by Dean Siemon

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place July 7 for Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s new American Job Center inside Hawk Transition Center on Lewis North, bringing together officials from JBLM, Washington state and various local business leaders in what is considered a groundbreaking effort for helping transitioning military service members.

The goal of the new on-base American Job Center is to bridge the gap between members of the military community and employers seeking their skills — an initiative started when Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed Executive Order 13-01 for transition services in May 2013.