31st Military Citizen Event Announced

Military Affairs Committee Presents

31st John Anderson Military Citizen of the Year
Sponsored by TriWest HealthCare Alliance

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee (MAC) will present the 31st annual John Anderson Military Citizen of the Year. Each year, the Chamber's MAC honors an individual who exemplifies the contributions local resident active-duty military personnel make to our community.

Date: Thursday, November 12
Time: 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
Event: Rotary Club of Tacoma No. 8
Keynote Speaker: Doug Lineberrey, "A Recent Tour in Afghanistan"
Place: Landmark Conference Center
47 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma 98402
Price: $13.50 with RSVP
No prepayment, collect at the door only
Register: Rose Crist or 253-627-2175
Information: Gary Brackett or 253-627-2175

About John H. Anderson
John H. Anderson served as Tacoma’s mayor in the early to mid 1950s. He is also a past Chair of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber Board of Directors, as well as a successful local businessman.

About Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber
Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber was founded in 1884. Its mission is to promote a strong business climate fostering economic opportunity and a more livable community through advocacy, networking, resources, and services for business development.

DoD Prime Contract Awards

Pierce County is the acknowledged leader when it comes to numbers of uniformed personnel assigned to a local defense installation. But other communities are typically thought to have a defense (civilian) industry that contributes more to the local economy.

So, leaving aside the payrolls of uniformed and even civilian DoD personnel, what community in the state has received the most Prime Contract Awards? The obvious answer is King County at $2.3+ billion, and not just because of Boeing, which builds more than commercial airliners. Many other companies contribute too.

Kitsap County is most everyone else's candidate for second largest beneficence by virtue of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyards. According to the most recent report (2006), Kitsap County received just over 1/2 billion dollars, the bulk of that from the Navy.

But assigning Kitsap a ranking of #2 is wrong. Coming in with $753+ million in Prime Contract Awards is Pierce County. Pierce County is also diversified among the services. Here's the allocation:

• Army dollars: 449,211,814
• Navy dollars: 10,483,222
• Air Force dollars: 101,607,230
• DLA* dollars: 179,267,621
• ODA* dollars: 11,903,448

DLA: Defense Logistics Agency ODA: Other Defense Agency

And, Kitsap wasn't even third; behind Whatcom at $608+ million. Was that a single year aberration? We'll look at historical trends for that question in an upcoming blog.

Meet Vets as Job Candidates

An Opportunity Expo is scheduled to match job-seeking veterans, transitioning military personnel, members of the Guard and Reserve and military family members with hiring employers.

At this event, recruiters for employers, franchisers and educational institutions will meet face-to-face with these highly qualified and highly sought-after candidates. We invite you to join them!

Members of the Tacoma–Pierce County Chamber of Commerce who register to participate in this event are entitled to a 10% discount. To take advantage of this offer, contact RecruitMilitary’s Matt Murphy and mention your membership. Matt can be reached via email or 610-933-3331.

The Expo will be held on Thursday, November 19, 2009 from 11:00am – 3:00pm at the ShoWare Center. Additional details on this event can be found here.

At a RecruitMilitary Expo, you can begin the selection process with what is normally one of the final stages—a face-to-face meeting with the candidate. If you are looking to hire employees this year, or have a franchise/educational opportunity to offer, this is an event you won't want to miss!

Noteworthies With a Local Link

The chief of staff, Air Force announced today that Col. Jerry P. Martinez, who has been selected for the rank of brigadier general, inspector general, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., to deputy commander, political-military affairs, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Brig. Gen. (sel.) Martinez was Commander, 62nd AW, McChord AFB 2006-2008.

Defense Industry Means Economic Development

With the best performance of any industry, the military-defense growth in Pierce County has been not just an economic stabilizer, but a growth engine.

Yesterday's presentation by David Bugher, Assistant City Manager, City of Lakewood to the Chamber's Military Affairs Committee, showed the community how economic development infrastructure can support an expansion of this industry here.

Recently, the City of Lakewood, commissioned a study of the Woodbrook Business Park area of American Lake Gardens. Primarily now a low-income residential area, the City is extending public infrastructure to an area that could support economic development. While thorny challenges still remain as to social equity in affordable housing supplies, the maximum development option could provide up to 3,500 jobs and an assessed present value of $33,044,900 increased up to $184,258,800.

Although in the early stages of Lakewood's evaluation of this part of their community, military contractors serving Fort Lewis are a definite potential target for recruitment for such a business park. The continuing development of the post generates a greater opportunity outside the fence and areas available within become more scarce.

Beyond the Call

From the brothers who brought you the Academy Award nominated film GENGHIS BLUES, comes the next great adventure... BEYOND THE CALL

In an Indiana Jones meets Mother Teresa adventure, three eccentric middle-aged men - former soldiers and modern-day knights - travel the world delivering life-saving humanitarian aid directly into the hands of civilians and doctors. Ed Artis, James Laws and Walt Ratterman inspire through deeds not words, in some of the most dangerous yet beautiful places on Earth, the front lines of war.

Trailer and movie info here.

What: BEYOND THE CALL
Gig Harbor premiere {one screening only}
When: This Sunday, October 18th at 3pm (82 minutes)
Where: The Galaxy Theatre, uptown Gig Harbor
Tickets: $8
Why: Come for the film, stay for Q&A with the Academy Award nominated filmmaker Adrian Belic, the sole crew member of this global adventure!

Screening info here.

Below is additional information about the success of BEYOND THE CALL and the broad spectrum of society that this film has entertained and inspired. This is an independently distributed the film. Forward this invitation onto to your friends, family and colleagues. In particular the filmmakers would like to reach out to the military (active, veterans, National Guard and families), senior citizen groups, Rotary Club International and other service organizations and students.

