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Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s Colonel Dallas W. Homas has been administratively removed from his post as commander of the Madigan Healthcare System, amid concerns that soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are not being properly diagnosed. Fourteen soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) will soon receive the results from their PTSD re-evaluations. Officials from the Walter

The .45 caliber single-action, semi-automatic Colt pistol known as the M1911 in military parlance is an extremely destructive handgun at close range. On June 26, 2011, U.S. Army Ranger Jared August Hagemann removed his M1911 from its holster. The 25-year-old already had carried the sidearm with him on eight deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, so

(CBS News) TACOMA, Wash. – Deborah Flagboam is still traumatized by a sexual assault during during boot camp, and needs a post-traumatic stress disorder therapy dog to help her cope with her thoughts of suicide.   “It wasn’t just a cry of help, it was real,” Flagboam tells CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen. “My life

When: Feb 7, 2012 at 2pm and 6:30pm Where: 606 S. Fawcett Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402 website: http://groundsforresistance.com/ Part of the Grand Cinema’s Tuesday Film series! Two showings, one day only! In November 2008, a group of U.S. veterans opened COFFEE STRONG, a coffee shop located outside the gates of the U.S. Army base Fort Lewis in Washington.

Feb. 6th at 7pm at Coffee Strong Bradley Manning, a 24-year-old Army intelligence analyst, faces file in prison for allegedly sharing the “Collateral Murder” video of a US helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. Bradley has also been charged with blowing the whistle on

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD — Members of the fourth Strykers brigade say morale has taken a nosedive as they remain confined to Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the sixth day. A monthly weapons inventory last week revealed equipment totaling $600,000 – sights, optics and scopes – are missing. As the U.S. Army investigates the incident, the base’s

As veterans return, the impact of the war could now be felt at home Jeff Van SantQ13 FOX News reporter10:17 p.m. PST, December 18, 2011 It’s been a moment that has been nearly nine years in the making. Now, the last combat troops are finally leaving Iraq. “I never would imagine it would happen,” Spc. Vergil Heger said.

Near the gates of Fort Lewis, anti-war veterans serve up support and solidarity (along with double-tall lattes) to their friends in uniform. The .45 caliber single-action, semi-automatic Colt pistol known as the M1911 in military parlance is an extremely destructive handgun at close range. On June 26, 2011, U.S. Army Ranger Jared August Hagemann removed

On this Veteran’s Day, Coffee Strong and Iraq Veterans Against the War will be hosting a speaking event with the theme being Women in the Military and the issues women face, but also how they overcame those issues and what these women are doing now to combat issues like Post Traumatic Stress, Military Sexual Trauma,

Scott Olsen, a Marine veteran who did two tours in Iraq, was hit by a police projectile during last night’s brutal police crackdown of Occupy Oakland.  He is in serious but stable condition at an Oakland hospital. WARNING: You may find this video clip disturbing: Scott is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War who

Recently a rash of suicides and combat stress-related violence has rocked Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM). Of the eleven suspicious deaths that have occurred this year, nine have been confirmed suicides and two are still under investigation. 50 suicides have been committed in the past 9 years; and of those, 10% have taken place in the last 90 days. Moreover,

Recently a rash of suicides and combat stress-related violence has rocked Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM).  Eleven possible suicides alone have occurred this year; and of the 50 suicides committed in the past 9 years, roughly 10% have taken place since July 2011.  Despite the shocking frequency with which violence and suicides have occurred, politicians

For almost three years Coffee Strong has been at the center of pro-soldier, anti-war activism.  In the past we have campaigned to end unjust Stop-Loss policies, secure the release of war resisters and prisoners of conscience, and bring a close to the U.S. wars overseas. Recently Coffee Strong has been involved in a growing movement to

Yesterday Coffee Strong published a summary of the events that took place at the Donald Rumsfeld book signing on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  Below is the text from our official press release, sent to our media contacts this morning: Today, military spouse Ashley Joppa-Hagemann and anti-war veteran Jorge Gonzalez went on Joint Base Lewis-McChord to meet

“With my Donald Rumsfeld”

GI Voice presents the first installment of the State Of The Soldier Address, a unique and historic occasion for soldiers and veterans to demonstrate that they too have a voice in our communities. Similar to past events like Winter Soldier, the State of the Soldier Address is a forum for active-duty service members, veterans, and

Last week the United States Army announced the closing of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, part of a series of cost cutting measures mandated under the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005.  Though the Pentagon plans on consolidating the functions of Walter Reed with the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and a

From Courage to Resist, written by James Branum June 27, 2011 PFC Reed tried to get help from his chain of command when his wife suffered from serious health issues after the birth of their first child, but his request were repeatedly denied. In fact he was told by some of his NCO’s that he

Live Shows: Ryan Harvey and David Rovics Sunday July 31st 7pm www.ryanharveymusic.com www.davidrovics.com Coffee Strong Presents: The State of the Soldier Address Sunday August 28th 5-7pm @ Kings Books 218 Saint Helens Ave. Tacoma, Washington 98402 Monthly Events: Open Mic Saturday August 20th 7pm and every 3rd Saturday IVAW Meeting Every 2nd and 4th Thursday

Coffee Strong is proud to announce that Iraqi metal band, Acrassicauda, will be playing a live show at Coffee Strong in support of their 2011 “Make It or Break It” tour. Formed in 2001, Acrassicauda was the only heavy metal band in Baghdad. After the American invasion and occupation of Iraq, members of the band

