A budget squeeze stalled hundreds of Joint Base Lewis-McChord Stryker soldiers from hitting the high desert near Yakima for several weeks of training last summer and delivered a fresh reminder that inconsistent defense spending continues to drag on the Army. The training pressure is compelling JBLM leaders to drive down costs. It's also at least partly behind two Army proposals that would expand military exercises in Western Washington, where it's cheaper for troops to train. "We have to be efficient. We have to do at JBLM locally everything that we can," said Maj. Gen. Thomas James, commander of JBLM's 7th Infantry Division. The new training cycles at JBLM contrast with the...
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