Noteworthies with a Local Link

The chief of staff, Army announced the assignment of Brig. Gen. Robert J. Ulses, deputy commanding general (support), 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, Army Training and Doctrine Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.

JBLM to conduct test firing of HIMARS RRPR in March

JBLM announced today it plans to conduct test firing of up to 27 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Reduced Range Practice Rockets (RRPR) over a three-day period at JBLM during the week of March 14-18 to measure the noise from the rocket firing.

In March 2015, JBLM initiated an Environmental Assessment (EA) to measure the level of noise that would be created by a field artillery unit executing the RRPR test firing. Today, the JBLM Garrison Commander signed the Finding of No Significant Impact for the EA entitled “Noise Assessment for Test Launches of the Reduced Ranged Practice Rocket at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.”

“I have decided that the information and data we will obtain from a series of test firing of the RRPR at JBLM is valuable enough to authorize this action to move forward,” said, Col. Daniel S. Morgan, JBLM garrison commander.

During the proposed test firing, a HIMARS battery will fire up to nine RRPR a day — one at a time — for three days.

The RRPR would be fired in the morning, afternoon, and evening each day from the Hayes Hill firing point southeast into JBLM’s Lewis-Main Artillery Impact Area. The firing point is located about a half-mile east of I-5; and north of I-5 exit 114.

The exact firing dates and times will be publicized prior to the test firings.
JBLM will host an open house to explain the test firing and noise monitoring process prior to the scheduled live firing dates.

RRPR Characteristics: Reduced range rockets (RRPRs) have a range of 5-9 miles and they do not carry any explosives. The rockets reach supersonic velocity in about one second and remain supersonic for about 3.7 miles. The rockets will hit their targets in about 5-6 seconds. For the JBLM test firings the rockets will fly at an altitude of 1,300 feet. RRPRs are unarmed, blunt-nose, high-drag rockets. All fuel is expended within 2-3 seconds after launch, so the rocket will be an empty shell on impact.

Anticipated Noise Level: Noise levels directly under the rockets’ flight path may exceed 140 decibels. Sonic booms may occur. For the RRPR test firing, noise monitoring equipment will be strategically placed around the rockets’ flight path. Noise data from these devices will be gathered to assess the rocket noise throughout the testing region. If noise levels exceed an average of 130 decibels a day (e.g., based on the average noise level of nine rockets) at any monitoring station then stopping the tests will be considered.

The EA and FNSI will be available HERE.

MAF: Intros Col. Morgan & I-5 at JBLM

Military Affairs Committee

Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber

Date & Time:  Wednesday, Jan. 20, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Place:  La Quinta Inn | 1425 E. 27^th St. | Tacoma 98421

Register: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Register Online

Event Sponsor:

The event fee will be complimentary, hosted by our sponsor, for invited Military Personnel who reserve with Janice Hutchins, (253) 683-4882 or janiceh@tacomachamber.org

AGENDA: 

1)       Col.  Daniel S. Morgan, Joint Base Commander
An Introduction
 

2)       

Bill Elliott, WSDOT Olympic Region

I-5, JBLM Vicinity - Congestion Relief

                                                                                                                            A presentation will be provided by Bill Elliott, WSDOT Project Manager, on the status of the work and delivery plan for the corridor improvements. With Connecting Washington transportation revenue approved by the legislature, WSDOT is moving forward to deliver improvements along the I-5 corridor through JBLM to relieve chronic traffic congestion.  There have been some changes since October regarding JBLM's DuPont Gate and possible I-5 improvements in that area of the corridor. 

  

NEXT ACTIVITIES

February 10             Monthly Military Affairs Forum

June 15                    Evergreen Fleet Cruise

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Visit the “Tacoma-Pierce Co. Veteran & Business Service” Facebook page.  Like the page to stay informed of workplace opportunities for transitioning vets and vets as well as current information.

Noteworthies with a Local Link

The chief of staff, Army announced the assignment of Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel Jr., commanding general, Western Regional Medical Command; market manager, Puget Sound Enhanced Multi-Service Market; and chief, U.S. Army Dental Corps, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to commanding general, Regional Health Command, Central – Provisional; market manager, San Antonio Health System; and chief, U.S. Army Dental Corps, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.

