When Tiffany Maple went with her husband, Staff Sgt. Marcus Maple, to the Stone Education Center this summer so he could look into college classes, little did she know that she would walk out a step closer to enrolling in a phlebotomy course at Bates Technical College.

The mother of four, who had worked as a cosmetologist and school cook prior to moving to Joint Base Lewis-McChord from Fort Hood, Texas, in November 2010, had been looking for work since the family arrived. "Nothing looked promising," she said.

While waiting for her husband that day at the education center, an employee told Maple about a new program, Heroes at Home 2, that might help her find work. She went right upstairs, she said, and talked to staff members.

The program, which is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and overseen locally by WorkForce Central and the Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council, is funded to support 825 military spouses who lost their jobs in order to accompany a Servicemember on a PCS move to JBLM. Applicants must have dislocated from a job since 2005, and the Servicemember must be active duty and assigned to JBLM.

Maple fit the bill. Within a week, she attended an orientation and interview, and looked over high-demand jobs that she was interested in. "I always wanted to be in the medical field," she said, so she chose a phlebotomy course at Bates. The training will allow her to work at a lab drawing blood specimens for analysis.

"I never thought I would go back to school," Maple said. "With this program here, it's so convenient. I'm going to take advantage of it."

In addition to tuition and books, Heroes at Home 2 pays for supplies including scrubs and shoes, paper and other supplies. Maple will pay nothing out of pocket, she said. Training begins next month; she hopes to continue with the advanced phlebotomy course next term. "It's time for me to do me now," she said.

For more information call (253) 966-7366 or (360) 570-4271 or visit www.heroesathome2.com.

Photo caption: Army spouse Tiffany Maple found education and employment assistance with the Heroes at Home 2 program on JBLM. Maple is enrolled in a course at Bates Technical College this fall and will pay nothing out of pocket. /Melanie Casey