Tagged: Military

Northwest military bases, universities, national labs and parks await guidance for how to implement automatic federal budget cuts. The so-called "sequester" is scheduled to take effect at the end of this week. Not much else is certain beyond that including who in the region could feel the pain immediately, if anyone. Correspondent Tom Banse reports.

Two Oregon National Guard units are mobilizing for overseas deployments. Idaho soldiers will be joining one of the missions.

For years now, the US military has flown unmanned drones over hotspots like Iraq and Afghanistan. Drones gather intelligence and at times conduct attacks on the battlefield. But here at home, drones have largely been absent from American skies. That however is about to change. The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing to select 6 areas throughout the US for drone testing. And as OPB's David Nogueras reports, there’s an effort underway in Oregon to compete for one of those spots.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – They're leaving their jobs and their families to spend a year in Afghanistan. Nearly one hundred and fifty Washington and Oregon National Guard members will deploy this summer. Monday Governor Chris Gregoire led a formal farewell ceremony for the Washington citizen-soldiers. Cindy Rue's son is a helicopter mechanic and back-up gunner. He's been to Afghanistan before.