lt. Col. Danny Dudek paced the dew-covered grass of Fort Lewis’ Watkins Field, inspecting his troops during a ceremony marking a change of command for his unit.

The sight of an officer marching past with the aid of hand crutches was not lost on the hundreds of wounded and injured soldiers of the Warrior Transition Battalion whom Dudek now commands.

"The Army has to make a deliberate decision to let a paralyzed lieutenant colonel command a battalion," the 40-year-old said. "That doesn’t happen often."

Dudek, previously the battalion’s executive officer, took command from Lt. Col. K.C. Bolton on Wednesday morning. Dudek now is responsible for about 600 soldiers with long-term or complex medical issues, one of 39 such units across the military.

=> Read more!

Col. Bruce Antonia, the former commander of 3rd Stryker Brigade's 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Division will take command of 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division at a ceremony this week in Fort Polk, La., the Leesville Daily Leader reported.

From the story:

Antonia’s previous duty assignments include commander of 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, where he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and battalion operations officer and executive officer of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

His many awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with V-device and one Oak Leaf cluster, the Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf clusters. He has earned the Ranger Tab, the Senior Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Expert Infantryman Badge.

He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy.

Sgt. Lucas Miller, a medic with 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, was named Special Operations Command noncomissioned officer of the year, the command announced.

Here's what's involved: "The competitors faced a 3-day-long challenge testing both their mental and physical capabilities. The event began with a physical fitness test, followed by rifle marksmanship qualification, and day and night land navigation courses. On the second day, the contestants’ skills were tested with common tasks ranging from calling indirect fire to treating a casualty on the battlefield. The final day of competition consisted of an oral board made up of each command sergeant major from the major subordinate units of USASOC."

Miller won prizes from the event's sponsors, including almost $3,000 in cash and gift certificates, a dress blue uniform and a Glock pistol.

Lt. Col. Danny Dudek is going to take command of Fort Lewis’ Warrior Transition Battalion tomorrow. He’ll take over from Lt. Col. K.C. Bolton, who is heading to Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Dudek is also a wounded soldier. He was riding in a Stryker with his unit from 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division in July 2007 when it struck an explosively formed penetrator, a particularly nasty version of a roadside bomb. The blast killed Cpl. Brandon M. Craig, a 25-year-old Maryland native.

In the handful of times I’ve talked with him, Dudek has struck me as one of those guys who’s usually in a good mood. I doubt this interaction had anything to do with the promotion, but I thought I’d pass along this story: In November, Dudek was tasked with showing Secretary of the Army Pete Geren around the battalion. He showed off a few of the rooms and answered questions about day-to-day functioning of the unit.

Geren asked a few questions about Dudek, then a major and the battalion executive officer. "Sir," Dudek told him, "I'd like to one day command this battalion."

Later, I was chatting with him about the opportunity to get the boss' ear about a promotion. "Hey, I was selling it," he said with a wide smile. "You don't get those opportunities too often."

Today's daily dose from DVIDS:

I Corps:
Army Celebrates, Soldiers Reflect

4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division:
Interview with Col. John Norris
Stryker Live Fire Exercises
Detainee Operations at JRTC

From the Department of Defense;

Rear Adm. (lower half) Timothy M. Giardina, who has been selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as director, readiness and training, N4/N7, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va. Giardina is currently serving as commander, Submarine Group Nine/commander, Submarine Group Ten, Silverdale, Wash.

Madigan Army Medical Center will receive a new commander in August as the Army divides the duties of running the hospital and its regional command.

Col. Jerome Penner III, currently commanding U.S. Army Medical Department Activity in Fort Drum, N.Y., will take command Aug. 13. Madigan’s current commander, Maj. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, will remain at Fort Lewis as commander of the Western Regional Medical Command, which oversees Army medical facilities across seven states.

“The Army decided it’s going to try to split away from Gen. Horoho’s current double-hatted position,” Madigan spokesman Jay Ebbeson said Monday.

The Medical Department Activity at Fort Drum provides health services to more than 43,000 people across nine states. Penner previously deployed to Iraq as deputy commander of a medical task force in Baghdad, according to an online biography.

Horoho has commanded both the hospital and the medical region command since arriving at Fort Lewis in July. Horoho is also chief of the Army Nurse Corps, a position she will continue to hold.