Noteworthies with a Local Link

The chief of staff, Army announced the assignment of Brig. Gen. Gregory J. Mosser, U.S. Army Reserve, deputy commanding general, Troop Program Unit, 99th Regional Support Command, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, to commander, Troop Program Unit, 364th Sustainment Command, Expeditionary, Marysville, Washington.

NCFA Visited MARAD Vessels at Sperry

An earlier blog article wrote of the upcoming visit by the National Commission for the Future of the Army’s (NCFA) to JBLM and the public hearing available to the community to share its comments with the commission.

The NCFA is a non-discretionary Federal advisory committee established by the Secretary of Defense to conduct a comprehensive study of the structure of the Army, and policy assumptions, related to the size and force mixture. The NCFA visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) September 22-25.

During the public hearing, members of the community, including the Tacoma-Pierce Co. Chamber, the South Sound Military & Communities Partnership, the Washington (State) Military Alliance/Washington State Dept. of Commerce and the City of Lakewood spoke of logistics, the Great Circle, quality of life, the Pivot to the Pacific, relationships with the Washington National Guard and other matters relevant to a grand design for tomorrow’s Army from the perspective of the Pacific Northwest and JBLM.

However, an aspect of their visit not reported has been the NCFA’s visit to the MARAD vessels in ready reserve condition at Sperry Ocean Terminals (aka Sperry Dock) at the Port of Tacoma, Commencement Bay.

On September 23, Miguel Jimenez, Director PNW-D and Christopher Donohue, PNW-D Marine Cargo Specialist joined with the Port of Tacoma (Andre Elmaleh, Military Liaison; Sean Eagan, Director Governmental Affairs, Robert Meyer, Senior Manager Port Operations, Gerry Fiola, Chief of Security, Louis Cooper, Senior Director Security and Labor Relations, and Bari Bookout, Executive for Non-Containerized Business and Commercial Strategy) and Military Sealift Command (MSC) (Bruce Leach, Director), and the USCG (Captain of the Port,CAPT M.W. “Joe” Raymond) to welcome the NCFA members at the Port and aboard the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) vessel CAPE ISLAND berthed at the Sperry Ocean Terminals. The joint team facilitated the continuation of JBLM's presentation to the NCFA addressing the unique regional power projection capabilities at JBLM and the PNW Strategic Seaport.

Jimenez began the discussion by setting the stage with some history about military port operations in the PNW, transitioning to present SDDC PNW-D capabilities. He explained the difference between Strategic and Alternate Seaports noting all of the key ports in the PNW and the metrics measured through Strategic Analysis through the Ports for National Defense program conducted by SDDC, Transportation Engineering Agency. The Port of Tacoma highlighted their ability to rapidly receive, stage, and load military cargo. MSC discussed how they are postured regionally and along the West Coast to support rapid movement from the PNW. The Commission asked questions regarding the life of steam powered ships (both CAPE I vessels berthed at the Sperry Dock are steam powered). The Captain of the Port discussed water side security response and relationships through committees like the Port Readiness Committee.

The Commission members included Thomas Lamont, former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower, former Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler, III (retired), and LTG Jack Stultz (retired).

The Commission will issue its report no later than February 1, 2016.  Contact:

Col.Kristen Dixon, Public Affairs Officer, Commission Staff, 571-294-2914, NCFA or Joe Eule, 571-256-2643, or at 2530 Crystal Drive, Taylor Bldg., Suite 5000, Arlington, VA 22202, (o) 571.256.2651. 

WA Ranks 7th in Defense Receipts

A two-volume DoD report on 2014 military spending reveals Fairfax County, VA, is the top recipient for defense dollars, raking in $19.1 billion on contracts and money earned by uniformed and civilian workers. Rounding out the top five are San Diego County, CA; Tarrant County, TX; Los Angeles County, CA, and Santa Clara County, CA.

The report shows why states fight so hard for military bases and business. On average, states received $8.2 billion in defense spending. Virginia received $54.7 billion, making up 11.8 percent of the state’s gross domestic product.

Read the report: Part 1 and Part 2 .

(Click on Image for a Larger View)

Future of the Army Public Meeting

Commissioners will conduct a public meeting to hear comments pertinent to the mission of the National Commission on the Future of the Army (NCFA.)

