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3,000 service members attend job fair on McChord Field

  • Published
  • By Alexandra Kocik
  • Northwest Guardian
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  After two days of informational panels, workshops and networking sessions, the Washington State Service Member for Life Summit ended with a large job fair. More than 3,000 attendees walked around 300 tables full of employment and educational opportunities on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Service members and their families were brought face-to-face with representatives from the civilian opportunities in Hangars 9 and 10 on McChord Field Sept. 24.

The summit and the previous one-day Logistics Forum on JBLM were hosted by Hiring Our Heroes, an organization created by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce devoted to helping transitioning service members and their families find the next step after service.

Jack Norton, senior manager of communications for Hiring Our Heroes, said events like this could not be possible without help from JBLM and nearby community.

"This event is aimed at helping service members and future employers bridge any gaps that may prevent them from meeting anywhere else," Norton said. "We also hope to help service members and their spouses gain the skills needed for an easy transition."

The final day of a three-day summit began with morning and afternoon panel sessions. The same messages from previous days echoed once again through Hangar 9. Attendees were urged to start looking into what they want to do after their service up to a year before transitioning, be able to sell their skills as perfect fits in the civilian sector and the importance of networking.

The veteran employment transition road map, a manual for helping service members navigate the transition process, was handed out to every attendee.

Staff Sergeant Kevin Nelson attended the event a year before he plans to retire from the Army. He added an additional component to what service members can do while looking at all of their options.

"I think the most important thing is to just keep an open mind," he said. "It's important to look around and go to events like this to see what's out there."

The job fair followed in Hangar 10 filled with people dressed to impress. The large space was split into several areas including hiring, entrepreneurship, education and apprenticeship opportunities. The aisles quickly filled with interested attendees looking for more information.

Andrea Lopez and her boyfriend attended the event. They moved to the Pacific Northwest from San Diego months ago and are looking for new opportunities. As a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq as diplomatic security, Lopez's boyfriend attended the event in hopes of joining the federal protection security.

"The panel at the beginning was especially helpful in steering us where to start and what employers are expecting," she said. "It's amazing how many people are here and learning about what's out there, which is important."

Although Lopez didn't find many opportunities for her human resources career, her boyfriend was able to get an interview on site that day.

Starbucks attended, handing out free iced coffee mixes to interested attendees. There were also several food trucks open for lunch and bottles of water handed out to participants.

The summit also brought new training opportunities for service members and their families including transfer credits from military experience at local colleges and a new training program called Onward to Opportunities.