Soldiers and family members looking to use educational services on Fort Lewis might notice their options have been greatly reduced due to an Armywide contract dispute.

Fort Lewis Educational Services Officer Kathleen Connolly said the contract issue, which started Oct. 1, has created a dire situation for education services.

"All of this is based on a stop-work order issued in Washington, D.C.," Connolly said. "We have a lot of dark services right now."

Wait times for Soldiers and other clients will significantly increase, she said.

"This could really impact Soldiers' careers," Connolly said. "It's a very bad situation at this point."

Included among the program reductions: Technical and Academic Resource Center is currently closed, Stryker Army Learning Center is closed and BSEP classes have been canceled.

Certain previously scheduled testing and unit training is still supported, she said.

The education center will post updates of the situation, Connolly said.

"We get our funding, number of sessions and everything from (Installation Management Command)," she said. "We have no way of knowing when services will resume."

Connolly said the issue stems from a protest filed after Department of the Army awarded a new contract for fiscal year 2010.

"We've had to put (appropriated funds) government personnel at the reception desk," Connolly said.

Backfilling two contracted counselors has proved to be a difficult juggling act, she said.

"We're still helping Soldiers fax things they might need," she said.

Stone Army Education Center has converted a small staff lounge into a four-computer lab. Still, computer space is hard to come by with the reductions, Connolly said.

"The library has helped us out tremendously by proctoring and providing computer support," she said. "However, they are now inundated, also."

Connolly said she is grateful to the outside institutions that have offered their support.

"University of Maryland has stepped up and hired someone to do distance learning for us," she said.

Pierce College also hired someone so their classes can continue, Connolly said.

"We're honoring and filling reservations as best we can depending on what our availability is," she said. "Our staff was reduced even before the stop-work orders."

However, not all of the impacts can be absorbed with the remaining staff, she said.

"We have no basic skills classes," Connolly said. "Our DANTES test examiner is closed."

The effects of the stop-work orders created more than an inconvenience to Soldiers alone, she said.

"People who have dedicated their time and lives to serving Soldiers are out of a job," Connolly said. "It's impacted their lives."

Although rumors are circulating, there is no hard evidence that services will be back to full strength any time soon, she said.

"It's an untenable situation," Connolly said.