Rose Thayer

Rose L. Thayer is based in Austin, Texas, and she has been covering the western region of the continental U.S. for Stars and Stripes since 2018. Before that she was a reporter for Killeen Daily Herald and a freelance journalist for publications including The Alcalde, Texas Highways and the Austin American-Statesman. She is the spouse of an Army veteran and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism. Her awards include a 2021 Society of Professional Journalists Washington Dateline Award and an Honorable Mention from the Military Reporters and Editors Association for her coverage of crime at Fort Hood.

@Rose_Lori

thayer.rose@stripes.com

Fort McCoy Commissary Store Manager Kim Graham demonstrates how to fill an order July 26, 2021, for the CLICK2GO online ordering and curbside service at the Fort McCoy Commissary at Fort McCoy, Wis. The Fort McCoy Commissary began using the service to provide another option of service and support to their customers. Commissary CLICK2GO’s features include improved navigation and search functions to help customers plan healthy meals and take care of their family’s needs; enhanced product information; robust recipe features; featured sales and promotions; upgraded mobile-friendly experience, to include seeing order history for ease in reordering desired products; and online payment. Information on how the service works and the rollout status is found on commissaries.com with dedicated sections such as “How CLICK2GO Works.” First-time customers will need to create an account. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)

House lawmakers look to help military families combat inflation by calling for lower prices at commissaries

Eight Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee called on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to remove the revenue requirement at base commissaries, which would lower grocery prices and help military families better cope with fast-rising inflation.

Army investigating family housing at Fort Gordon, Ga., after Senate finds poor management, health concerns

Texas doctor’s new research links onset of Gulf War illness in some veterans to sarin gas exposure

The gate at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.

Air Force followed the law in selecting Redstone Arsenal for Space Command, Pentagon watchdog finds

Luke AFB investigates social media post that claims racism over shaving waiver

Officials at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., are investigating a claim made by an airman that he was denied a job because he is Black with a medical waiver to forgo shaving daily.

Fort Meade families who sued over moldy homes reach settlement with private landlord

Eleven military families agreed Monday to settle a lawsuit that they filed against a private company over mold-infested homes at Fort Meade, Md., according to federal court records.

19-year-old Army cook assigned to JBLM killed in traffic accident

Spc. Christofer A. Wheeler, who is from South Carolina, was a culinary specialist and paratrooper assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne).

More than 20,000 veterans removed from military earplugs lawsuit over missing documents

District Judge M. Casey Rodgers of the Northern District of Florida, Pensacola Division, ordered the dismissals as roughly 270,000 similar cases are still pending. The group of lawsuits against earplug manufacturer 3M has become the largest multidistrict litigation in U.S. history, according to court records.

Water problems resolved at Fort Bliss hospital

One month after the commander of the Fort Bliss medical center halted use of the facility’s water because of an internal plumbing issue, the hospital’s water has been deemed safe and an advisory was lifted, according to officials at the Army base in west Texas.

Military families at MacDill AFB agree to settle housing lawsuit

Five military families who filed a lawsuit over unsafe housing and shoddy maintenance work in homes rented at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., have reached a pending settlement with the company contracted to manage the homes, according to federal court records.

Army lieutenant convicted in court-martial — but not punished — for refusing coronavirus prevention orders

The charges stem from 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw’s actions on Nov. 30 when he failed to obey orders meant to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which violates Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Two Texas National Guard soldiers work Jan. 21, 2022, at an observation post near the state’s border with Mexico as part of Operation Lone Star. The mission began in March 2021 with 500 troops and has surged to about 10,000.

Texas governor approves almost $500M to fund state’s National Guard border mission

Gov. Greg Abbott approved nearly $500 million to fund the deployment of thousands of Texas National Guard troops to the state’s border with Mexico just days before the mission was set to run out of money.

Fort Bragg mourns loss of 23-year-old paratrooper killed in training accident

Spc. Luis Herrera was participating in routine training at the time of a vehicle accident Thursday at Fort Bragg, which involved three other soldiers.

‘How can we get this under control?’ Senators confront company reps on military housing woes

Executives from Balfour Beatty Communities sat in front of senators Tuesday to answer questions about a report that found the company had ignored or mishandled maintenance requests at Fort Gordon, Ga.

Housing company mishandled repairs and endangered military families despite millions in fines, Senate report finds

Balfour Beatty Communities, which manages and maintains military housing on bases across the country, has mishandled maintenance requests and threatened the health and safety of families at bases in Georgia and Texas, according to a new report.

Body of missing Texas National Guard soldier recovered

The body of Spc. Bishop E. Evans was found Monday, three days after the Texas National Guard soldier jumped into the Rio Grande to rescue two migrants trying to cross from Mexico into the Texas city of Eagle Pass, the state’s military department reported.

Texas National Guard soldier missing along Rio Grande, search is ongoing

Texas military officials said the soldier was on-duty when the incident occurred Friday in Eagle Pass. The soldier has not been found, and teams from the Texas Military Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and U.S. Border Patrol are working to find the soldier, the Guard said.

Soldier-moms drive change in Army policies on parenthood, pregnancy and postpartum

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth approved 12 policy changes in an omnibus directive this week targeting the issues that parents have for years said constrict the ability to serve and succeed in the Army and be a parent.

U.S. Army Reserve Soldier Sgt. Javion Siders, assigned to the 982nd Combat Camera Company (Airborne) conducts M4 Carbine marksmanship qualifications on Fort Jackson, SC, April 9, 2022. Soldiers qualify their marksmanship every year in order to maintain combat readiness. (US Army Reserve Photo by Sgt. Eric Kestner)

‘It’s a game-changer:’ Army awards $20.4 million to Sig Sauer for new squad rifle

Sig Sauer will manufacture and deliver two variations of the Next Generation Squad Weapon, the XM5 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle, along with the 6.8 common cartridge family of ammunition that accompanies the two weapons, the Army said Tuesday. Both will undergo testing.

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