This work, From Plans to Practice: Assistant S3 Oversees Rifle Qualification at JBLM, by SPC Ryan Dunn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright a little boy with a huge heart became a hero among heroes AFA’s McChord Field Chapter in Tacoma in partnership with McChord’s 4th Airlift Squadron brought back a beloved tradition: the “Pilot For a Day” program The program—launched by AFA McChord in the early 2000s—provides a child with a chronic disease or illness the opportunity to experience life as a real pilot while meeting the heroes of JBLM This year’s pilot was seven-year-old Benny Blankenship—a spirited young boy who loves to read Despite having endured eight surgeries in his short life Benny’s smile lit up the room from the moment he arrived A frequent patient at the pediatric cardiology clinic at Madigan Army Medical Center Benny was nominated by the clinic to experience this unforgettable event His story and spirit inspired the planning team which included AFA Washington State President Dave Stookey Anna Nicholson from the 4th Airlift Squadron Festivities kicked off the night before the main event with a welcome dinner at Farrelli’s Pizzeria in DuPont Benny and his family—his mom and two sisters—met the AFA team and his escort pilot from the 4th AS excitedly showing off his favorite shoes (his Army Adidas and cowboy boots) and sharing his love for Sonic the Hedgehog and Florida where he had undergone surgery in the past Benny arrived at Fort Lewis and met four Airmen ready to show him what a day in the life of a military member is all about Benny got to ride in one of the newest rigs on base His first stop was the Lewis Military Police where he witnessed the working dogs in action and even rode in a police cruiser The adventure continued with visits to the JBLM Fire Department and a live Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) demonstration When the squadron discovered Benny loved Arby’s they made sure lunch came straight from his favorite place—just another way the team made the day all about him Benny’s big moment came in the C-17 flight simulator Nicholson guided him through a high-stakes operation to “save” Sonic the Hedgehog Benny celebrated a job well done in the 4th AS Heritage Room for an ice cream social he was awarded with a 4th AS challenge coin and officially given his call sign: “Knuckles,” after his hero Sonic’s best friend Events like AFA McChord’s “Pilot For a Day” program exemplifies the core mission of AFA—advocating for our Airmen educating the public about the Air and Space Forces and supporting those who serve and the communities around them AFA McChord and the 4th AS didn’t just make one boy’s dream come true—they reminded us all what community © 2025 Air & Space Forces Association Privacy Policy READ MORE2 JBLM soldiers ex-member charged with trying to sell military secrets to buyers in Chinaby Taylor Corlew were arrested following federal grand jury indictments in Oregon and Washington both stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord face serious charges related to espionage and bribery Army Counterintelligence Command for their hard work on this investigation and commitment to protecting our national security,” said Acting U.S A JBLM spokesperson provided the following statement to KOMO News regarding the indictments: “We are aware of the indictment of two active-duty service members assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord We are fully committed to supporting the ongoing interagency investigation and prosecution of this case," wrote Col "To protect the integrity of the investigation and in accordance with Army policy we are unable to provide additional details on the case.” Tian and Duan were indicted in Oregon for conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property Zhao faces charges in Washington for conspiring to "obtain and transmit national defense information" to unauthorized individuals as well as bribery and theft of government property "While bribery and corruption have thrived under China’s Communist Party this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who are entrusted with sensitive military information including national defense information," wrote FBI Director Kash Patel The indictment in Oregon alleges that from November 2021 to December 2024 Duan and Tian conspired to gather sensitive military information including technical manuals related to U.S and that Tian transmitted this information to Duan for money Zhao is also accused of conspiring to sell a stolen encryption-capable computer and sensitive military documents including information on the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and U.S military readiness "in the event of a conflict with the People’s Republic of China." "These arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign intelligence threat facing our Army and nation," wrote Brig Commanding General of Army Counterintelligence Command “It is unconscionable that a person who wears the uniform of a U.S Army soldier would betray our country and the trust of his fellow soldiers,” said W Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office “These arrests should send a message to would-be spies that we and our partners have the will and the ability to find you especially those necessary to preserve our military advantage and protect our troops The DOJ said the case was investigated by the FBI Portland and Seattle Field Offices and U.S with assistance from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Seattle Field Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service by Denise Whitaker WASHINGTON STATE — The need for more housing is great all throughout Pierce County and this includes Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) It’s been about a decade since new family housing has been built so you can imagine the celebrations over a new project set to begin construction this spring The construction equipment’s already moved onto the empty space where Liberty Military Housing will be building 212 new homes for service member families stationed at JBLM “I absolutely look forward to building hundreds and hundreds more housing for JBLM,” Col said during a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new homes Every home will have four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms we have a shortage of houses here on base,” Park told KOMO News There are 5,159 homes on base right now for military families Finding a rental home off base that’s large enough to accommodate a family is not easy and usually more money than young military families can afford we have about 70% of our residents living off the installation and so what we like to do is try to bring them on the installation as much