Air Force Magazine Onlinereports Australia has signed the agreement with the US government to acquire a fifth C-17 transport via a foreign military sale,announced C-17 manufacturer Boeing. Boeing delivered Australia's four C-17s between 2006 and 2008.

"Boeing thanks the RAAF, a C-17 customer since 2006, for its confidence in the airlifter's capabilities," said Bob Ciesla, C-17 program manager for Boeing. "We salute the RAAF and its crews, who helped save lives in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. We are proud to serve as their partner." Already this year, RAAF C-17s have supported disaster-relief efforts in Japan and New Zealand as well as at home after floods ravaged parts of Queensland.


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Thirty-three international teams, and many other Air Force teams from around the country will descend on McChord  Field this July.  It's all part of Air Mobility Command's Rodeo, and for the casual observer, other than increased air traffic and seeing through the fences lots of planes on McChord's tarmac, you don't have access to the event.  It is not an air show.

But you can get involved.  First, if you have a hotel or car rental agency, call the Rodeo office immediately - they need 750 cars and 3200 rooms - it should be you.  Email Jonathon Harris at McChord to get connected. 

If you'd like to get a chance to sponsor some activities, you may also start with Jonathon as well.

If you are a chamber of commerce member with Tacoma, Lakewood or Lacey, all three host events for the participants and dignataries.  Be sure to call your Chamber office right away to find out how to be involved.

Finally, we publish an Air Show Guide to help the participants know what to do while they are here.  You may call us to advertise at (253) 584-1212.

Rodeo is a lot of fun - and you get out of it what you put into it.  We hope to see you there.

The Defense Department is pulling back a massive contract it awarded in 2009 to provide health insurance services in one of its three TRICARE regions, the military health care agency said Thursday.

The TRICARE Management Activity (TMA), which administers health benefits offered through private medical providers to military servicemembers, retirees and their families, said it had sustained an agency-level protest filed by UnitedHealthcare over the $17 billion contract for its TRICARE West region, which serves 2.7 million beneficiaries in 21 states.

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In the early 1980s, Jack Gamble, a retired Air Force major general who was working at Madigan Army Medical Center, came across a military spouse who couldn't afford a stroller to push her newborn around in.

Gamble refused to sit idle and watch that young mother and other's needs like hers go unfulfilled.

"He would see to it they would find a way to have a stroller," said Alfred Buck, who was close friends with Gamble, who passed away recently.

What started with one man wanting to fill a need to prevent someone falling through the cracks in a large system blossomed years later with the creation of the Madigan Foundation.


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Northwestmilitary.com has two new "community" sites dedicated to helping military spouses looking for jobs, and/or helping them promote their home based businesses.

You may see them here:

Hire A Spouse

Home Based Central

Pacific Grill in T-Town offers military folks free valet parking.  Isn't that cool!  

The Olympian newspaper has an editorial out this a.m. blaming, in part, the DoD for congestion on I-5.  We'd like to encourage everyone to follow this issue, leave comments, and remind people that it's not the DoD's fault or problem to fix.  It's our problem - a good, economic and great social problem to have. We are lucky to have our military here.  Urge local elected officials to fix this.  The Olympian editorial is here.

Anita Nowacin writes: Every "New" member of the Tacoma AUSA Subchapter will receive a pendant on a cord, key chain, earrings, or stretch bracelet(their choice)! Those who sign up the most new members will receive a $50 gift card for the business of their choice, plus I have 2nd and 3rd prizes! This contest starts April 1 (NO APRIL FOOLS!) and ends May 31.  To join, contact her at anowocin@yahoo.com

It's a big year for the Capt. Meriwether Lewis Chapter of the Association of the United States Army.  In the upcoming awards for AUSA's 6th Region, which covers AUSA chapters in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and North and Central California, the JBLM chapter took nine awards, including one for CSM Matt Barnes, JBLM's garrison sergeant major.


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