Data sought on how veterans fare as civilians

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/06/04/3226592/data-sought-on-how-veterans-fare.html?sp=/99/296/331/354/

Washington has multiple programs to help with the transition, but state wants to know how well they work

Data sought on how veterans fare as civilians
By ADAM ASHTON
Staff writer
June 4, 2014

Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the state of Washington have been pouring resources into new programs to help veterans find steady work over the past few years, and now officials want to know if the efforts are paying off.

The state has established goals to deliver 5 percent of state contracts to veteran-owned businesses, hire veterans in state agencies and increase college retention among recent veterans.

But data is hard to come by, officials told Gov. Jay Inslee Tuesday at a quarterly meeting of the Washington Military Transition Council.

It’s a common problem across the Defense Department. In April, the federal Government Accountability Office published a report on military transition programs that cited cutting-edge programs at JBLM. But it found little data across the country on how military service members fared in the civilian world, even six months after leaving uniform.