BEYOND THE CALL premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. It has screened at over 150 film festivals on five continents, winning over 50 awards, including Grand Jury Prizes and Audience Awards.

An extremely inspiring film that is also hilarious, exciting and heart-wrenching. – Cinematical

Adventurous...straight shooting intrepid trio...accruing eternal good karma…, can't help but inspire. - LA Times

Beyond the Call is the stirring and powerful account of these remarkable men, both on the road and in their homes. It's a brave and funny and uplifting film that makes you want to be a better person.- Oregonian Newspaper

Unlikely Heroes - New York Times

It's impossible not to admire their can-do spirit. - Variety

Magna Cum Laude In Deed II

Complexes of Divisions of Labor

The basics of our modern economic system, including the unfettered movement of labor to opportunities, is also that division of labor (into specialists), gains us greater efficiencies.

Not so with the division of labor into infinitely disparate pieces as a report earlier this year identified multitudinous state agencies (see list at end) responsible for professional licenses or certificates. This might not be all that important were it not that about 2,400 of our state's citizens have just returned from foreign (Iraq) deployment as Guardsmen serving the goals of our nation. That lengthy time may have presented them with numerous obstacles to overcome when they are mustered out (of active service). The least of them should be in picking up their jobs or professions.

Yes, there is federal legislation giving them and requiring employers to accommodate their return to their jobs. But many occupations now are tied to professional licenses and certificates.

Sen. Derek Kilmer placed a budget proviso in the state's 2008 budget requiring the state's Department of Licensing (DOL) and Department of Health (DOH) - responsible for the bulk of professional licensing programs - to determine processes for relicensing or re-certificating Guardsmen or Reservists who have served on active duty but are now returning to civilian life.

Both departments found some procedures in place for their respective departments to do so. However, in the report the DOH suggested they could do a better job of informing returning vets of their recertification process. The DOL suggested they do a sufficient job based on responses from returning vets.

There are other states our state could look to for providing support or best practices in an automatic extension of professional licenses:
–Approximately 13 states recognized as providing support: AZ, DE, GA, HI, KY, KS, MN, MS, MT, NJ, NY, UT, WI
–Best practice states (statutes) : AZ (32-4301), DE (215) (Formerly Senate Bill No. 206), GA (43-1-31), HI (HB295 HD1), KS (34.48), MN (197.65), MS (33-1-39), MT (37-1-138), WI (321.60)

Please note that WA is not in either of these lists.

In addition to the DOH and DOL, these Washington State agencies issue licenses or certificates for professions or occupational certifications:

1. Board of Accountancy
2. Office of the Insurance Commissioner
3. Department of Social and Health Services
4. Liquor Control Board
5. Labor and Industries
6. Department of Early Learning
7. Department of Agriculture
8. Department of Financial Institutions
9. Department of Ecology
10. Fish and Wildlife
11. Washington State Patrol
12. Secretary of State
13. and acknowledged but unnamed others

Veterans Supportive Campuses

Governor Gregoire took a positive step when she lead her administration and the state's higher educational institutions and workforce boards to support veterans on campuses.

The Memorandum of Understanding, Partners for Veteran Supportive Campuses, defines a new partnership on behalf of the Governor, departments in her administration, the Washington National Guard, the state's colleges and universities, the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the State Board for Technical and Community Colleges and the Workforce Training and Education Board.

The partners agree:

• increase awareness of veteran's programs on and off campuses
• provide staff with a core set of veteran cultural competencies
• encourage campuses to implement best practices and policies designed to foster vets
• encourage vets to use the GI bill
• help vets succeed in higher ed and training
• ensure staff and vets have access to Washington Dept. of Veterans Affairs and its local and federal partners

The Chamber has specifically called upon the state to adopt policy and procedures to allow service members separating from duty to receive credit for applicable skill sets and education acquired while in service.

Two points in the MOU are:

1. continue work with the Legislature, workforce and higher ed communities to...transfer, credit for prior experience...
2. shortening the time for veterans to receive a credential or degree through: a) expanding credit for prior learning and b) developing articulation and transfer agreements...

Veterans Resource/Employment Fair

The Conundrum of Airlift

The Air Force Magazine Online reports today that the effort led by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to delete the $2.5 billion funding for 10 more C-17s from the 2010 defense spending bill was defeated by a vote of 64-34. Appropriations Committee chairman Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), pushed for the add-on.

While Pres. Obama's administration plan was opposed to the additional C-17s, no strong objection was raised as compared to proposed increases in F-22s. Proponents believe the military needs more C-17s and that older C-5s should be retired.

Coincidentally, the Government Accountability Office yesterday released a report on DoD's reliance on the Civilian Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). The report notes there has been a 55% decline in CRAF capacity since 2003 AND DoD large cargo movements have increased. The report notes that there is NO U.S. commercial cargo aircraft capable of moving the MRAPs and DoD is using foreign-owned carriers to assist military airlift missions.

Woman of Influence Earns Her Stripes

"Photo by Dane Gregory Meyer"

Honored this week as a “Woman of Influence,” by Business Examiner, Carlene Joseph was recognized for her tireless, comprehensive and successful efforts on behalf of our region’s military members and families.

Among her efforts are: President, Pierce Military and Business Alliance (PMBA); Treasurer, Washington State Air Force Association; Vice President & Newsletter Editor, Air Force Association McChord Chapter; President & Newsletter Editor, Association of the United States Army Fort Lewis Chapter; Vice President, Support America's Armed Forces; Regional Auxiliary Coordinator, Air Force Sergeants Association; Co-President, Joint Base Financial Alliance, a partnering between Harborstone Credit Union & America's Credit Union.

As a Proud Marine Mom (her son is currently serving as a U.S. Marine), Joseph works at Harborstone Credit Union as VP/Military Relations.