Date: Thursday, September 24, 2015
Time:  3:00 – 5:00 pm
ADDRESS: Red Lion Hotel Conference Room, Red Lion Hotel – Tacoma, 8402 S. Hosmer Street, Tacoma WA

Commissioners:
SMA Raymond F. Chandler
HON Thomas R. Lamont
LTG Jack C. Stultz

NCFA Mission
In light of the projected security environment, conduct a comprehensive study of the roles and structure of the Army, and policy assumptions related to the size and force mixture of the Army, in order to:

1. Make an assessment of the size and force mixture of the active component of the Army and the reserve components of the Army.
2. Make recommendations on the modifications, if any, of the structure of the Army related to current and anticipated mission requirements for the Army at acceptable levels of national risk and in a manner consistent with available resources and anticipated future resources.
3. Make an assessment of proposed AH-64 transfers from Army National Guard to the Regular Army.

Seating is limited and pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Registration: Individuals and entities who wish to attend the public hearing and meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2015 are encouraged to register for the event with the DFO using the electronic mail and facsimile contact information found in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 4 CONTACT section below. The communication should include the registrant’s full name, title, affiliation or employer, email address, day time phone number. This information will assist the Commission in contacting individuals should it decide to do so at a later date. If applicable, include written comments and a request to speak during the oral comment session. (Oral comment requests must be accompanied by a summary of your presentation.)

Registrations and written comments should be typed.

Oral Comments: In addition to written statements, one hour and forty minutes will be reserved for individuals or interest groups to address the Commission on September 24, 2015. Those interested in presenting oral comments to the Commission must summarize their oral statement in writing and submit with their registration. The Commission’s staff will assign time to oral commentors at the meeting; no more than five minutes each for individuals. While requests to make an oral presentation to the Commission will be honored on a first come, first served basis, other opportunities for oral comments will be provided at future meetings.

Written Comments:  The public or interested organizations may submit written comments to the Commission in response to the stated agenda of the open and/or closed meeting or the Commission’s mission. The Designated Federal Officer (DFO) will review all submitted written statements. Written comments should be submitted to Mr. Donald Tison, DFO, via facsimile or electronic mail, the preferred modes of submission. Each page of the comment must include the author’s name, title or affiliation, address, and daytime phone number. All comments received before Wednesday, September 23, 2015, will be provided to the Commission before the September 24, 2015, meeting. Comments received after Wednesday, September 23, 2015, will be provided to the Commission before its next meeting. All contact information may be found in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below.

TO REGISTER AND FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Don Tison, Designated Federal Officer, National Commission on the Future of the Army, 700 Army Pentagon, Room 3E406, Washington, DC 20310–0700, Email: dfo.public@ncfa.ncr.gov  Desk (703) 692–9099. Facsimile (703) 697–8242.

The Commission is tasked to submit a report, containing a comprehensive study and recommendations, by February 1, 2016 to the President of the United States and the Congressional defense committees. The report will contain a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the Commission, together with its recommendations for such legislation and administrative actions it may consider appropriate in light of the results of the study. The comprehensive study of the structure of the Army will determine whether, and how, the structure should be modified to best fulfill current and anticipated mission requirements for the Army in a manner consistent with available resources

Background of the National Commission of the Future of the Army  (http://www.ncfa.ncr.gov/)
Purpose: The National Commission on the Future of the Army was established by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Pub. L. 113-291). The Commission will submit a report containing a comprehensive study and recommendations by February 1, 2016 to the President and Congress of the United States.

Overview: The Commission will examine the structure of the Army and policy assumptions related to the size and force mixture of the Army in order to make an assessment of the size and force structure of the Army's active and reserve components. The Commission will make recommendations on modifications, if any, to the structure of the Army related based on current and anticipated mission requirements, acceptable levels of national risk, in a manner consistent with available resources, and anticipated future resources. In accordance with legislation, the Commission will specifically examine the transfer of Army National Guard AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from the Army National Guard to the Regular Army.

Membership: The Commission consists of eight Commissioners; four appointed by Congress and four appointed by the President. The Commissioners will use their decades of public service and expertise in national and international security policy and strategy, military forces capability, force structure, organization, and employment, and reserve forces policy to provide recommendations that will strengthen the future Army.

Opportunity with Government Contracting

Businesses looking to win government contracts will have the opportunity at the Greater Pierce County Purchasing Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the STAR Center, 3873 S 66th St in Tacoma. Click here for map and directions.

Learn first-hand how to register and compete for contracts with federal, state, and local government agencies, meet one-on-one with purchasing agents, network with other Pierce County business owners and managers, and participate in breakout sessions.