as possible and lower the pressure on the rental market out in the economy and keep families military families closer to home,” Park said You don't know the community you're gonna be moving into,” Gina Babski They were first stationed at JBLM more than three years and she said Michael just transitioned to a new position so they will be here for another three “What we get on this base is better than what we would get off base,” she said Babski said she feels fortunate that they get to live on base in the Meriwether neighborhood where there are parks and her children’s school within walking distance “Just having people in your life closely associated with knowing what you're going through as far as training and deployments it's just an exciting opportunity to see that more homes are being built within the year,” Babski said “The sense of community we build when we build housing is incredibly important,” Rep from Washington’s 10th congregational district said We're about serving the entire family,” Phillip Rizzo Rizzo told KOMO News that they’ve been on base since 2016 working to create a community for service members and their families He said they regularly hold free community events for families to come together Rizzo told KOMO News that about 3,000 of 5,159 homes on base were built before 1978 and that they just remodeled about 900 of those so Liberty Military Housing is in partnership with the Department of the Army so we don't receive any actual federal funding All of our funding comes from one lease at a time from our residents And so that allows us to then reinvest the money that we receive in rent into projects,” Rizzo told KOMO News “It's a part of the promise that we have made to our service members,” Park told KOMO News the mayor of each neighborhood is there to help a volunteer position that she took over from another spouse it's exciting for me to see that more houses are being built which means more opportunities for soldiers and their families to have listening to the concerns and working to get action by talking with staff from Liberty Military Housing a soldier’s commanding officer or the Garrison Commander These issues could revolve around house maintenance KOMO News asked Liberty Military Housing how rents are set We were told that each community has a set amount that matches the service member’s basic allowance for housing (BAH) The BAH is set by the Department of Defense (DOD) and it is based on the service member’s job and rank The BAH also takes into account the base location so Babski explained that their rent payment is automatically distributed to their housing provider they were responsible for paying their landlord not Liberty or any other private military housing provider The amount of BAH also takes into account duty location and dependency status “When we take care of who are serving take care of their families when they’re living in safe Serving our country in the military is the highest honor because we take care of the people who fight for us every single day,” Strickland said The first 212 new houses in Meriwether North should be ready for rent in early 2026 WASHINGTON — Two Army soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington and a former soldier in Oregon have been accused in separate indictments of sharing classified military information with China a health services administrator serving in Washington to gather information secretly about the Army’s operations Tian was tasked with obtaining instructions and manuals for Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles used by the Army and selling them to Duan Duan served in the Army from 2013 to 2017 and routinely made payments to other security clearance holders and active-duty service members though only two soldiers were named in indictments released this week a battery supply sergeant assigned to the 17th Field Artillery Brigade in Washington of obtaining and selling about 20 government hard drives some marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET,” to buyers in China Zhao received at least $15,000 in payments from August to December 2024 “These arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign intelligence threat facing our Army and nation,” Brig the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command Tian and Duan are charged in Oregon with conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property Zhao is charged in Washington with bribery theft of government property and conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an individual not authorized to receive it Zhao sought buyers for sensitive information on military exercises between the U.S an Army exercise in the Indo-Pacific region the operation of strategic rockets and missiles Zhao set a starting price of $3,000 to $4,000 for “anything that touches HIMARS,” a weapon system that Ukraine has deployed in its war with Russia He haggled over the price of a HIMARS-related document calling it “very sensitive” and “super difficult to get.” Zhao ultimately settled on a price of $6,500 for two documents Zhao also offered to send an encryption-capable military computer to his Chinese contact in exchange for $1,800 The Justice Department said the documents that Zhao sent contained sensitive information related to U.S military readiness in the event of an armed conflict with China The defendants are the latest soldiers from Lewis-McChord to be accused of working with China a former Army intelligence sergeant at the base was charged in 2023 of trying to sell military secrets to China He was later deemed mentally unfit to stand trial two Navy officers were accused of providing details on wartime exercises naval operations and technical ship data to Chinese intelligence agents “While bribery and corruption have thrived under China’s Communist Party including national defense information,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement Thursday The FBI are known for entrapping stupid people in these “plots” As these 3 are clearly not the smartest people and the OS of the laptop could have been imaged to a thumb drive There is no reason for them to take the physical devices leading to their capture These guys are patsies for US anti-China propaganda and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Website Design by Blaser Consulting — Joint Base Lewis-McChord broke ground this week on 212 new homes that base officials hope will ease a housing crunch in and around the military base in a rapidly growing region of Washington state “About 70% of our residents live off the installation “I would love to bring more and more on to the installation.” the Army’s component of the Indo-Pacific Command region which stretches from Alaska down to California and across the Pacific to