The Seattle Army Recruiting Battalion is teaming up with pro sports teams and the City of Lakewood to hold a two-day fitness expo at Fort Steilacoom Park this weekend as part of SummerFest 2009. And here’s the best part: It’s free.

Among the events offered: sports clinics hosted by players, coaches or reps from the Seahawks, Storm, Sounders, Thunderbirds and Rainiers; a dance and cheer clinic; a 5-kilometer fun run; informal "boot camp" fitness sessions; and fitness competitions with age-group medals.

Full press release after the jump:

=> Read more!

A few local troops made it into the news this weekend:

The Columbia of Vancouver offers a nice feature on an Army Reserve captain who's a nurse with the 396th Combat Support Hospital.

And DVIDS, where many stories written by public affairs officials are posted, offers a few stories:

Soldiers Hear Message, Address Important Issues to Senior Leader [I Corps]
Highlander Combat Medics and Balad Airmen Deliver Medical Aid to Balad Iraqis [81st Brigade Combat Team]
Medical Treatment at Fort Polk [4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division]
4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Offload at Rail Head Station

Usually any press release that begins, "In honor of the troops from Fort Lewis currently preparing for deployment overseas, The World Bikini Football League…" will catch a reporter’s attention.

But, alas, The News Tribune could not make it to Friday’s event at the Sprinker Recreation Center in Spanaway, where more than 30 scantily-clad women scrimmaged some Fort Lewis troops from 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. The players also helped put together care packages for troops being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, and J&D's Foods passed out their trademark bacon salt (and supplied a guy in a rockin' bacon outfit).

The folks from the league were kind enough to send along some photos from the event. Click below to check out a few of them.

=> Read more!

The 42nd Military Police Brigade headquarters returned Friday from a 15-month deployment running the United States’ largest detention center in Iraq, but its long-lasting effect on the country’s security could take years to assess.

The unit headed a task force that ran an array of quality-of-life programs aimed at ensuring detainees wouldn’t leave lockup and rejoin the insurgency. During the months the unit was deployed, it offered detainees agricultural and vocational training, encouraged moderate Islamic teaching and regular visits from family members.

"It’s been a rewarding mission, but a difficult one," Col. David Glaser told the crowd of several hundred at Soldiers Field House at a homecoming ceremony that included balloons, homemade signs, cake and plenty of teary-eyed family members.

=> Read more!

Monday is Caribbean-American Heritage Celebration at Fort Lewis.

From the public affairs folks:

Fort Lewis, Wash. — The I Corps and Fort Lewis Equal Opportunity Staff Office are hosting a Caribbean-American Heritage Celebration Monday at the Cascade Community Club from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The celebration is part of a month-long recognition of Caribbean-Americans.

Guest speaker for the event is Trinidad native, Command Sergeant Major, Althea Green Dixon, U.S. Army Medical Command Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Army Surgeon General.

Island Jamz Steel Drum Orchestra of Gig Harbor will entertain participants by creating the feeling of an island paradise with rhythms of steel in old-time classics, jazz, reggae, and calypso music.
There will also be cultural displays provided by the Fort Lewis Library Staff.

=> Read more!

Frank Grippe walked on stage with his M-4 rifle in hand. The reaction of the host across the desk – a faux right-winger wearing a camouflage suit and a fresh buzzcut – was one of mock terror.

"Don’t touch that gun," Stephen Colbert said. "I’m a friendly, I’m a friendly."

The crowd of hundreds of service members giggled. Grippe, the command sergeant major for Fort Lewis-based I Corps, cracked a smile.

Welcome to "The Colbert Report," Iraq-style. The Comedy Central show featuring a self-important talking head – the credits list the host as Sir Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, DFA – spent a week with troops in Iraq. Many of the hundreds in the audience are serving in Baghdad with Fort Lewis-based I Corps, which is running daily operations of the military in Iraq.

The tour, organized by the USO, was a great distraction, Grippe told The News Tribune by phone Friday. He and corps commander Lt. Gen Charles Jacoby sat for interviews, and hundreds more were in the audience for the tapings. Colbert also shook hands and chatted with the service members after the cameras were off.

