Fort Lewis - 1979?

The date of these photographs is somewhat unclear. Please contact me if you have any additional information that can help. LeonJ1@hotmail.com We start off the selection with some Soviet/Warsaw Pact equipment in a Fort Lewis compound. I recall there was one exercise where we were 'attacked' by the Red Force. It would have helped if someone advised us that there was an OPForce and their mandate was to pick any unit in the training area to engage. Our first clue was when the occupants of the vehicle showed up and started firing AK47 blanks at us and tried to hijack one of our gun tractors. We have an unidentified Gunner sitting cross-legged in the field. Any names?

An American leads a group onto the rappel tower. I see Bombardier Ernie Kovacs, Sergeant Shane Culver, Bombardier Rick Fowler, Layne Yoshimaru. Is that Lieutenant Kelly Stone with her back to the camera?

We then seem to have the male members disappearing while all the female soldiers take on the obstacle course ​. Then again, it may not even be the same exercise or even the same year.
We can maybe  identify some of the soldiers in the last couple of group shots. Jennifer Ritchie, Laura Ritchie, Julie Wong, Erin McCallum, Nancy? Jolin.
The final picture may be a clue to why the male soldiers aren't on the obstacle course. Did they all break something on the rappel tower and are now in casts?

These shots of Ian Newby were all in the album with the obstacle course and may aid us in determining the date of the exercise. Unfortunately we can not see his rank in the photos and the BC licence plates have already started having the date sticker on the back plate only. Any guesses?

These photos are dated July 1979 - Accident on return from MILCON Ft Lewis, pictures by Military Police

There's no date on the following photos but they are all in the same series and feature Lieutenant Colonel Bill Wickett as Commanding Officer and Colonel Stein as Director Artillery displaying the fancy, shiny new  HP 41C.

Back to 1979