The Washington Post today reports on a Quaker from Indianola (that’s across Puget Sound from Shoreline) who is suing the federal government over its Selective Service forms

Tobin D. Jacobrown, 21, wants to be recognized as a conscientious objector. But the forms — required signing by every American male when they turn 18 in the event of a draft — don’t provide that option.

“A big part of my religion is not submitting to any system that you feel is unjust,” Jacobrown told the Post. “And I think this is unjust.”

Those are some of the questions swirling around about allegations an employee of the Fort Lewis force protection division passed himself off as an anarchist and spied on an Olympia anti-war group.

Jeremy Pawloski, my colleague at the Olympian, wrote a nice follow-up today examining the legal questions the case raises.

From the article:

Eugene R. Fidell, a former judge advocate for the Coast Guard and the president of the National Institute of Military Justice, said such a practice appeared to violate the Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law that prohibits the use of the

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Staff Sgt. Derrick Grasty squinted against the blinding light, walked down the metal steps from the passenger jet and shook hands with dignitaries at McChord Air Force Base to greet his flight.

About 15 seconds later, reality sunk in.

The Lacey resident threw his arms skyward and let out an ear-splitting yell. A colleague from the 81st Brigade Combat Team smiled and patted Gratsy on the back. Another pumped his fist into the air.

“I just couldn’t help myself,” Gratsy said later. “It just felt too good.”

He and hundreds of others had good reason to celebrate Wednesday: The first group of the 81st Brigade, about 150 Washington National Guard soldiers, returned home from an 11-month mobilization that sent them to Iraq.

The brigade of 3,500 soldiers – about 2,400 of whom are from Washington – served across Iraq, and most of the soldiers guarded contractor-driven supply convoys that delivered water, fuel and other supplies to American military bases.

Other units of the 81st Brigade were tasked with running daily operations of bases, performing base-defense patrols and providing personal security detail.

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Tom Ricks, who has been digging into what really happened during the battle of Wanat, Afghanistan, posted a letter he received from the mother of Cpl. Jason Bogar, a Seattle soldier killed last July. He was among nine Americans killed in the attack.

Check out Ricks’ work when you get a chance. It’s a good read.

Family members of deployed or deploying service members would be guaranteed two weeks of unpaid leave under legislation introduced Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Adam Smith.

The bill, named the Military Family Leave Act of 2009, provides two weeks for the spouse, children or parents of a service member who received notification of a deployment or is currently deployed.

Current law allows military families similar time off for various reasons connected with a deployment, but not all employees are eligible. The proposed legislation, also pending in the Senate, would close that loophole.

“As a member of Congress who

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Three state agencies are teaming with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans organizations to help members of the 81st Brigade Combat Team transition back into civilian life.

Three agencies – the Washington National Guard, the State Department of Veterans Affairs and the Employment Security Department – are delivering a series of briefings at Fort McCoy, Wis., to the 2,400 Washington citizens who are returning from a yearlong deployment to Iraq.

The sessions include information on pay, benefits and transitioning back into civilian life. Topics include VA claim, finding employment and career training. Four women

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Fort Lewis will receive its new garrison commander Thursday.

Col. Thomas H. Brittain will assume the post, tasked largely with running day-to-day operation and supervising growth and construction on post. He takes over for Col. Cynthia Murphy, who has commanded since Aug. 15, 2006. She will take a staff position at I Corps.

The ceremony is 10 a.m. Thursday at Memorial Stadium.

Brittain, an infantry officer and West Point graduate, comes to Lewis after studying at the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa.

Murphy won’t be at the ceremony; she relinquished command on July

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The Olympian has an interesting story today about claims from an Olympia antiwar group that a civilian employee of Fort Lewis’ force protection fusion cell spied on their meetings for nearly two years.

The group says the employee, John Towery, passed himself off as a fellow anarchist and became an administrator on the group’s e-mail listserv.

Fort Lewis, meanwhile, said an officer has been appointed to conduct an inquiry into the allegation. And here’s what Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Piek had to say about it: “Mr. John Towery performs sensitive work within the installation law enforcement

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