"His audience really fits the demographics of a lot of people in the military today," said Grippe, a 46-year-old New York native. "They’re all about Steve."

Colbert broadcast from the Al Faw Palace, a hulking marble building in Baghdad. The palace is home to Multi-National Corps-Iraq, which I Corps has run since April.

=> Read more!

The Columbia Daily Tribune in Missouri wrote about a former Fort Lewis soldier who the Army trained to withstand the blowback of nuclear blasts. Interesting stuff.

From the story:

But the legacy of his time in Nevada has stayed with him. Robertson only has two-thirds of a kidney and one-third of his pancreas; the rest was lost to cancer. He also has had traces of cancer show up in his liver and prostate and has spots on his lungs.

Yet somehow it took him three years of compiling evidence for the Army to acknowledge a service connection between his radiation exposure and his cancer. In 2002 he held the first Missouri meeting for atomic veterans in Joplin. He expected a few local vets to attend, but dozens showed up from nine different states, including Alaska. Many told heart-wrenching stories about their medical problems.

Operation Warrior Forge, the annual ROTC gathering at Fort Lewis, kicks off tomorrow with more than 5,800 college students. And if you want to follow news from it, they've launched a blog.

Here's a quick explainer about what's involved:

More than 5,800 college students from around the globe converge at Fort Lewis beginning Saturday, where the next generation of new Army officers is trained and evaluated prior to being commissioned as second lieutenants.

The Leader Development and Assessment Course, held each summer at Fort Lewis, is Army ROTC’s capstone training and assessment exercise — an event supported by hundreds of Soldiers and Army civilians from units across the country.

This year, over 5,800 ROTC cadets are scheduled to attend LDAC in 12 ROTC regiments. Each 500-person regiment will undergo a 29-day cycle of sequential and progressive training, culminating in the regimental graduation ceremony.

Following LDAC, those cadets who have earned their degree and completed all Military Science requirements will receive their commissions as second lieutenants during the regimental graduation ceremonies. But most of the cadets will return to their universities to complete pre-commissioning requirements and, subsequently, their commissions.

A King County man who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day will be honored Saturday during a Flag Day celebration at the Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Huston Riley is the man in this iconic photo, according to a county press release. Avter the war, he raised his family and started a sporting-goods business. He’s active with the veteran community on Mercer Island.

"When we honor the flag we are honoring those men and women who have served under it." King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer said. "Mr. Riley is a great American hero who will forever be a symbol in the pages of our country’s history. This is an opportunity to thank a man who truly exemplifies freedom and perseverance."

Click below for the release.

=> Read more!

Seattle could add veterans to a list of protected classes in its anti-discrimination laws, seattlepi.com reports.

Here's the bottom line:

State and federal law already prohibits discrimination against veterans in areas such as employment and housing. The proposed ordinance would give veterans an option within local government for filing a complaint, and possibly a more convenient route if they've been denied a job or housing in Seattle due to their military status.

About 75 soldiers from the 42nd Military Police Brigade’s headquarters company returns to Fort Lewis tomorrow after a 15-month deployment to Iraq.

The soldiers "provided for the care, custody, and reconciliation of Iraqi detainees at the theater internment facility at Camp Bucca," according to a press release.

The unit took command of Task Force Bucca and initially had responsibility for care and custody of 22,000 detainees. That number was down to about 6,000 earlier this month, and the remaining prisoners and custody are scheduled to be transferred to the Iraqi government by the end of the year.

The brigade also ran the Theater Internment Facility Reconciliation Center, which provided detainees with vocational and agricultural training, access to religious support and access to social support programs. It also ran the Iraqi Correctional Officer Training Academy, which graduated more than 900 people, and the Detainee Family Visitation Program, which helped streamline visitations by family members of those in custody.

A $1.1 million simulator to train Fort Lewis soldiers on the Mobile Gun System is up and running at the Battle Command Training Center.

My Olympian colleague, Christian Hill, was there yesterday and filed this report. Check it out.

Fort Lewis' Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby sat down for an interview with Stephen Colbert on last night's episode. Among the

Among the things the men discussed:

Who does more work: Jacoby or his boss, Gen. Ray Odierno?
Which of the 130,000 soldiers deployed to Iraq is Jacoby’s favorite?
Is Afghanistan near Paraguay?
Did the surge work because of its cool name?
Will the lessons in Iraq help with the coming war with Iran?

