JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – With renewed aspirations and positive energy, soldiers assigned to the Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) are shown a path toward a future of stability and purpose. This path does not run through a park or a neighborhood, it’s a path that uses the Army values to assist wounded Warriors.
The goal is to transform these Warriors from being soldiers with unique skill- sets, into highly marketable civilian veterans. The Department of Homeland Security and the Corps of Engineers are two agencies that provide this training.
The WTB sponsored the Operation Warfighter Internship Fair at Joint Base Lewis-McChord April 24 giving soldiers a chance to speak with agencies about what they offer and what they can expect from the federal job market.
As an ever expanding program, the goal of the monthly job fair is to fill hundreds of different internships for availability to transitioning soldiers from 35 different federal employers. The average internship can last up to 120 days. Federal employers may be flexible dependent on each soldier’s availability.
Eligibility for the program is not simply limited to WTB soldiers. Service members from all branches of military service are eligible if they are undergoing the medical evaluation board process. The board process determines their percentage of disability as well as their physical limitations for future employment.
Currently 36 soldiers are assigned to federal internships which have been made available by 19 federal agencies. The WTB sponsors job fairs each month which rotate between many different agencies.
Some soldier’s fears and uncertainty of a transition into civilian life may be partially alleviated due to this program’s ability to provide on-the-job training.
Many employers were excited to attend the event and provide these services.
“I was very excited about volunteering for it,” said Daryl Wallace, a representative from the Department of the Navy, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, “Especially to help guys who’ve volunteered and sacrificed a lot for our country and who should be taken care of when they get back. I’m very passionate about this program.”
Cherie Westphal, the WTB transition coordinator, helped put on the event and was thrilled to have the internship fair take place because it educates soldiers on the various opportunities within the program.
“This is the reason I focus on this program, said Westphal. “It gives them the tools, so then they understand how it’s done.”
Westphal looks forward to future events that emphasize assisting service members during their transition to civilian life.
While the transition is emotionally draining at times for some, the program is rewarding for most soldiers and gives them a variety of job search experience.
“If Soldiers are going to transition out, the best program for them is Operation Warfighter,” added Westphal.
One wounded warrior was motivated and enjoyed helping with the initial setup. Sgt. Guaiza S. Hemsing, a supply clerk assigned to Army Reserve unit, 373rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Tumwater, Wash., was pleased with career fair.
“It sets you up so that you can actually have something when you get out,” said Hemsing with enthusiasm. “You have a foundation to step on when you transition over to be a civilian.”
Starting a new life in the civilian world may be difficult for some soldiers, but to a wounded warrior, who at times may feel like they are lost in a barren landscape, having this oasis of information can revitalize their outlook on life while leading them toward their new path as a civilian.