Australia and India The Pentagon has increased the number of troops ships and aircraft committed to the region to counter China’s rapidly growing military and economic presence That has put stress on the ability of Lewis-McChord to keep pace with the demands of growth the military can’t control the cost and quality of where service members live “As JBLM continues to grow to meet operational demands our infrastructure must keep pace,” Park said The base shared by the Army and Air Force has 5,159 units of base housing for 36,000 service members and 47,000 military family members who represents a district that includes the base said the new homes would help junior officers and senior non-commissioned officers with families But she said Lewis-McChord is about 1,000 units short of enough housing to meet demand The shortage forces more soldiers and airmen to live off base and compete for rentals in a growing region with its own housing shortage a self-described “Army brat” lived in housing at what is now Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska She said housing for troops helped build a sense of community that is undercut when too many troops live in far-flung clusters of rentals away from a base “We need to build as much housing as we can as soon as we can,” said Strickland a member of the House Armed Services Committee “Housing is a key to troops feeling secure and feeling secure is a major part of recruiting and retention.” The new homes will be duplex-style with four bedrooms two-car garages and fenced backyards with covered patios but those are in high demand and the waiting list is long Plans call for the first homes to be ready for residents in January 2026 “We will not wait for all 212 to be completed,” Wilson said “We will assign these homes as they are delivered to us.” The project would be finished by the end of 2027 The homes are to be constructed by Liberty Military Housing utilizing $130 million in funding from the Military Housing Privatization Initiative the $30 billion program that uses private-sector funding for construction and renovation of military housing across the country The homes will be the second major housing project to start in the past six months at Lewis-McChord The base won a competition for an Army pilot project to spend $100 million on barracks designed specifically to house troops from one unit it will be home to 168 soldiers of the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force Lewis-McChord was once in a remote location south of Seattle and Tacoma it was like the base was out in the middle of nowhere,” Strickland said “Now it’s in a mix of urban and suburban communities the second most populous county in the state Pierce County grew to 933,130 residents in 2024 Strickland said building barracks and houses was part of the solution to the military housing crunch at Lewis-McChord and other bases throughout the country Congress and former President Joe Biden approved a 15% pay raise for junior enlisted personnel that will boost the income of the service members least likely to be able to afford off-base housing Strickland has co-sponsored legislation to increase the housing allowance for service members who live off base have also introduced legislation that would create a low-income housing tax credit for developers of residential buildings within 15 miles of major military installations “We need more housing at bases and in the communities around bases,” Stickland said “This has to be an all-hands-on-deck effort.” The Seahawks hosted members of the Army Rangers and 160th Airborne out of Joint Base Lewis McChord for a day at the Virgina Mason Athletic Center on Friday Seahawks hosted members of the Army Rangers and 160th Airborne out of Joint Base Lewis McChord at the Virgina Mason Athletic Center on Friday The Seahawks hosted the 2025 Task Force 12 Summit on Saturday 2025 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center for the 12 local military nonprofits in Task Force 12: Brigadoon Service Dogs An active-duty service member celebrated their promotion ceremony at Lumen Field on the Fan Deck with their family and teammates on Tuesday Seahawks and Delta employees surprised Corporal Miller with the Delta Community Captain award for his incredible work serving the military community and his role with Marine Toys for Tots leveraging his leadership skills to make the holiday season brighter for local children in need Navy Flag Football game and a watch party for the Seahawks' Week 15 matchup at the Cardinals on Sunday Seahawks partnered with Everfi and the Medal of Honor Foundation in honor of Salute to Service to host a panel discussion for local students at Lumen Field on Tuesday and Starbucks hosted military members and their families at Lumen Field on November 16 Army members from Joint Base Lewis-McChord for a military reenlistment ceremony at Lumen Field on October 17 The Seahawks partnered with USAA for another visit to the Joint Base Lewis-McChord military base on Tuesday The Change of Command program is an annual celebration of a military branch with the Air Force being honored this year The Seahawks hosted over 100 members of the United States Air Force at practice on Tuesday The United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron spent a day at Seahawks training camp and flew over one of the team's practices on August 1 Seahawks staff and players visited the Joint Base Lewis-McChord military base on Tuesday The team visited the military base to learn more about the day-to-day operations and show appreciation to those who serve our country The Seahawks hosted 50 soldiers from the United States Army out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord at Lumen Field for a reenlistment ceremony on April 18 SEATTLE — A former Army sergeant for an intelligence unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord who has been charged with trying to sell military secrets to the Chinese has been ruled competent to stand trial after nine months in a federal psychiatric facility with possessing national defense documents and attempting to supply them to China He faces penalties of up to 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine on each count District Court Judge John Coughenour ruled Tuesday that Schmidt could stand trial Schmidt was a team leader in the human intelligence section of the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion at the Army-Air Force base in Washington An FBI report on the case said Schmidt left the Army in 2020 and went on a globe-trotting trip to Beijing Istanbul and Hong Kong to try to meet with Chinese security agents who he hoped would hire him as an expert in “interrogation” and “espionage.” The FBI said it was uncertain the Chinese ever met with