Check out the episode here.

On the last night of his two-week leave from Iraq, Spc. Samuel D. Stone canceled his plans and rushed to the hospital when his sister broke her ankle.

It was a simple act of kindness, but one that family members said exemplified the Washington National Guard soldier’s generous and caring personality.

"You gave life and those around you everything you had," said his brother-on-law, Svend Sorensen, at Stone’s funeral in Port Orchard.

Stone, who would have turned 21 on Wednesday, was killed May 30 when his armored vehicle rolled during a convoy security mission in Iraq. Stone was only two months away from finishing his yearlong deployment with the 81st Brigade Combat Team’s 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment.

The emotional service at First Lutheran Church drew a standing-room-only crowd of several hundred. The Patriot Guard Riders, a biker group that attends funerals of fallen service members, flanked the church with American flags. Inside, family members and friends sat beside soldiers, sailors and airmen.

=> Read more!

Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby will be on "The Colbert Report" tonight as part of the show's weeklong broadcast from Baghdad. (Colbert's stage has been erected inside the Al Faw Palace, the marble-and-glass giant inside Victory Base Complex that's home to I Corps durings its deployment as Multi-National Corps-Iraq.)

Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe will be on Thursday night's show.

Colbert spent the first two shows interviewing generals and joes, cracking jokes about military life, going through basic training and playing video greetings from politicians and former presidents. He wore a camouflage suit and delivered his monologues in front of a large, standup microphone while carrying a wooden golf driver, a la Bob Hope.

He talked with Gen. Ray Odierno, the top American commander in Iraq, and broadcast a video message from President Barack Obama ordering Odierno to shave Colbert’s head.

DVIDS offers a few public affairs-written stories including Fort Lewis soldiers:

Gates Travels to Europe for NATO Discussions

Iraqi Shaykh Honored for Community Contributions

The Ledger-Enquirer of Columbus, Ga., has an article about multiple changes-of-command at Fort Benning.

Among them is the man tapped to be the new deputy commander for 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division:

Lt. Col. Scott W. Halstead with assume command of the 2nd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment from Lt. Col. Lance E. Davis. …

The 2nd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment trains newly commissioned infantry second lieutenants through a 13-week Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course.

A 1987 graduate of Spencer High School, Halstead received a nomination to attend the United States Army Military Academy at West Point, NY. Upon his graduation from the academy, Halstead was commissioned into the U.S. Army as an infantry officer.

Davis has been reassigned to Fort Lewis, Wash., where he will serve as the deputy commander for the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

A reminder: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will speak at the University of Washington’s graduation ceremony this weekend.

More than 43,000 people are expected to be in attendance at Husky Stadium on Saturday for the ceremony. The event begins at 2 p.m.

If you can't make it, the ceremony will be broadcast on UWTV from 1:30-4:30 p.m. UWTV can be found on channel 27 throughout much of the Puget Sound region, and it's also streamed online.

Soldiers from the Warrior Transition Battalion are on Tacoma’s East Side this week to help build homes with volunteers from Habitat for Humanity.

Here’s the release from Habitat:

TACOMA – A unique partnership unfolds this week (Wed June 10-Friday June 12th), at Larabee Terrace (East T & Gregory Street) in Tacoma’s East Side as wounded, ill or injured Soldiers from Fort Lewis join with regular weekday volunteers from Habitat for Humanity to help build homes for low income, hard working Pierce County families.

"We are humbled and honored to be working with the Warrior Transition Battalion from Fort Lewis," says Maureen Fife, CEO of Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity. "Our goal at Habitat is to help families transition out of poverty housing, and alongside our brothers and sisters from Ft. Lewis we will move closer to providing decent, affordable homes for 12 families; while honoring the service of our brave men and women in the armed forces."

=> Read more!

More than 300 Strykers belonging to 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division begin arriving in Afghanistan this week.

Almost 9,500 tons of vehicles and support equipment will arrive in the country over the next two months, according to an Air Force press release. Most will arrive on C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets.

Other equipment will be flown by commercial An-124 Ruslan jets. The airlift effort is expected to last about two months.