Soldiers and veterans at Coffee Strong reacted to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to lift the stay on a previous court ruling baring the military from enforcing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. “The Court ruled on the side of equality today,” Joseph Carter, Executive Director of Coffee Strong, said in a statement, “DADT is

Location and Time: Capital Theater 206 5th Ave. SE Olympia, Washington 98501 Saturday, May 14 · 6:30pm – 8:00pm A stunning new documentary, directed by Lisa Gilman, reflects the importance of Coffee Strong to its members, supporters and the community. Coffee Strong is proud to have taken part in a new documentary and cordially invites

Lakewood, May 2, 2011- Soldiers, veterans and civilians around the world are reacting to the unexpected news of the death of Osama bin Laden. Locally, soldiers are congregating at Coffee Strong, a pro-soldier, anti-war coffee shop to discuss the quickly unfolding news that broke late last night. Discussions quickly turned to the courage of the soldiers involved, the future of military actions in Afghanistan and the illogical levels of funding allocated to military actions.

Former US Army soldier Joe Carter noted,”In contrast to the high cost of the Iraq war, this relatively low cost, as far as American and civilian lives go, operation demonstrates that successfully fighting terrorists does not require the occupation of entire countries nor out of control spending.”

Kick off party and informational meeting April 30th, 7pm at Coffee Strong Lakewood, April 21, 2011 – Coffee Strong is proud to announce the first annual Spares and Strikes Bowl-a-Thon fundraiser. The Bowl-a-Thon will gather teams of six anti-war activists and allies for good times and a worthy cause. The informational meeting for interested teams

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ann & Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry justice4chaudhry@gmail.com Contact: Seth Manzel Executive Director of G.I. Voice Coffee Strong 253-228-8912 Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, a decorated disabled American Veteran, is the victim of an ongoing witch hunt since the 9/11 attacks, and is being deported back to Pakistan where he will “inevitably be murdered by

We are told the war in Iraq is over, however, the war is only beginning for soldiers coming home. As GIs return from Iraq and the conflict in Afghanistan heats up, the challenges faced by veterans have only begun to emerge. The rates of suicide, substance abuse, homelessness, and imprisonment among veterans is already skyrocketing

For Immediate Release November 2, 2010 JOINT BASE LEWIS MCHORD, WASHINGTON – An anonymous group of soldiers in 4-9 Infantry Brigade have released a statement detailing how the Army drove one soldier to suicide. It details the humiliation that soldiers who seek help for mental problems face from their superiors. This comes on the heels

Former soldier Josh Bruder, now openly gay, was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and said his time there was difficult. From the Seattle Times By Janet I. Tu Published: October 12, 2010 Josh Bruder is a former soldier, now openly gay, who was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. “I’m glad that it happened,” the Tacoma

Base Investigates Claims Father Warned Them About Attacks on Afghan Civilians From the Q 13 Fox Published: September 30, 2010 JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD — The father of one of the Stryker soldiers accused of murdering Afghan civilians says the Army could have saved lives if it had listened to his warnings. Christopher Winfield says

Cesario Lario Exhibit You are invited to attend the Capitol Hill Art Festival, where a CS vet will display a sampling of drawings, unique sculptures, and photography. Additionally, Cesario will inspire you with Rachmaninov’s Third Opus at 6 pm (downstairs). Here are the details: August 12th 5-8pm 1633 17th Ave  (By The Radio Towers On

Jim Lommasson, noted photographer and artist, has assembled a very powerful book—although Jim is clear in pointing out that he is NOT the author, nor photographer, of this collection. “If I get in the way that could taint their [soldiers’] stories. The viewer/reader can follow the soldier through their eyes; not through the eyes of

A National Exhibition of Artist Books Addressing Our Social, Political or Environmental World June 3 – 26, 2010 Jim Lommasson, talented photographer and interviewer, has created a one-of-a- kind, handmade book for sale at a gallery in Portland. The title of the book is: I Wouldn’t Wish this War on My Worst Enemy. The content

I am writing on behalf of a pro-bono client of mine, SPC Nicole Mitchell. Introduction: SPC Mitchell was sentenced to 30 days in jail today in a Summary Court-Martial proceeding at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the offense of AWOL. But this is not your typical AWOL case. It began some time ago. SPC Mitchell was

Advertising Sought to Let Soldiers Know About our Services Around 10,000 soldiers will be returning to Fort Lewis from Iraq and Afghanistan over the next three months. These soldiers will be bringing home with them their cumulative experiences from an entire year of combat. According to the Department of Defense, one in three of these

Lena Swanson, retired benefits specialist, reviews the VA claims processes that accredited independent claims agents need to know.

The Veterans Advocacy Training class interviews an active duty soldier to learn what soldiers need to know for their exit physical.

Photo: Jim Lommasson Travis Bishop walked into Coffee Strong on Thursday morning, March 25, released from the Ft Lewis brig after serving a seven and a half month sentence, for conscientious objection to service in Afghanistan. He seemed dazed by smiling faces in greeting, and then offered a big hug. Many people helped with his

Coffee Strong is gearing up in preparation for soldiers returning to Ft Lewis later this year. We are looking for volunteers and interns with specific skills and interests. Contact Andrew or Jen for more details, at 253-581-1565, and check out the details at www.GIVoice.org. We’re excited to announce a grant from RESIST, which means a