Schmidt but federal agents intercepted messages that he sent seeking meetings with Chinese agents and his online searches on spying techniques in San Francisco as he departed a flight from Hong Kong Schmidt was later transferred to a federal jail near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to await trial Coughenour ruled in May 2024 that Schmidt was not mentally competent to “understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him or to assist properly in his defense.” Coughenour ordered Schmidt remanded to a federal psychiatric facility to “undergo competency restoration treatment Government psychiatric doctors were to regularly submit reports to the court detailing Schmidt’s mental competency At a competency hearing held Tuesday in Seattle federal court Attorney Todd Greenberg and assistant Federal Public Defender Dennis Carroll agreed Schmidt’s mental state had improved to the point that he could understand and aid his defense and Judge John Coughenour signed the order to that effect,” said Emily Langlie “The defense and prosecution will now meet to discuss a schedule moving forward toward a trial date.” WASHINGTON STATE — The south sound is home to the largest Army-run base in the United States It’s the fourth-largest military installation worldwide “Joint Base Lewis McCord is a large installation and we call it a power projection platform this is where we project national power,” Col JBLM’s prime mission is to deploy units overseas “We are a full day faster by ship into any of the hot zones in the Pacific than the western coast of California Speaking with retired Richard Thompson in Lakewood Army helicopter pilot stopped and listened as a military jet flew over “We just feel we're blessed to be here,” Rita said “It's a diversified community It's just great,” said Richard Pierce and Thurston Counties grew by 100,000 service members and their families when JBLM's power increased during the Global War on Terror “This created a need for more regional collaboration,” Maria Tobin told KOMO News Tobin is the program coordinator for the South Sound Military & Communities Partnership (SSMCP) “Because all of those areas are affected by our military and civilian communities co-mingling,” explained Tobin Seventy percent of the 40,000 people stationed at JBLM live off-base “The challenge we have is that the installation is very expensive,” Col “The service member has to go further and further away from the installation to find affordable housing,” said Tobin That can significantly add to the difficulty military spouses have in finding work “The DOD has considered this a high-priority initiative to increase the ability for military spouses to gain employment,” Tobin explained Surveys show one in five service members considered leaving the military based on quality of life factors listing spousal employment as the number one factor “We know that military spouses are having a hard time finding lateral positions as a transfer,” said Tobin Maria Tobin and the SSMCP have been negotiating with education and healthcare unions for spouses with licenses and certificates to start work immediately while they comply with state regulations “Although we are doing better with recruitment and retention of our service members Especially with deployments like the one a Stryker Brigade just started at Camp Casey in Korea They will be deployed for nine months there “For them to be able to do that and be focused on the mission they need to know that their family members that their children are well taken care of,” said Col “That has been truly remarkable about my military experience and why we decided to stay here at JBLM because of the community support,” said Tobin She told KOMO News she was in the Army for eight years and then a military spouse for 20 so she knows what service members and spouses deal with offering to drive the kids to or from events or some other kind gesture is all it takes An Army doctor charged with sexually abusing dozens of patients at Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord pleaded guilty Tuesday to more than 40 charges Michael Stockin with dozens of counts of abusive sexual contact and indecent viewing under the military code of justice He alleged abused more than 40 male patients An attorney representing one of the victims speculated that there could be hundreds of victims RELATED: Doctor at Joint Base Lewis-McChord allegedly sexually abused dozens of patients Tuesday was to be the start of Stockin's court-martial at JBLM, but he reached a plea deal with an attorney representing several victims, according to Stars and Stripes Attorney Ryan Guilds said Stockin would serve 10 to 14 years — or three to four months for each of the victims — in military prison under the deal Stars and Stripes reported that Stockin pleaded guilty to 36 counts of abusive sexual contact and five counts of indecent viewing of disrobed patients Stars and Stripes also noted that military law calls for Stockin to be dismissed from the Army and he will no longer be entitled to military benefits He will also have to register as a sex offender In what has been described as one of the largest military sexual assault cases patients recounted how the anesthesiologist and pain management doctor abused them when they sought routine care RELATED: How vets are healing through stories One soldier who spoke to CBS on the condition of anonymity in 2024 said he went to Stockin for shoulder pain and then he asked me to stand up and to pull down my pants and lift up my gown," the soldier told CBS Several months after that story aired, CBS reported Stockin's defense team attempted to obtain unaired footage from interviews with the soldier and another who came forward to speak to the outlet anonymously Several victims have also filed complaints against the Army alleging the service failed to protect patients Katie joined KUOW's online team as an editor and reporter in 2024 after serving three years as senior producer of the local Morning Edition program She also brings readers some levity with a weekly news quiz nonprofit news organization that produces award-winning journalism MYNORTHWEST NEWS 5:29 AM | Updated: 5:34 am BY MYNORTHWEST STAFF A federal grand jury indicted Sergeant Jian Zhao on charges of espionage The indictment in the Western District of Washington alleges that from July 2024 until his arrest Zhao conspired to obtain and transmit national defense information to individuals in China He allegedly collected and transmitted classified hard drives including those marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET,” negotiating their sale with individuals in China in exchange for at least $10,000 Zhao also allegedly conspired to sell a stolen encryption-capable computer and