• Panelists and exhibitors include 
• Pierce County
• City of Tacoma
• Port of Tacoma
• Washington State Department of Transportation
• Washington State Department of Enterprise Services
• Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
• Native PTAC
• NAVSUP Fleet Logics Center-Puget Sound
• U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Joint Base Lewis-McChord
• Tacoma Public Schools
• Pierce Transit
• Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council
• King County Director Association (KCDA) School Purchasing Consortium
• Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises

Register online or contact Hans Kueck at (253) 798-2335 or email.

Pierce County Talks JBLM's Forces Reduction

Pierce County Talks is PCTV's talk/discussion program that explores topical issues with the people on the front lines.

Thousands of JBLM personnel got the news that the Army will not reduce their numbers by 11,000 but some troops and civilians will still have to go.

Host Erich Ebel speaks with Pierce County Councilmember Doug Richardson and South Sound Military and Communities Partnership’s Tiffany Speir about what this means for the future of Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Watch now HERE.

Noteworthies with a Local Link

The Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert announced today the assignment of Capt. Stephen F. Williamson, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), as director, fleet maintenance, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Williamson is currently serving as commander, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington.

The chief of staff, Army announced the assignment of Col. (Promotable) Daniel R. Walrath, deputy commander, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He most recently served as chief of staff, 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Last School Gets Final Funding

Today, the Depart- ment of Defense announced that it has awarded a $40 million grant to Clover Park School District to rebuild Evergreen Elementary School.

Last year, Sen. Murray, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and Rep. Heck, whose district includes Joint Base Lewis-McChord, fought to secure federal funding for defense projects in Washington State, including the construction of new schools that serve military families.

“This investment is a significant step toward fulfilling our promise to support our local military communities and their families,” Senator Murray said. “These schools are not only a place for children to learn, but also serve as a support system for our military families. As the daughter of a World War II veteran and a former preschool teacher, I will always fight to make sure our schools are getting the investments they need, especially those serving families that sacrifice so much for their country.”

“Our community can’t wait for this critically important project to break ground,” Congressman Heck said. “Many children of servicemembers stationed at JBLM attend Evergreen and we want to make sure this school is well-equipped to handle each student’s education needs.”

“For years our community has worked together to secure funds to support our servicemembers and their families,” said Congressman Smith, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee. “All children in the Puget Sound region must have access to a high quality education and I am pleased that these DoD funds will be used to ensure that our students needs are being met.”

“Clover Park School District is extremely excited to receive the news that funding to replace the sixth and final school on JBLM is approved,” said Debbie LeBeau, Superintendent of the Clover Park School District. “These school construction projects would not have been possible without the advocacy and determination of Senator Patty Murray, Congressman Denny Heck (and before him Congressman Dicks) and Congressman Adam Smith. They wanted to ensure that military dependents have state of the art learning environments to go along with the high quality instruction provided by our teachers.  Evergreen is a very special school serving students with disabilities that requires specialized instructional spaces. Updated technology, classroom spaces and improved access for physically challenged students will greatly improve the quality of education for our students.”

The grant comes through the DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment Public School Recapitalization program, which has supported extensive school construction efforts at Joint Base Lewis McChord. Previous projects include Hillside Elementary School, Carter Lake Elementary School, Beachwood Elementary School, Meriwether Elementary School, and Rainier Elementary School.

Army Announces Force Structure and Stationing Decisions

The Department of the Army announced today force structure decisions and stationing plans for the reduction of the regular Army from 490,000 to 450,000 soldiers.

The reduction of force structure will occur in fiscal years 2016 and 2017; the reduction of 40,000 end strength will be completed by the end of fiscal year 2018, and will be accompanied by the reduction of 17,000 Department of the Army civilian employees. These cuts will impact nearly every Army installation, both in the continental United States and overseas.

As part of these reductions, the number of regular Army brigade combat teams, the basic deployable units of maneuver in the Army, will continue to reduce from a wartime high of 45 to 30 by the end of fiscal year 2017. The Army will convert both the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Georgia and the 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska into smaller units—maneuver battalion task forces—by the end of fiscal year 2017. While brigade combat teams consist of approximately 4,000 soldiers, these battalion task forces will be comprised of approximately 1,050 soldiers.

