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Submit your photos for Welcome to the Pacific cover by Jan. 15

Have you ever dreamed about having your photo featured on the cover of a magazine?
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MY FAVES: New Year's Traditions

Japan is home to countless seasonal events throughout the year. Among them, however, New Year holidays, called “Oshogatsu,” are still the most important.
Speaking before the House Armed Services subcommittee on personnel during a Dec. 5 hearing on Capitol Hill, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Thomas McCaffrey (left), Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald Place (second from left), director of the DHA, the service Surgeons General, and Joint Staff Surgeon outlined the necessity for the health care system to change in order to support warfighter readiness. (MHS photo)
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Changes to military health care system aimed at readiness

As the Department of Defense continues transitioning its military hospitals and clinics from the Army, Air Force, and Navy to the Defense Health Agency, its top medical leaders remain committed to providing the finest care possible to those in uniform, retirees, and their families.
Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett provides testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., Dec. 3, 2019. The committee examined privatized military housing for service members and their families. (U.S. Air Force photo by Wayne Clark)
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Senators frustrated by uneven pace addressing privatized housing problems

Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett insisted to the Senate Armed Services Committee Dec. 3 that the service is moving aggressively to fix chronic problems with privatized housing while also acknowledging that the “Air Force owns part of the responsibility” for dangerous and unhealthy conditions.
Security stands guard outside the main gate at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, in Hawaii, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. (AP)
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Sailor who killed two and himself at Hawaii shipyard reportedly faced minor discipline

The sailor who shot and killed two men and then himself Wednesday at a Hawaii naval shipyard had been disgruntled with his commanders, according to a media report.
Navy Capt. Tim Kinsella briefs members of the media following a shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. A U.S official told The Associated Press that the suspect was a Saudi aviation student, and that authorities are investigating whether the shooting was terrorism-related. (TONY GIBERSON/PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL/AP)
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Four dead in shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola; Gunman was Saudi air force officer, officials say

A member of the Saudi Arabian air force opened fire Friday morning in a classroom building at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., killing three and injuring several others, according to local and law enforcement officials.
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On Hallowed Ground: Tuning in to Japan’s temple-shrine dichotomy

People may be surprised to hear that Japan has more temples (77,000) and shrines (81,000) than convenience stores (48,908). But according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it’s true.
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NORAD tracks Saint Nick around the world

It’s that time of the year and Santa Clause is busy getting ready to see all the children who have been good this year. Santa knows where those children are even if you and your family are stationed on faraway bases in the Pacific.
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Holiday swag: Think commissary for those perfect stocking stuffers

On your next trip to the commissary, remember you don’t need a stocking hung by the chimney with care to get some very practical stocking stuffer items that people will actually use.
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Celebrate New Year’s in the Oshogatsu fashion

New Year’s, or oshogatsu, is one of Japan’s most important and longest holidays. Although oshogatsu originally referred to the whole month of January, most people associate it with the first three days (sanga nichi) of the month. On these days, people go to shrines or temples, spend time with friends and relatives while drinking sake and eat...
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Unit of the Year: 3rd TSB wins NDTA Military Unit of the Year Award

The command deck of 3rd Transportation Support Battalion is strewn with trophies.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Tom McCaffery speaks on Thursday at the annual meeting of AMSUS, the Society of Federal Health Professionals. McCaffery announced to the nearly 2,000 conference attendees that he has asked the Military Health System's senior leadership to develop and codify a formal strategic framework to guide integrating and optimizing all MHS components to meet his vision. (MHS photo)
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McCaffery calls for military medical strategic framework for warfighting readiness

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Tom McCaffery today called on the Military Health System to continue to “adapt and evolve” to deliver on the system’s mission to prepare a military medical force needed to meet current and future operational requirements.
Barclay Butler, Ph.D., MBA, assistant director of management at DHA, explains the market concept to an audience of active-duty and civilian conference attendees at the 2019 AMSUS Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, Dec. 4. (Photo by MHS Communications)
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Military hospital transformation – introducing the market construct

The Defense Health Agency launched the most significant change to the Military Health System in over three decades when in October it initiated the congressionally directed transfer of authority, direction, and control of military medical and dental facilities in the United States to DHA.
Gunnery Sgt. Tyler Nichols registers to vote during the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga.'s first voting convention in 2017. Marines can encourage others to vote, but they remain restricted both in person and online when it comes to advocating for political candidates. (NATHAN HANKS/U.S. MARINE CORPS)
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Corps reminds Marines they can 'like' politicians, but should be careful what they 'share'

With political campaigns ramping up and presidential impeachment efforts underway, the Marine Corps issued a reminder about what political activities its members can engage in legally, including what’s acceptable to tweet, “gram” and otherwise share on social media.
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, questions witnesses during a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing addressing suicide prevention on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. (CARLOS BONGIOANNI/STARS AND STRIPES)
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Senate legislation looks for link between veteran suicides and prescription drugs

A measure introduced in the Senate on Thursday aims to create a better understanding of the connection between veteran suicides and prescription drugs.
Customers ordering out from fast food restaurants on overseas bases may soon be receiving months of charges dating from June through October due to a technical error, AAFES said. (IMMANUEL JOHNSON/STARS AND STRIPES)
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Thousands of AAFES customers who ordered food online see late credit card charges due to glitch

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Army and Air Force Exchange Service overseas customers who ordered online in recent months from exchange fast food restaurants could see batches of late charges turning up on their credit cards.