Without assistance from the Heroes at Home 2 program, Army spouse Jason Latimer might never have gone to college.

But next month, Latimer, 30,  will begin working on a Facilities Maintenance Engineer degree at Bates Technical College in Lakewood. With training in welding, plumbing, HVAC, crew supervision and more, the degree will give him an edge when looking for work as a building supervisor, a career currently in high demand.  "I'll come with a degree," he said."That's something most people don't have."

Latimer, 30, learned about the Heroes at Home 2 program a few months ago when he stopped by the Stone Education Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord for assistance with finding employment. Case manager Steve Martin first assisted Latimer with applications for a Pell Grant and the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA, another education assistance program). Martin also made sure Latimer met the requirements of the Heroes at Home 2 program and assisted with the paperwork. "They look very closely at you," Latimer said. "They don't just give you the money."

Latimer was accepted into both MyCAA and Heroes at Home 2, which will pay for the majority of his tuition along with books and required equipment, such as tools. "If it wasn't for (Heroes at Home 2), I wouldn't be going," Latimer said. "They really helped me better myself."

Latimer, who has worked for 10 years in the hospitality business and moved to the area last fall when his wife, Pfc. Crystal Latimer, was assigned to the 17th Fires Brigade on JBLM. He currently works at Kentucky Fried Chicken and Albertsons and "always wanted to go (to college), but didn't think I could."

The customer service at the Stone Education Center is stellar, Latimer said. "When I got there, everyone was really friendly," he recalled. "Everything I wanted to know, they answered, and if they didn't know, they found out."
Latimer advises other spouses who are looking for training or work to consider applying to the program. "You can step it up and be better," he said. "You can do something for your family like your Servicemember is."

Heroes at Home 2 is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor to support 825 military spouses who lost their jobs in order to accompany a Servicemember on a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move or Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) dislocation to JBLM.

For more information, visit www.heroesathome2.com.