Two Strykers can fit inside each C-17. The vehicles were loaded onto a ship from the Port of Tacoma last month and shipped to a staging area at a Pacific Ocean island. The airlift will take them to southern Afghanistan, where 5th Brigade will deploy later this summer.

It’s the first time Strykers have been deployed on this scale in Afghanistan, though members of 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment have used the eight-wheeled vehicle in the country. The Army boasts seven Stryker brigades – including three at Fort Lewis – but all previous combat experience has been in Iraq.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has started running a mobile counseling center in the Puget Sound area. The 38-foot motor coach offers space for counseling services and will transport counselors to events across western Washington.

Click below for the press release:

=> Read more!

The Peninsula Clarion in Alaska published a piece over the weekend about a Naval Civil Engineer Corps officer assigned to Fort Lewis' 555th Engineer Brigade in Iraq.

Working with service members from other branches and the Iraqis was a big part of the conversation I had with members of the Triple Nickel when I visited them at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Check out the story here.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Johns, a former commander of the 62nd Airlift Wing at McChord Air Force Base, has been nominated for his fourth star.

From Air Force Times:

Still unclear is where the promotion will take Johns. Unlike the standard practice, the promotion announcement did not say where Johns’ next assignment will be.

Only one Air Force major command is due to be vacant soon — Pacific Air Forces. The current commander of PacAF, Gen. Carrol "Howie" Chandler, is moving to the Pentagon to become vice chief of staff, and his successor has not been named.

It could get loud this week. Fort Lewis soldiers are going to be training with C-4 explosives, 60mm mortars and 81mm mortars.

Want more info or make a comment? The public affairs office can be reachded at 253-967-0852.

aliA decade ago, often the most action a National Guard soldier would see was on drill A decade ago, often the most action a National Guard soldier would see was on drill weekends or during natural disasters.

But with wars waging on two fronts, the Guard has undergone major restructuring in recent years, essentially making it a reserve component of the active-duty Army.

And the man who oversaw most of the transformation for Washington’s forces, Brig. Gen. Gordon Toney, retires after a change-of-command ceremony Sunday at Camp Murray. As the assistant adjutant general for the state Army National Guard, Toney oversaw the deployment of about 11,000 soldiers to Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere since he took the job in 2002.

"This change into the structure – that’s probably the largest difference between now and when I took over," said Toney, a 54-year-old Puyallup resident, said in a phone interview Thursday.

His replacement is Brig. Gen. Bret Daugherty, a 50-year-old Federal Way resident who has led the 66th Theater Aviation Command since June.

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In case you haven't heard by now, one of the funniest people alive today is in Iraq for a week's worth of shows.

His guests have a distinctively I Corps flavor. From the Wall Street Journal:

Colbert has tapped mostly military guests for his week in Iraq: Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh; Commanders Gen. Ray Odierno, Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr. and Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe; Sgt. Robin Balcom, a squad leader in the 153rd Military Police Company, and Spc. Tareq Salha, an Arabic linguist.

Check out photographer Dean J. Koepfler's slideshow from yesterday's Seattle Seahawks visit at Fort Lewis.

The RSS feeder kicked this up from Gazeta de Sud, a Romanian newspaper:

În cadrul ceremonialului, locotenent-colonelul Gabriel Toma a fost decorat de generalul locotenent american Charles Jacoby, comandantul Corpului Multinaţional din Irak, cu Steaua de Bronz, iar mai mulţi ofiţeri, subofiţeri şi soldaţi gradaţi voluntari au fost decoraţi atât de partenerul american, cât şi de ministrul apărării naţionale, Mihai Stănişoară, şi de şeful statului major general, amiral dr. Gheorghe Marin.

Here's a rough translation (via Google):

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From the Washington National Guard:

CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – Members of The Washington National Guard have spent the last few days reflecting on the life and service of Specialist Samuel Stone, age 20 from Port Orchard, who died in a vehicle accident early Sunday morning.

Governor Chris Gregoire and Major General Timothy J. Lowenberg, The Adjutant General, have spoken with SPC Stone’s parents to offer their support and condolences during this time of bereavement. "I am deeply moved by Samuel Stone’s service and the impact he had on those around him. The people of Washington join me in honoring his sacrifice and expressing our condolences to his family, friends and community," said Governor Gregoire.