sensitive U.S including information on the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and information related to U.S military readiness in the event of a conflict with China More from MyNorthwest: Mexican national indicted for child sex photos in Snohomish County Active-duty JBLM soldier Li Tian and former U.S Army soldier Ruoyu Duan were also taken into custody following indictments by federal grand juries in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington The indictment in the District of Oregon alleges that from November 2021 to December 2024 Duan and Tian conspired to gather sensitive military information related to the U.S including technical manuals and sensitive information Tian allegedly transmitted this information to Duan in exchange for money Tian and Duan were charged in the District of Oregon with conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property Zhao was charged in the Western District of Washington with conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an unauthorized individual “The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China,” Attorney General Pamela J Tian was tasked with gathering information on U.S including the Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles More from MyNorthwest: ‘High risk’ Skagit County sex offender pleads guilty to child porn This story was originally published on March 6 It has been updated and republished since then Follow @http://twitter.com/Mynorthwest “The Army has focused on the criminal prosecution of Dr “Now that has concluded and it’s time to hold the Army accountable for its role that allowed the abuse of his victims to take place.” The administrative claims are the first step in establishing a victim’s right to sue the federal government for financial damages The victims argue the Army wasn’t diligent in oversight of Stockin’s activities at Madigan Army Medical Center and didn’t act quickly enough when complaints arose about the doctor’s behavior “The Army owed a duty of care to patients at Madigan to take reasonable efforts to ensure their well-being while at the medical facility,” wrote one victim the Army breached that duty by negligently hiring and negligently supervising Dr The Army’s negligence directly caused me to be sexually assaulted by Dr Stockin arrived at Lewis-McChord in June 2019 and was assigned to the staff of the pain management clinic at Madigan He was barred from seeing patients in early 2022 following the Army’s reaction to initial claims of Stockin’s inappropriate behavior Redacted copies of three of the complaints provided by Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight recounted encounters with Stockin that are similar to earlier complaints The men were assigned to Stockin — an Army pain management doctor Stockin would tell the men to disrobe and then fondled the men’s genitals or make crude comments while staring at their bodies Victims who testified during Stockin’s court-martial said the doctor told them that the viewing and touching were “routine” parts of the medical examination even when the patient was complaining of pain in their neck the lawyer handling the civil action against the Army said the Pentagon has six months to investigate each claim They can settle with the victim or deny the claim Army I Corps headquarters on Joint Base Lewis-McChord A military court building on Joint Base Lewis-McChord is shown Tuesday an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at the base’s Madigan Army Medical Center faced 52 charges involving claims of abusive sexual contact with 41 victims Stockin pleaded guilty Tuesday to 36 specifications of abusive sexual contact and five of indecent viewing His pleas are subject to the military judge’s approval did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Wednesday The group Protect Our Defenders called the Stockin case the largest sexual abuse scandal in recent history and called for a congressional review Lawyers representing 22 of Stockin’s former patients have filed Federal Tort Claims Act complaints against the U.S Army and Department of Defense on behalf of 22 servicemen claiming the agencies were negligent in hiring Each is seeking $5 million in damages for the emotional distress they say they have suffered One serviceman said in his complaint that he was left with “overwhelming feelings of sadness and anxiety” after allegedly being abused by Stockin Stockin’s guilty plea and sentencing is an important first step toward justice for the dozens of patients he sexually abused But the story doesn’t end here,” said Christine Dunn “The Army played a substantial role in allowing the rampant sexual abuse to occur in the first place The time has come for the Army to be held accountable for its negligence Army’s fifth-largest base and is about 47 miles (75 kilometers) south of Seattle It has a population that tops 100,000 — with 40,000 active duty 50,000 family members and 15,000 civilian and contract employees The personnel includes the Yakama Training Center The Madigan medical center is the Army’s second-largest medical treatment facility The Army launched an investigation into Stockin in 2022 after receiving multiple complaints He was suspended from patient care and was given administrative duties He was formally charged in August 2023 with 23 counts of abusive sexual contact the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel referred 52 charges and specifications stemming from allegations by 41 male patients he treated between 2019 and 2022 Stockin entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors in September 2024 which is the military’s trial court system An abusive sexual content charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years and the indecent viewing charge has a maximum of one year If the judge ran the sexual abuse charges consecutively he would face a maximum of 336 years in prison they will turn to the sentencing phase where numerous victims plan to make impact statements One of the servicemen described his experience with Stockin in his complaint He said he a had an appointment for a pulled muscle in his lower back in 2021 He was taken to an exam room and was alone with Stockin when the doctor told him to take off his pants and underwear He said Stockin fondled his genitals without wearing gloves and they all said they had never had an exam like that before and left feeling uncomfortable and violated “I do believe this directly led to exacerbating my drinking because I did not know how to cope with this trauma,” one of the men said He spent a year drinking until he blacked out and finally entered an outpatient rehabilitation program to get sober John Doe 30 didn’t realize he was a sex abuse victim until he read a news article about Maj an