Additionally, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division will remain a brigade combat team, but will convert its primary maneuver platform. Currently, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division is a Stryker brigade combat team, however, it will become an infantry brigade combat team without Stryker combat vehicles. Additionally, the Army is analyzing a proposal to use the brigade combat team’s current Stryker equipment to convert an Army National Guard brigade combat team in the Pacific Northwest to a Stryker configuration.

The Army selected these brigade combat teams for reorganization based on a variety of factors including strategic requirements and the inherent military value of the installations where they are based. The force structure decisions announced today best posture a smaller Army to meet global commitments.

“Budget constraints are forcing us to reduce the Total Army,” said Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, Army deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7. “These were very difficult decisions to make as all of our installations and their communities offer tremendous value to our Army and the nation. In the end, we had to make decisions based on a number of strategic factors, to include readiness impacts, mission command and cost.”

If the fiscal-caps of the 2011 Budget Control Act caps, commonly referred to as sequestration, are not addressed, the Army’s end-strength will be further reduced to 420,000 soldiers by the end of fiscal year 2019. This will result in a cumulative loss of 150,000 soldiers from the regular Army – a 26 percent cut over a seven year period. The resulting force would be incapable of simultaneously meeting current deployment requirements and responding to the overseas contingency requirements of the combatant commands.

Public Hearings Set for JBLM's Joint Land Use Study

The Joint Land Use Study for Joint Base Lewis-McChord is nearing completion, and open houses will be held in July to seek public input.

The JBLM JLUS is a collaborative process among federal, regional, and local governments and agencies; tribes; the public; and the south Puget Sound region’s military installations, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) and Camp Murray. The study is designed to create a collective regional dialogue around sometimes complex issues of balancing military operational demands and mission changes with the region’s and local communities’ land use plans, economic development and infrastructure needs, and goals for environmental sustainability. The study area generally encompasses those communities within two miles of the JBLM boundary.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend -

Public Hearing Dates and Locations:
Joint Base Lewis-McChord Joint Land Use Study
20-22 July 2015, Various Locations, 5:00-7:00pm
South Sound Military & Communities Partnership and AECOM (contractor) staff will be on hand to answer questions and receive feedback from the public on the currently ongoing Joint Land Use Study.

Three open-house style meetings will be held at:
• Monday, 20 July, 5-7pm at the Sprinker Recreation Center, 14824 C St S, Tacoma, WA 98444
• Tuesday, 21 July, 5-7pm at Yelm Public Safety Bldg., 206 McKenzie Ave., Yelm, 98597
• Wednesday, 22 July, 5-7pm at Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main St SW, Lakewood, WA 98499

For more information, check out the JBLM JLUS Website.

Noteworthies with a Local Link

The chief of staff, Army announced the assignment of Maj. Gen. William K. Fuller, deputy chief of staff, operations, Resolute Support Mission, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, Operation Freedom's Sentinel, Afghanistan, to deputy commanding general, I Corps, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Noteworthies with a Local Link

Brig. Gen. James B. Jarrard, deputy commanding general, operations, 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to director, Pakistan and Afghanistan Coordination Cell, J-5, Joint Staff, Washington, District of Columbia.

Brig. Gen. Kurt J. Ryan, commanding general, 593d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to commandant, U.S. Army Ordnance School, U.S. Army Sustainment Center of Excellence, Fort Lee, Virginia.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy S. Dotson, currently assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, has been selected to replace Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Sluder as the command senior enlisted leader for Joint Task Force-North, Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Maj. Gen. Terry R. Ferrell, commanding general, 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to chief of staff, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

Maj. Gen. Thomas S. James Jr., deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to commanding general, 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Army Commission Announces Chairman, Vice Chair

Retired Army Gen. Carter Ham, who most recently served as commander of U.S. Africa Command, will lead the National Commission on the Future of the U.S. Army, the commission announced last week.

Thomas Lamont, who served as assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs from 2009 to 2013, will be the panel’s vice chair.

The commission, created by the fiscal 2015 defense authorization bill, will assess the structure and size of the Army, determine the proper force mixture of the active and reserve components, and conduct policy analysis to document how policies affect mission requirements, according to a press release. Its findings are due Feb. 1, 2016.

The commission will need to settle the dispute over transferring the National Guard’s AH-64 Apaches helicopters to the active Army as well as tackle the long-troubled relationship between all three components of the Army, John Goheen, spokesman for the National Guard Association of the United States, told Breaking Defense.

“They have a lot to see and a lot of decisions to make before they can write the report,” Goheen said. “They’ve a fairly narrow window to meet that 1 February deadline,” he said.