"SPC Stone was an outstanding soldier who served with distinction with his primary aviation unit (the 66th Theater Aviation Command) and his "adopted" unit (the 81st Brigade Combat Team) for this combat deployment. We miss him tremendously and will always remember his commitment to his state, nation and fellow soldiers," said Maj. Gen. Lowenberg.

SPC Stone enlisted in the Washington Army National Guard at the age of 18 and was the Distinguished Honor Graduate in his training class. SPC Stone was serving with the 66th Theater Aviation Command when he volunteered to deploy to Iraq with the 81st Brigade Combat Team. Stone’s proficiency and excellence earned him a promotion to the rank of Specialist in April.

SPC Stone’s death was the result of a rollover vehicle accident during the course of a convoy security mission. Investigations are mandatory for all accidents resulting in death or serious injury; the duty-related accident is therefore undergoing routine investigation.

Deion Branch crawled through dust on his stomach, jumped over a log and yelled at his Seattle Seahawks teammates to keep up. The wide receiver then bear-crawled up a small hill and broke into a sprint toward a 10-foot wall.

Before he pulled himself over, the eight-year veteran turned around and flashed a wide smile to his teammates.

"Come on fellas, let’s go!" he yelled.

The obstacle course at North Fort Lewis – complete with monkey bars, log runs, log-runs and leaping pits – is designed to whip soldiers into shape, but the Seahawks seemed to relish running it during a teambuilding exercise that allowed the pro players to interact and work out alongside soldiers.

"I wanted the full experience, and I think we got it," free safety Brian Russell said. "It’s impressive. They train ’em hard here."

The Seahawks’ visit to the Army post was designed to help build camaraderie and reach out to the community. Shortly after arriving in the morning, the players broke into groups of about five players and visited specific units or schools on Fort Lewis. After lunch at the 593rd Sustainment Brigade dining facility, they ran the obstacle course and several implements of the nearby confidence course, like shimmying across a rope suspended more than 30 feet above the ground.

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This isn’t a surprise but sad nonetheless:

Body recovered in Nisqually River identified as Fort Lewis Soldier

FORT LEWIS, Wash. - The body of Private First Class Robert Lang Wheatley, Jr., of Arcadia, Calif., was recovered from the Nisqually River June 2 by members of Thurston County's dive team.

According to Thurston County Sheriff's Department the body was located about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday by an unidentified individual who then called 911. Members of the dive team responded to the reported location, entered the water and recovered Pfc. Wheatley's body. Next of kin notification was completed earlier this afternoon.

The thoughts and prayers of the entire Fort Lewis community are with the Soldier and his family, friends and loved ones. Additionally, we would like to thank the Thurston County Sheriff's Department, Soldiers and many others who aided in the search.

Pfc. Wheatley was assigned to Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Lewis, Wash.

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The middle-of-the-night phone calls from deployed parents, a new school almost every year and making friends at the parent's new duty station can be difficult for the children of service members.

Multiple deployments don't make the sting of a missing parent any easier, and counselors at some schools just can't understand what military kids are going through, a panel of 10 children told a gathering of about 200 health-care professionals Thursday.

The discussion was part of the Military Child and Adolescent Summit, a three-day meeting at Tacoma's Hotel Murano of military and civilian health-care officials whose care focuses on children of service members.

The children, ranging from 5 to 16 years old, spoke about life with a parent in the service. Here are some selected questions and answers from the hourlong discussion:

Q: What's it like to be a kid when a parent deploys?

Tiana Douglas, an 11-year-old Navy daughter from Spanaway: "It's hard and it's not cool. I don't like it because (others) don't really understand what it's like to have your parents go."

Bria White, a 15-year-old Army daughter from Puyallup: "You get really sad and start missing your parents. It's hard just talking to them on the phone and not being able to see them or hug them."

=> Read more!

Sen. Maria Cantwell was at Fort Lewis last week at a deployment fair for soldiers from 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. The event wasn’t open to the media, but it apparently made quite an impression on the senator. She has sent letters to Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and First Lady Michelle Obama (both attached).

