The Washington State Military Transition Council (WSMTC) will hold its Quarterly Transition Council Meeting Nov. 17. The meetings are part of a multi-year project to develop an 18-month process map to identify actions necessary for transition prior to release from active-duty.

"It has been said many times that Washington state is leading the way with military transition. The (Washington Department of Veterans Affairs) feels very proud of all of the hard work that has been done within the state's partners, who work hard at achieving our goals of supporting veterans," said WSMTC Project Manager under the WDVA, Paul Cruz.

The WSMTC enables servicemembers to successfully transition into civilian employment and further career opportunities by creating enduring partnerships between private and public organizations that provide opportunities for soldiers.

By synchronizing the goals, plans and actions of various agencies and organizations that support military transition, the WSMTC allows for a more diverse transition program in the state.

By utilizing assets from various organizations and agencies to maximize transition services to programs that may not have the necessary funding, the WSMTC not only saves taxpayer money with efficiency, but also offers transitional services to a much larger audience.

"By working with all sectors in the state, we are able to better provide transition services for servicemembers transitioning out of the military," said Cruz.  "This gives them the best opportunity to succeed in the civilian workforce and provide themselves and their families a livable wage."

Basically, more servicemembers are able to take advantage of more services at a lower cost for the taxpayer.

The WSMTC Chair is also the Washington WDVA Agency Director, Alfie Alvarado-Ramos.  The council has an executive committee, strategic planning committee,  advisory group and workgroups that are focused on veteran employment, education, career and technical training, and veteran-owned small business and entrepreneurship.

"There are many programs that allow the state to be successful, from the Governors Executive Order 13-01 to programs such as the Northwest Edge on JBLM and Camo2Commerce," Cruz added.  "The success of the WSMTC is a credit to all the partners within the entire state that work hard to help our veterans."

This team is expanding and growing, and as the amount of members increases, so does the council's success.

Some remarkable statistics, according to the WDVA website:

In Dec. 2011, 18 percent of transitioning servicemembers on JBLM reported that they had a job. In April 2014, 42 percent reported they had a job.

Camo2Commerce, a $5.6 million grant partnership, sponsored off-site visits to college campuses, union locations and small business incubator sites created the JBLM NW Edge Program

Joint Career Days with Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) agencies and Chambers of Commerce.

Through the WSMTC, the WDVA partnered with Spokane, Clark, Pierce, King and Thurston counties to develop veteran courts or dockets to handle some veteran cases. Each county sets specific treatment and case-management requirements to ensure veterans address behavioral, substance abuse, or other issues that may have contributed to their involvement in the criminal justice system. The goal of each program is to help veterans reintegrate into their communities through viable employment, safe shelter and reunification with families.

As successes and membership boom, the WSMTC continues to grow its resources and reach. Future steps include statewide inclusion among military branches and expanding to the Navy region and Fairchild Air Force Base.

This council, and Washington state as a whole, has proven a national success as well. Previous Washington State Servicemember for Life Transition Summits (in 2014 and 2015) saw thousands of military members attend; hundreds have already received employment.

"The state is truly moving in the right direction and is very proactive when it comes to taking care of ‘Serving Those Who Served,'" Cruz said.

To find out more about the Washington State Military Transition Council, visit www.dva.wa.gov/about-wdva/washington-state-military-transition-council-wsmtc.