Features

  • The Baghdad bullet train

    Welcome to the bullet train. Those were the words of Chief Master Sgt. Gordon Swarthout to arriving members of the 447th Air Expeditionary Wing, Sather AB, Iraq, where he served for four months as the group superintendent. "Imagine you're standing in your neighborhood. A bullet train comes through

  • Attitude, support helps Reserve Airman beat cancer

    Finally drifting off to sleep after several restless nights, Deb Marshall was jolted into consciousness with a horrific epiphany. She turned to her half-awake husband, Lt. Col. William Marshall, and vocalized the thought responsible for robbing her of yet another night's sleep. "What about his

  • Loadmaster's family adopts, Kazakhstan child given second chance

    With millions of children around the world homeless, malnourished and without a family, one Reserve family at McChord is doing its part to bring happiness to their home and give a child another chance by internationally adopting. "We have always wanted a large family and adoption was an option for

  • Reservist follows The Silk Road

    The Grand Canyon, Washington D.C., Niagara Falls, Route 66 - these are just a few of the most sought after destinations and routes many Americans aspire to visit in their lifetime. For others, their long-awaited destination may take them 6,000 miles and many time zones away. Following one of her

  • Fleeing Cambodia shapes Airman's spirit

    Participating in humanitarian relief efforts can be emotional for anyone involved, but few Airmen can relate to the torrent of feelings Senior Airman Lyn Yin, 728th Airlift Squadron, experienced when she went on a mission to Thailand. For Airman Yin, the trip provided more than just the opportunity

  • Colors and noise replace blandness, quiet of Iraq

    The grass is greener on the other side of the fence. That is, if the fence is one that divides Washington state from Balad, Iraq. Colors, particularly the color green, are the most striking elements overwhelming Airmen returning from Iraq. After serving in Iraq since January, 71 Reservists from the

  • Resevist named coach of the year

    Stan Harris, a master sergeant with the 446th Aerospace Medicine Squadron here, has been named All Area Coach of the Year by the Tacoma News Tribune. A high-school gym teacher and basketball coach in Tacoma, Harris’ boys basketball team at Franklin-Pierce High School went undefeated this year in the

  • Setting new heights

    Three, two, one, blast-off! Some people never get enough of what they love, like Lt. Col. Jim Wilkerson, who can never get enough altitude. The 313th Airlift Squadron pilot and Boeing pilot instructor also aims high in his hobby. His hobby is model rocketry and he set a new altitude record of more

  • Saving Lives in the sky: AES Reservists get the job done stateside, overseas

    Moving wounded American servicemembers from combat environments to hospitals in Germany and the United States is not an easy task, but one the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron here has been doing since 2001. Air Mobility Command officials report, as of July 8, 2005, the aeromedical evacuation

  • It's all about fitness, fun

    Completing a 26-mile marathon, as opposed to just succeeding at the 1.5 mile Air Force fitness evaluation run, can be a lofty goal for some people. But not for Kristi Porter, a 1st lieutenant with the 446th Logistics Readiness Flight. For her, competing marathons, such as the Seattle Marathon on