And here’s the release her office put out:

Cantwell: Fort Lewis Program Can to Be a Model for How Military Sends Soldiers to War

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent letters to Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, and First Lady Michelle Obama urging the U.S. Army to incorporate elements of the new Fort Lewis Deployment Day Fair program on a national scale. During the Memorial Day recess, Cantwell attended the Deployment Day Fair at Fort Lewis. This new, unique program provides soldiers and families with resources and information on housing, finances, legal affairs, educational opportunities, emotional counseling, and other quality-of-life issues that come to the fore when troops leave home.

"I believe Fort Lewis’ Deployment Fairs have the potential to be a model for how the military sends soldiers to war, and looks after the families those soldiers leave behind," Cantwell said today. "We owe our service members deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan and other dangerous assignments overseas, and their families, all the information and support they need to get through these difficult months of separation."

=> Read more!

From the guv's office:

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire issued the following statement on the death of Army Specialist Samuel Stone, a member of the 81st Brigade Combat Team in southern Iraq who died early Sunday morning due to a mission-related accident:

"I am saddened by the loss of Specialist Samuel Stone. My prayers are with his parents, brothers, sister, and friends tonight. His service to our country, as well as the companionship he showed his fellow soldiers will not be forgotten.

"As an expression of the grief and gratitude felt by so many Washingtonians, I will be issuing an order for flags to be flown at half-staff to honor Specialist Stone’s memory."

Call it an unofficial minicamp.

The Seattle Seahawks will be at Fort Lewis on Thursday to train alongside the soldiers and catch a glimpse of Army life.

More than 80 players will be divided among 16 Fort Lewis units (click below for a full list) to get a first-hand look at military operations, equipment and experience. Others will visit five on-post Clover Park School District elementary schools, and about 10 or 15 will visit the post’s Family Resource Center.

The players will eat lunch at the 593rd Sustainment Brigade dining facility, and then in the afternoon they run through obstacle and confidence courses (operated by the 42nd Military Police Brigade) at North Fort Lewis.

The obstacle course includes running, climbing, jumping, crawling and balancing. The confidence course, according to a press release, “has higher, more difficult obstacles that tests a person’s confidence in their mental and physical abilities, and cultivates their spirit of daring.”

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Madigan Army Medical Center hosts its second-annual Military Child and Adolescent Summit later this week at a hotel in downtown Tacoma.

This year’s theme is "Frontline Responders: Coming Together for Our Military Youth" and will bring together military and civilian professionals to "learn, have dialogue and build connections." The event runs tomorrow through Friday at the Hotel Murano.

From the release: "Military and civilian health care professionals will address a variety of topics that directly relate to the unique needs of military children and adolescents, existing and emerging research on the effects of parental deployment, School Based Mental Health Models, and much more."

I’m planning on being there Thursday for a panel discussion with military dependents aged 4 to 17. Susan Dreyfus, secretary of the State Department of Social and Health Services, and Maj. Gen. Patricia Horoho, the commander of Madigan, will also deliver speeches that day.

Camp Murray has released a bit more information about Spc. Samuel Stone, the first soldier from the 81st Brigade Combat Team to be killed on this deployment to Iraq.

Stone, 20, was on a convoy security mission when his vehicle rolled over. He joined the National Guard two years ago, and he was a carpenter in civilian life.

I also heard from brigade commander Col. Ronald Kapral. This is what he e-mailed me from Iraq:

"The loss of a soldier is a commander's worst nightmare. I and the soldiers of the 81st HBCT deeply regret the loss of SPC Stone. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. SPC Stone was a fine soldier who proudly served his country and state. He upheld the finest traditions of being a soldier. I wake up every morning and thank God we have young men and women who continue to volunteer and serve. I could not imagine what our country would be like without them and SPC Stone is an outstanding example of this attitude. SPC Stone will be missed by the 1-303rd Cavalry. The 81st HBCT and the Washington Army National Guard."

A Washington National Guard soldier from Port Orchard was killed Sunday during a non-combat vehicle rollover in Tallil, Iraq, about two months before his unit was set to begin returning home.

Spc. Samuel D. Stone, 20, was assigned to 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment, a unit of the 81st Brigade Combat Team.

It was the first death the brigade has suffered since deploying to Iraq last fall.

