FIRESTONE ON JBLM HANDED $500 TO FISHER HOUSE, AND $250 EACH TO CUB SCOUTS AND GIRL SCOUTS ON BASE.  SEE THE STORY HERE.

With the harsh winter months just a handful of days away, now might be the perfect time to get the family car a much-needed tune up.

One local business is making it easier for customers to check that off their to-do list with the click of a mouse, while at the same time making a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Tveten's Auto Clinic, 5425 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., will donate $5 to the Wounded Warrior Project throughout the month of October for every time a customer schedules an appointment online attvetensautoclinic.com/ for any of the services it offers.

"We're trying to streamline things a little bit and save the customer time," said Rachael Tveten, co-owner and vice president. "Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for customers to set something up."

The shop has been open since 1949 and is currently operated by the third generation of Tvetens. Servicing military members' cars is something the shop takes great pride in, and donating money to help wounded warriors and their families is one more way to show its support, Tveten said.

"It really means something to us to be able to give back," said Tveten, whose son is an Army captain stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The shop services both foreign and domestic cars, and can handle anything from a routine oil change to an entire engine overhaul. It places special emphasis on vehicle inspections and preventive maintenance programs for systems such as brakes, suspensions, front-end repairs, cooling system, wheel alignments, tire balancing, transmission servicing, differential maintenance, on-board computer diagnosis and repair, and lube and oil changes.

   The Ranger & NW Airlifter newspapers already have 1500 kids registered to attend their Salute to Unsung Heroes event.  
   "We are thrilled with the community outpouring of support, including our main sponsor, SDC Homes," said Ken Swarner, publisher of the newspapers.
  Those attending and handing out free prizes or services include Shipwreck Beads, Mattress Makers, Dennys, Hands on Children's Museum, Albertsons, Kaplan, Walmart, YMCA of Lakewood, Lakewood Ford, Dupont Realty, The Ram, The JBLM Commissary, Branding Innovations, Education Services, The Melting Pot, Harborstone Credit Union, The Pet Brigade, Children's Denistry of DuPont, Dhane Orthodontic, America's Credit Union, NW Harley Davidson, Epic Realty, USAA, Hawks Prairie Furniture, Steilacoom High School, Lacey Parks & Recreation, YPN, PAVE, and Il Forno.  
   "It is sure to be the fitting tribute that our local military kids deserve," Swarner added.

The Pet Brigade on the Joint Base treated local firefighters to free pizza on 9-11.  See the story here.

Heightened security fears and two wars propelled growth at Joint Base Lewis-McChord over the past decade, boosting the Army’s ranks in the South Sound and injecting billions of dollars into the region’s economy.

A few numbers help tell the story of how quickly the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq intensified the Army’s expansion plans for the base south of Tacoma.

 • The number of soldiers at the base swelled from fewer than 19,000 before the terror attacks to more than 34,000 today. Some belong to units that grew because of the wars, such as the Green Berets in the 1st Special Forces Group. Others, such as the base’s three Stryker brigades, might have expanded even without the conflicts, officers said.
SEE THE REST OF THE TNT REPORT HERE


Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/09/10/1817291/soldiers-dollars-flow-to-local.html#ixzz1XeToVJam

Our next big party - an effort to salute our local military kids who have sacrificed so much during the past 10 years is now open for reservations.  The FREE event is a fitting tribute to children that have passed many milestones in their lives while a parent or parents have been deployed.
This event will show them that their trials and tribulations have not gone unnoticed by the local business community.
If your biz would like to participate, email us here.
To see the story on the event, click here.

9-11 concert in Tacoma to be a PBS documentary.  Click here for the story.

FROM GARY BRACKETT'S C-9 BLOG...
Our community is lucky to have a new, dynamic Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA), Jimmy Collins. Mr. Collins wants to connect Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber members to Army procurement opportunities.First focus: the Rapid Equipping Force (REF) portal that has been responsible for several of the gains made in quickly equipping Stryker Brigade Combat Teams from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
During every war, Army units are confronted with shortfalls that require immediate action to neutralize an adaptive enemy. These urgent warfighting needs often emerge faster than the institutional acquisition processes can address them.
In November 2002, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army created the REF as a unique, singular organization designed to address an Army-wide, systemic deficiency in providing immediate and innovative technology solutions.
SEE THE REST HERE

Military supporters can throw a few bucks in the rucks to support local military presonnel.

The DuPont Sub-chapter of JBLM's Capt Meriwether Lewis Chapter of the Association of the United States Army is collecting money to support two sub-chapter programs - the Single Soldier Project and care packages for deployed troops.

"The money raised does a lot to support the morale of troops returning from war, and those in the warzone this holiday season," said Ken Swarner, president of the DuPont sub chapter.



According to Swarner, the Single Soldier Project gives returning single Soldiers and Airmen gift baskets of toiletries and snacks in their rooms their first night home from deployment.

"Too often, our single troops come home without families there to greet them," said Swarner.  "We want these troops to know they are appreciated, plus with the high rates of suicide, we don't want our troops feeling alone and unloved."

Other monies will support sending care packages to JBLM units deployed this holiday.

"We'll take the donations to support our big care package mailing taking place November 12," Swarner added.  "We invite the families of the deployed to put in personal messages and added goodies, and we pay the postage to send the package down range.  For our younger families, this saves them money for the holidays, plus reminds both the families and the deployed troops how much we support them."

Jolene Houghtaling, a board member with the sub-chapter and employee at America's Credit Union, said her credit union is thrilled to participate in Bucks for Rucks.

"It is so important to make the Single Soldiers and Airmen feel welcomed home, especially the ones that do not have family in the area," Houghtaling added. "The last thing these men and women need to feel is alone when they get back from serving our country."

To make donations, either drop them at the Community 1st Credit Union branches in DuPont or Steilacoom (www.comm1stcu.org/contactus.html), or mail to Bucks in Rucks, c/o The Ranger newspaper, P.O. Box 98801, Lakewood, Wa. 98496.  For more information, email Ken Swarner.

The UPS Store in Lakewood is making a connection with local military personnel and veterans.  They will deposit your checks direct to USAA.  Nice!!  See the store HERE.