Army doctor he had seen for pain management at Joint Base Lewis-McChord more than a year after he was treated at Madigan Army Medical Center and after he was interviewed by Army investigators that he understood there were many others with stories of Stockin touching them inappropriately during a medical exam John Doe 30 is one of 20 former patients of Stockin who filed new civil complaints this month against the Army and Department of Defense The new Federal Tort Claims Act administrative complaints bring the total to at least 42 from former patients of Stockin who pleaded guilty in January to sexual misconduct involving 41 victims He was sentenced to 13 years and eight months in a military prison the maximum allowed under the plea agreement As an anesthesiologist and pain-management physician at Madigan Army Medical Center Stockin would ask male patients to remove their underwear then touch their genitalia under the guise of medical care None of the “exams” were medically necessary and were instead for his own sexual gratification Stockin admitted to a military judge during his court-martial each seek $5 million to account for the past present and future psychological trauma they say they’ve experienced as well as medical and mental health costs and loss of professional opportunities They say the Army was negligent in hiring and supervising Stockin allowing his behavior to continue for years Stockin worked at Madigan from 2019 to February 2022 when he was suspended from patient care while the Army began its investigation said the 20 new claims came from former patients of Stockin who contacted her law firm during and after Stockin’s court-martial hearings Some of the men were identified as Stockin’s victims in the criminal case and others said they were interviewed by Army investigators but weren’t included among the victims A handful said they were never contacted by investigators and only learned about Stockin’s case from news articles “Many of them came forward because they didn’t feel Dr Stockin’s punishment fit the amount of harm he had done,” said Dunn with law firm Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight “I think a lot of them sitting in the courtroom or reading about it in the news felt the Army needed to be held accountable.” The Army has received the 20 new claims and is reviewing them “for legal sufficiency before investigating their factual allegations,” spokesperson Lt “No decision on how to respond will be made until the Army’s review is complete and the claims have been investigated,” Castro said a person who is injured by a federal employee’s wrongful or negligent act can file a claim for reimbursement for the injury After an investigation that ends with the agency either settling or denying the claim the claimant can decide whether to file a federal lawsuit An FTCA claim has a two-year statute of limitations and all the patients were seen by Stockin more than two years ago they didn’t realize they were victims until they saw the widespread nature of Stockin’s abuse John Doe 30 went to Madigan because of arthritis and chronic back pain he detailed the impact on his emotional health and relationships stemming from the abuse and the court-martial proceedings He couldn’t touch his wife for months after he saw Stockin He was interviewed by investigators but wasn’t informed that there were others with similar stories to his He only learned about the case when he read a Washington Post article about Stockin “Only upon learning that numerous other patients of Dr Stockin had suffered sexual abuse during medical exams did I understand that the Army’s negligence in employing and supervising Dr Stockin and failing to put adequate safeguards in place directly facilitated the abuse I experienced,” the patient said in his claim He was upset that he wasn’t included as a charged victim “I deal regularly with significant feelings of anguish and anger about what the Army allowed to happen to me,” he said in his claim “I deal with mistrust because of how I was violated.” Stockin will be discharged from the Army and serve his sentence in Fort Leavenworth He will be required to register as a sex offender and will lose his medical license when he is released Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser by Chris Daniels WASHINGTON STATE — Haleigh Creedon never envisioned this scenario or wanted any attention “My grandfather is a retired lieutenant colonel He’s who inspired me to pursue the ROTC,” Creedon said while sitting on a couch outside Tacoma I fell in love with the idea of being in the Army and serving.” It started with how he burst into a women’s restroom where other female officers were showering and changing and making a joke “I was kind of in disbelief that a battalion commander could be doing those things,” Creedon said West would ask about Creedon's dating life and then during a training mission in a Humvee in Yakima often clenching her jaw through tears while on the stand Creedon said she was fearful about fulfilling an overseas trip to Indonesia because West had hinted at getting drunk and sharing a hotel room She said the final straw occurred when he unbuckled his military uniform and undid his pants while she was driving him from lunch back to base sir,' or 'please don’t do that,' he persisted,” Creedon told KOMO News It is the first time the Army has prosecuted someone for sexual harassment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice after a 2022 executive order aimed at reforming Army policy carries with it jail time and a dishonorable discharge that the Army calls a “dismissal.” “My actions towards you were despicable,” said West to Creedon and I think that's because I didn't expect to have to talk to him like that or him talk to me like that again." Creedon said about that moment "It really just kind of gave me flashbacks to everything But she now says she also has some sense of relief. “I think it validates everything that I was saying up there.” West was not dismissed but was formally reprimanded by the Army judge and forced to forfeit exactly $3,871 a month for the next 24 months Creedon’s attorneys believe that will be close to the exact financial cost of her counseling because of the harassment “I think it has affected me in that I've lost all sense of trust in leaders I think it's affected me where I can't be an effective leader in the Army anymore I think that sucks to say because I enjoyed being in the Army I think anyone enjoys anything that kind of comes naturally to them,” said Creedon who is planning to leave the military early next year “I personally believe that he should have been dismissed because I don't think someone like that should be allowed to be a leader in the Army,” said Creedon “In the sense that he was