"We certainly had the hope we could get through the deployment with no deaths," Lt. Col. Paul Morgan, the brigade rear detachment commander, told The News Tribune. "We got so close, and to see this happen is just disheartening."

The rollover, in a M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle, and remains under investigation. One other soldier riding in the three-person vehicle was injured, Morgan said.

The family is still finalizing details for a memorial service. They first learned of the death Sunday morning.

Scant details were available about Stone’s personal background, but he had previously served in the Washington National Guard’s 66th Theater Aviation Command.

The brigade, which includes 2,400 soldiers from Washington, mobilized for federal service Aug. 18. After training at Fort McCoy, Wis., and Camp Buehring, Kuwait, it arrived in Iraq in late October. It is spread among bases throughout the country, and about three-quarters of its troops are tasked with providing security for contractor trucks that deliver supplies across the country. Others provide base and personal security.

"The entire Washington National Guard is deeply saddened by the loss of Specialist Stone," Maj. Gen. Timothy J. Lowenberg, the adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, said in a statement. "The memory of his service and dedication will live on with our citizen soldiers and airmen forever. We stand firm in support of the Stone family and will do all we can to assist them during this difficult time."

Lt. Col. Ali Hunt buckled in, put the Chevrolet Equinox in drive and pressed the accelerator.

The car rolled forward. No noise came from the engine.

"Wow," she said. "That was cool."

And an organizer from the Hydrogen Road Tour 2009 was quick to remind Hunt after her five-minute ride that no carbon emissions were coming from the tailpipe either. The nine-day tour promoting hydrogen-fuel cell technology stopped at Fort Lewis on Monday, allowing soldiers and employees on post a chance to test drive the vehicles.

An 11-car caravan driving from south of San Diego to Vancouver, B.C., includes vehicles from Mercedes, Chevrolet, Nissan, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Kia and Honda. Two hydrogen fuel trucks accompanied the cars so they can refuel along the way.

Fort Lewis, the tour’s 22nd stop, was included on the tour because of its sustainable practices, event organizers said. The tour also stopped in Olympia, Seattle and Bothell on Monday.

The event started with the arrival of the cars, many of which were driven by Fort Lewis military and civilian officials. The post’s garrison commander told a crowd of about 50 people – mostly soldiers, government employees and family members – the vehicles’ performance impressed her.

=> Read more!

From News Tribune staff writer Stacey Mulick:

A Fort Lewis sergeant accused in Pierce County Superior Court of promoting prostitution involving two teenage girls now faces federal charges.

Sgt. Sterling Terrance Hospedales, 26, has been charged in U.S. District Court with sex trafficking of a child and attempted sex trafficking of a child, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. He will make his first federal court appearance this afternoon.

In April, Pierce County prosecutors charged Hospedales, an infantryman originally from Florida, with two counts of first-degree promoting prostitution. He's been confined to the Pierce County Jail, awaiting trial since.

Pierce County prosecutors dismissed the charges against Hospedales on Friday to make way for the federal charges.

At the time of his arrest, Hospedales was assigned to the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team and had been stationed at Fort Lewis since March 2005.

=> Read more!

The Auburn Reporter last week published a profile on Staff Sgt. Shaun Feero, a reservist with McChord Air Force Base's 446th Airlift Wing, about his life as a cop and airman.

This story comes from Maj. John Strahan, the public affairs officer for the 555th Engineer Brigade:

BALAD, Iraq – One hundred twenty five men sat patiently in the city hall chambers. The mayor and other government officials stood before them. One by one they waited for their names to be called. As each man was recognized, he stood up and walked to the podium to receive his graduation certificate.

These men in Balad, Iraq recently joined the ranks of more than 300 graduates of the Civil Service Corps (CSC) concrete and asphalt training program. In addition to the Balad ceremony two other graduations were also held in the Iraqi cities of Samarra and Ad Dujayl. The CSC program, coordinated by the 555th Engineer Brigade from Fort Lewis is just one of the brigade’s ongoing missions designed to support Iraqi reconstruction and economic development.

"I saw this as a chance to make a difference," said Lt. William Moiles, the CSC project coordinator.

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The folks are going to use C-4 explosives today through Friday, both day and night.

If you want to ask any questions or make any comments, call the public affairs folks at 253-967-0852.