Assault elements conduct dismounted movement to a raid site during FMP (full mission profile) at JBLM. Photo provided by 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Home to the 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord can feel like a different world, especially if you are a civilian. Entering the secure gates can seem intimidating with the guardsman and security detail, but tucked behind the secure gates are soldiers who perform a myriad of daily activities we rarely get to see.
It wasn’t until I invited my parents to Washington for a visit that I realized how truly eye opening life behind the gates can be for a civilian. I took my parents to the JBLM Welcome Center to get their visitor passes and the first thing my mother said was, “Look at all the people in uniform.” It had not dawned on me that people walking around in military uniform was a rarity that I had simply become accustomed to. My parents remained wide-eyed watching helicopters, passing by statues, and seeing women in uniform. It was then that I knew civilians see the military world through a different lens.
The images in this photo set are a window into a world that is a reality for so many soldiers and families living in the area. For civilians, these photos may be a rare sight, but to the families who experience them every day, this is life.
Soldiers assigned to 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) perform an airborne operation on Rodgers Drop Zone at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Photo by Spc. Victor Richmond, 1st SFG (A) Public Affairs.
Assault elements conduct dismounted movement to a raid site during FMP (full mission profile) at JBLM. Photo provided by 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne).
In this Photo, CPT Justin King is taking a photo of the beautiful sunset as he and his crew retire for the evening after a long day of flying rescue missions on Mt Rainier. Photo by CPT Justin King.
View from above the smoky clouds on Mt. Rainier from the pilot seat after conducting a search and rescue mission. Photo by CPT Justin King.
Families anxiously await the arrival of their husbands from 7-month deployments, some with balloons and some with their child their husband has yet to meet. Photo by Sonia Garza.
Pictured here is CPT Justin King, conducting training in his gas mask, a yearly requirement recently implemented for all pilots to ensure their capability to fly in any environment. Photo by CPT Justin King.
A company in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) prepares for a 7-month deployment. Photo by Sonia Garza.
The JBLM Post Exchange (PX) includes an eatery at the entrance where soldiers can have a quick lunch. Inside the mall, a large sign welcomes the soldiers home. Photo by Sonia Garza.
Families are able to shop the commissary tax free and use coupons. Here, a Korean born citizen delivers the groceries to the car. Photo by Sonia Garza.
Are you an expectant mother? Many venues, including the commissary, PX (post exchange) and Madigan Army Hospital, give priority parking to ‘Expectant Mothers’. Photo by Sonia Garza.