The remaining six members of the commission, appointed by either President Obama or leaders of the Armed Services committees, are:
• Larry Ellis, president and CEO of VetConnexx, a retired general who commanded Army Forces Command from 2001 to 2004;
• Kathleen Hicks, director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former director for policy planning at the office of the undersecretary of defense for policy;
• Jack Stultz, a retired lieutenant general who was commanding general of Army Reserve Command from 2006 to 2012.
• J.D. Thurman, a retired general who served as the commander of U.S. Forces Korea and previously served as commander of Army Forces Command;
• Raymond Chandler, served as sergeant major of the Army until January 2015; and
• Robert Hale, former Pentagon comptroller who now is Booz Allen Hamilton’s public policy representative.

Noteworthies with a Local Connection

The chief of staff, Army announced the assignments of Brig. Gen. John F. Haley, commandant, U.S. Army Ordnance School, U.S. Army Sustainment Center of Excellence, Fort Lee, Virginia, to commanding general, 593d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

JBLM Appreciates Community's Response

Col. Charles Hodges, Joint Base Commander, expresses in this letter his thanks to the community for its involvement in the Army Community Listening Session and support of JBLM.

(Click on Image for a larger view)

Army Community Listening Session Huge Success

A Message from South Sound Military and Communities Partnership:

Hello and THANK YOU for your participation in the Army's listening session about a proposed 11,000 reduction in force (active duty and civilian contractors) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Over 500 people attended today's event and 67 people testified in person, including WA Governor Jay Inslee, Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy, Thurston County Commissioner Sandra Romero, Mayors and Council members from Lacey, Lakewood, Yelm, University Place, DuPont, Olympia, Orting, and many more.  The event ran an hour longer than scheduled due to the large turnout.

If you were in attendance but were not able to speak and have comments to provide, please send them ASAP to:

HQDA G3/5/7
Attn:  DAMOFMO
400 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC  20310

Please be sure to state that you were in attendance but were unable to stay the entire time to testify:  "I was there but I couldn't stay the whole time."

The Northwest Now show regarding possible cuts to JBLM will air January 23, 2015 on KBTC at 7:30.  If  you are unable to watch tonight, here’s a link to where you can see the show on our website after 1/23 at 8:00pm:  http://www.kbtc.org/page.php?id=369

Today's listening session was recorded by PCTV, and it will be part of the Pierce County News Broadcast that will run daily between 1/29 and 2/5 at 7:30 pm.  You can link to PCTV's website HERE.

Again, thank you for showing your support for and concern about JBLM!

South Sound Military & Communities Partnership

UPDATE:  JAN. 22, 2015
OTHER RESOURCES

Q13 Fox

http://q13fox.com/2015/01/21/local-leaders-small-business-owners-worry-about-possible-troop-cuts-at-jblm/

KOMOnews.com

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Community-rallies-against-plan-to-cut-11000-JBLM-soldiers-289385691.html

KING 5 News

http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2015/01/21/army-listening-session-jblm/22139815/

KIROtv.com

http://www.kirotv.com/news/ap/washington/army-thinking-about-cutting-jobs-at-lewis-mcchord/njsQn/

The News Tribune

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/01/21/3599153_forum-addresses-effect-that-proposed.html?rh=1

The News Tribune (editorial)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/01/21/3599729_defense-needs-not-robot-math-should.html?rh=1

Business Examiner Daily Biz Briefs

http://www.businessexaminer.com/blog/January-2015/Communities-argue-for-JBLM/

Daily Journal/AP
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/6d9d93b1a4bd47b38d480e31a1129fb3/WA--Lewis-McChord-Reduction/

Regional View/PSRC
http://blog.psrc.org/2015/01/region-rallies-to-support-jblm/

The Suburban Times
http://thesubtimes.com/2015/01/23/lakewood-region-sound-off-on-jblm-reduction/?utm_source=The+Suburban+Times+email+edition&utm_campaign=1ad99bb98d-TST+email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4a8f53e3e2-1ad99bb98d-8741 

Association of Defense Communities
 http://www.defensecommunities.org/headlines/south-sound-stands-up-for-jb-lewis-mcchord/?utm_source=dc360&utm_campaign=645dab0276-RSS_dc360_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_04f8ff45e8-645dab0276-55781657&ct=t(RSS_dc360_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN)#