charged for his actions the court acknowledged his actions as sexual harassment and I think that the fact that this now will follow him Creedon said she hopes that other men and women who feel like they’ve been sexually harassed in the military can find hope because of her case against West “I think that there's a lot of women out there who suffer in silence because they don't want their career to end or they don't want their career to be altered or they don't want to be seen in a different light,” she said you're strong enough to see it through PIERCE COUNTY — Over 1,000 personnel from the U.S Army and Marine Corps are being sent to reinforce security along the southern border including around 100 military police from Joint Base Lewis-McChord Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) announced the deployment in a press release Friday morning USNORTHCOM said around 1,500 active-duty personnel will be deployed to "strengthen security at the United States southern border" and support the 2,500 service members already serving under Customs and Border Protection A public affairs officer from JBLM said soldiers from its 66th Military Police Company were being deployed to the border The police company is made up of around 100 soldiers “The 66th Military Police Company from the 42nd Military Police Brigade will deploy an immediate augmentation of military active-duty forces to the Southern Border to carry out directed missions called for by the President to secure the Southern Border and protect and defend the territorial integrity of the United States,” Col Jennifer Bocanegra said in a statement to KOMO News Northern Command and Joint Task Force North 66th Military Police Company's missions will include augmenting its forces at the border to support enhanced detection and monitoring efforts at the southern border.” The USNORTHCOM said these forces will support enhanced detection and monitoring efforts and assist in repairing and placing physical barriers Marine Corps will detachments from the 1st and 7th Combat Engineer Battalions out of Camp Pendleton USNORTHCOM stated that the exact number of personnel will fluctuate as units rotate and additional forces are tasked to deploy once planning efforts are finalized Specific units will be announced as more information becomes available This work, Airman makes a difference for single service members across JBLM, by A1C Benjamin Riddle, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright A community bulletin board for Western Pierce County · April 7 Joint Base Lewis-McChord will conduct day and nighttime mortar and artillery training from April 8 at 12 a.m. to April 17 at 11 p.m. (Conclusion times could change for various circumstances). Public queries or comments about noise may be directed to JBLM Public Affairs Public queries or comments about noise may be directed to JBLM Public Affairs here DISCLAIMER: The above news, information, and opinions are the author’s own. If you have news, information or an opinion you’d like to share with 50,000+ monthly readers, click here to learn how FREE EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION: Join 50,000+ readers each month and get the latest news and information from Western Pierce County direct to your inbox, daily, free of charge. Sign up here COMMENT POLICY: If you care to comment on the above story/announcement, feel free. Review our comment policy and please Copyright © 2025 · The Suburban Times · Log in WASHINGTON STATE — An Army Veteran sat in a small Joint Base Lewis McChord courtroom to talk for the first time on the record about how he was sexually assaulted by his doctor told the court how he was seeking relief from back pain from Army Doctor Michael Stockin back in 2022 the anesthesiologist at Madigan Army Medical Center directed him to “drop trou” and touched his genitals multiple times without gloves It is believed to be the largest case of its kind in recent Army history Larry Babin formally accepted the terms of a plea deal and face a minimum of close to 10 years in prison or what are called “specifications” under military law including 36 counts of abusive sexual contact and 5 counts of indecent viewing Military prosecutors dropped another 11 counts during the proceedings The judge asked Stockin directly “Are you doing this because you are convinced you are guilty?” The military legal protocol allows victims to tell their stories in the sentencing phase The aforementioned officer said he was suffering from a degenerative disk disease from years of standing for hours on end and went to Stockin at the pain clinic to get help But he said Stockin committed the crime that left him “confused” “ashamed” and suffering from “bouts of depression” He said he was testifying because “I want to hold the government accountable for allowing this crime to be done to me” also testified that he has since had trouble in his marriage and has lost trust in physicians and his commanders He told the court he plans to leave the military because “I don’t think the Army is the place for me.” The officer told a similar story about seeking pain relief for his groin Stockin was removed from his position in 2022 when the allegations first surfaced but has not been confined The plea agreement calls for him to serve a minimum of 118 months and a maximum of 164 months or what is commonly referred to outside the post as a “dishonorable discharge” and he will be stripped of any future military or VA benefits He will also have to register as a sex offender Stockin’s attorney has declined comment until the end of the proceedings says he still has questions about the checks and balances that allowed the abuse to continue for so a long time who are seeking millions of dollars from the government Stockin had been an anesthesiologist in the Army since May of 2013 and served at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu Maryland before coming to JBLM in July of 2019 He also deployed to Iraq from October 2020 to February 2021 MYNORTHWEST HISTORY 2:52 PM | Updated: 3:13 pm Vintage plans for the 1924 airship mooring mast reveal the complexity required to service the Shenandoah when it visited what's now JBLM; a recent photo shows what remains of the massive structure now hidden in the grass at what was once Camp Lewis BY FELIKS BANEL It was 100 years ago this week – way back in 1924, in the thick of the early roaring days of aviation history – when a giant U.S. Navy airship visited the Puget Sound and took the population by storm This historic event is mostly forgotten now but a local historian has found the hidden spot where history was made the humanity!” was the indelible phrase uttered by broadcaster Herb Morrison in May 1937 when the Hindenburg – the most famous airship of all time – exploded in Lakehurst More than a decade before that deadly tragedy heralded the end of the airship era what’s arguably the second-most famous airship – the U.S Navy’s Shenandoah – was launched and then embarked on a national tour “The Shenandoah was the experiment that the Navy started back in the 1920s for the lighter-than-air program,” historian Lee Corbin told KIRO Newsradio Wednesday, as we was standing at the forgotten historic spot at what’s now a meadow at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) “And the Shenandoah was the first of four dirigibles that the Navy obtained.” they flew it on a cross country trip from Lakehurst all the way out here to Seattle,” Corbin said and was on its way to making the Northwest a key player in aviation at a time when the military was driving developments in all kinds of aviation All Over The Map: Jackson Street Jazz Trail and sweet melodies among the sour notes there’s very little evidence of the visit of the Shenandoah to the Northwest other than some old photos and one key piece of special infrastructure not far from the main runway at McChord Field “That’s where the mooring mast that they built specifically for the Shenandoah was placed back when it was Camp Lewis,” Corbin explained to KIRO Newsradio live from the scene early Wednesday in an otherwise quiet spot at what’s now JBLM I discovered just the other day that this area was known as Bovine Prairie.” which was only used that one time when the Shenandoah visited in October 1924 All that’s left now is a big chunk of concrete at it’s mostly at ground level and hidden in the grass “All it did was break lawnmower blades for the last 100 years around here,” Corbin observed “The foundation is what’s left over from the mooring mast and there’s a number of other little concrete pads around where the equipment sat and things like that.” while it stood for those dozen or so years was not an insignificant piece of infrastructure “Depending on what document you look at it was somewhere between 160 to 172 feet tall,” Corbin said And the mast wasn’t as simple as a giant flagpole or a big pipe standing on end Corbin says it had a complex internal structure designed to serve the needs of the Shenandoah and other airships that the Navy anticipated bringing to Camp Lewis basically for the helium,” Corbin explained “And then it also had pipes for water and then also for the gasoline for the engines.” ‘Unsolved Histories:’ Podcast examines airliner that crashed after departing Tacoma The foundation of the mast is not marked in any way when initially contacted about the concrete foundation a few years ago had never heard the story of the Shenandoah’s visit That didn’t deter veteran military pilot Lee Corbin from mounting a search finding a story in the newspapers when I was looking at things and I just started looking at aerial photos and old maps and things like that,” Corbin explained “And I discovered the track they put they eventually put a circular track around it at about 550 feet out from the from the mast which was going to be used in anticipation of the some of the later dirigibles coming here to the Puget Sound area That track was built to accommodate a heavy wheeled vehicle that was designed to have a mooring line from the stern of the airship tied to it As the wind blew and the airship rotated around the mast like a giant wind vane circling around the mast if necessary and keeping it a consistent height above the ground “I was able to find that track on an aerial photo from 1941,” Corbin said Portions of the track are also visible on recent LiDAR images that Corbin tracked down the Shenandoah would also come to a premature and violent end less than a year after its visit to Puget Sound More from Feliks Banel: Accumulating miles and stories by walking the history of Seattle Corbin says Captain Zachary Lansdowne warned his Navy superiors that a summertime visit to Lansdowne’s native Ohio or any part of the Midwest might not be a good idea – on account of severe thunderstorms “So he reluctantly took this thing out and over Ohio and the ship actually ended up breaking up.” Corbin says that Army and Air Force officials at JBLM have so far not been receptive to his efforts to draw more attention to the mooring mast foundation or to otherwise commemorate the historic chunk of concrete for those who might happen to stumble across it while on base “It’s pretty much forgotten” at JBLM “I’ve tried hard to get some sort of marking on it but I think the Air Force and Army are a little reluctant to put something up that helps the Navy.” Follow @https://twitter.com/feliksbanel This work, Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Marks New Era for JBLM with Information Systems Facility, by SGT Elizabeth DeGroot, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright WASHINGTON STATE — A US Army doctor at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis McChord has admitted he sexually abused multiple patients in his care in a landmark case at the base Michael Stockin pleaded guilty on Tuesday to 36 specifications “I think there's a sense of relief and a sense of somewhat satisfaction with the justice system certainly a process that's taken too long I think this has been an incredibly difficult journey,” said attorney Ryan Guilds outside the small Joint Base Lewis McChord courtroom on Tuesday after the pleas were made Many of the victims have traveled a great distance to sit in the courtroom A judge will now recite the charges as part of the lengthy court-martial proceedings before a sentencing phase begins Attorneys for the victims have claimed there are more than 100 service members who have been abused in the largest military sexual assault scandal in recent history He was barred from seeing patients in 2022 as the investigation unfolded Multiple servicemen have detailed that Stockin inappropriately touched their genitals during medical exams and alleged that Stockin was not wearing gloves while touching them and seeking treatment for mental health issues An attorney for the victims alleged that Stockin violated Article 120 of the UCMJ on the basis of “intent to arouse and gratify his sexual desire by making a fraudulent representation that the sexual contact served a medical purpose.” Stockin faces at least nine years in prison if the judge accepts his pleas Prosecutors declined to say much more about the proceedings Stockin’s attorney declined to comment until after sentencing later this month who is representing 21 victims and has filed civil claims against the Army the additional question we need to answer is whose job it was to supervise and provide a safe environment for our soldiers “I remain deeply skeptical of the overall investigation in this case,” said Guilds.