Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Staff Sgt. Robert Bales Will Plead Guilty In Afghan Murders

The Associated Press — Wed, 29 May 2013 21:39:12 +0000

SEATTLE (AP) — The Army staff sergeant charged with murdering 16 Afghan villagers during pre-dawn raids last year has agreed to plead guilty in a deal to avoid the death penalty. John Henry Browne, an attorney for Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, tells The Associated Press that Bales will enter the plea June 5 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Judge: Soldier Premeditated Iraq Killings

The Associated Press — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:22:01 +0000

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AP) — A military judge found Army Sgt. John Russell guilty of premeditated murder Monday in the 2009 killings of five fellow service members at a combat stress clinic in Iraq.

Guilty Verdict At JBLM In Trial Of Sgt. Accused Of Baghdad Shooting Spree

Tom Banse — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:27:36 +0000

A case that featured harrowing testimony of combat-related mental illness ended Monday with a guilty verdict. Army Sergeant John Russell was convicted for murdering five fellow servicemen at a military mental health clinic in Baghdad in 2009.

A military judge found the 48-year-old Texas native guilty of premeditated murder.

North Korea May Have Know-How To Miniaturize Nuclear Warhead, Says Pentagon

editor — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:39:00 +0000

The Pentagon's intelligence arm has "moderate confidence" that North Korea may have developed the technology to create nuclear weapons that are small enough to fit on a long-range missile.

NPR's Larry Abramson filed this report for our Newscast unit:

"The Defense Intelligence Agency assessment says such a weapon would probably not be very reliable. This is the first time the U.S.

Defense Contractor Lays Off One-Third Of Its Joint Base Lewis-McChord Staff

Patricia Murphy — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:11:22 +0000

Last week the Department of Defense delayed anticipated furlough notices for civilian employees. The DOD said the two-week delay would allow it to analyze the impact of the federal budget sequester on its workforce.

But not everyone got a reprieve.

Military Marriage Endures Despite Multiple Deployments

Patricia Murphy — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:55:27 +0000

Love is a popular theme today and for retailers, it's a cash cow of hearts and roses. But relationships that endure take work. For the Silsby family of Lacey the secret is weathering change.

Army Keeps A Lid On Madigan PTSD Investigation

Patricia Murphy — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 03:06:44 +0000

The Army says it won’t release the investigation into how Madigan Army Medical Center handled some soldiers' diagnoses for post-traumatic stress disorder. The denial comes one week after the Secretary of the Army visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Tacoma, to announce the completion of an Army-wide review on the same subject.

Military Judge Orders Sanity Review For Soldier Accused In Massacre

Patricia Murphy — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:25:51 +0000

Attorneys for Staff Sergeant Robert Bales say they’re unsure if they’ll pursue a mental health defense in the case.

But if they do, the judge has ordered that the soldier must undergo a so-called sanity board review.

Bales is accused of murdering 16 Afghan civilians and wounding six others in an overnight rampage last March.

Army Orders Sgt. Bales To Capital Court Martial

editor — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:51:00 +0000

The U.S. Army announced Wednesday that Staff Sgt.

Army's I Corps Role Will Shift To Pacific Rim

Patricia Murphy — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:38:43 +0000

This month Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta laid out plans for the future of the US military. And as troops return from Afghanistan, that strategy includes shifting security operations to the Pacific Rim. Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) will play a major role in that plan.