Want to meet our nation's heroes up close and personal?  Want to spend more time with troops?  Want to support the military?  Anita Nowacin sent us this request:NEEDED! Donations of water bottles or dispensers of water for the WTB Chili Cook Off, on JBLM! Also, MANY VOLUNTEERS for March 25 to set up and take down tents and activities for children. A box of Costco Cupcakes for the children to play a cake walk. Email me at anowocin@yahoo.com to VOLUNTEER or Donate. I can provide donation slips from AUSA. FYI WTB can not ask for support, I can!
The WTB is a great effort to get behind.
 
Swarner Communications launched an online-only magazine this month delivered directly to the emails of singles at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  
This is an opportunity to reach those in the military community more inclined to "pick-up" their news and features electronically than the old-fashioned paper.  To see the magazine, click here.
To sign-up to receive it, go here.

 
The Olympian today has a story explaining exactly how the partnership among government agencies will benefit the military and deal with the growth in the area.
The breakdown of key study areas and recommendations have been covered weekly in the Ranger/Airlifter for the past several weeks.  To see those, click on northwestmilitary.com here, here, here, here, and here.
 
Picture
Swarner Communication's team of event planners met this week to determine its next military support event.  Following on the heels of a successful Baby Shower which gained national media attention (CNN & MSNBC), the media and marketing firm chose the children of local military personnel to honor next.
   "The unsung heroes, these kids have sacrificed as much as anyone - having to grow up with a mom or dad (or both) sent to the warzone one to five times in the past nine years," said Ken Swarner, co-owner. "These kids pack up and move to new towns, having to say good-bye to old friends, challenged to make new ones at the next duty station."
   Experienced in throwing support parties, Swarner said the event will be robust and kid-friendly.
   "We are going to throw them a huge "Thank You" party November 12 - it's our Thanksgiving Message to the entire community - our chance to say Thank You to the thousands of military kids living in our community."
  Swarner invites local business and support organizations to contact him if they'd like to be involved.  Reach him at publisher@ftlewisranger.com.
 
  • The Lacey Chamber of Commerce is organizing an Adopt-a-Unit for the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at JBLM.
  • Learn how your business can adopt units within the 3-2 SBCT to begin a long term reciprocal relationship of support in the community.   A couple examples would be to invite your assigned unit to your company's activities or they could help you with a community project.  Another example would be to send care packages during long deployments or to take care of the families left behind.  Your amount of involvement depends on you and your assigned unit.    There are different size units to select from:  50 - 100 people (small); 100 - 150 (medium); 150 - 200 (large).   
The Lacey Chamber also expects to  have a similar Adopt-a Squadron program for our Air Force.  
To learn more, email Carlene Joseph at Harborstone Credit Union: Carlene.Joseph@Harborstone.com.
 
There are so many great projects going on right now to support Joint Base Lewis-McChord - things that connect you as a business with soldiers and airmen, and allow you the noble opportunity to support military personnel and their families.  From Lacey to Puyallup, Tacoma to DuPont, a lot of business leaders are making things happen.  This is all part of the Capt. Meriwether Lewis Chapter of the Association of the United States Army.
Want to get involved?  Attend the next membership meeting March 9, 5 p.m. at the Sharon McGavick Center at Clover Park Voc Tech.  Call Ken Swarner to make a reservation at (253) 584-1212.
If there is one thing you do for your business this year, it's join AUSA.  YOu'll make a dif
 
Picture
The new Internet site, JaBLAM.com - a place for our local military folks to find the military discounts they have so rightly earned - was introduced to the market.
  
 "All over the South Sound, local businesses honor our troops everyday with military discounts, but knowing where those are takes a lot of research," Ken Swarner, co-owner of Swarner Communications said.  "JaBLAM.com now does that work for our troops."

  The site launched this week with over 200 deals.  Those numbers will continue to grow over the next few months.

  Swarner choose a superhero theme for the JaBLAM site.

  "We see our military as superheroes, so it made sense to make one our central figure," Swarner said.  "JaBLAM man will be at events this year handing out balloons to the kids, plus we'll have some contests and other events as well."

   JaBLAM.com will also feature a daily newsletter offering additional military discounts, plus alert military folks to new deals added to the site.  That newsletter begins March 11.  To sign-up for the newsletter, click here.