The Washington State Military Transition Council (WSMTC) conducted its quarterly meeting aboard aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Nov. 16.

WSMTC creates partnerships between private and public organizations which help service members successfully transition from their military careers into civilian employment and career opportunities in Washington.

"The purpose behind this visit is to help service members effectively integrate back into the civilian workforce as they transition from the military," said Paul Cruz, project manager for WSMTC, from Barrigada, Guam. "The intent is to make [the transition] seamless and easier, and ensure that the military families are taken care of as soon as they exit the military."

WSMTC has several educational and occupational programs in place for service members upon completion of their military service.

"The transition council is a partnership, [and] we partner with about every industry in this state," said Cruz. "We combine our efforts to ensure that the programs that are available are prevalent to the service members so they know it exists."

WSMTC works out of Washington Department of Veterans Affairs' central office in Olympia, and was created by a governor's executive order. Meetings at other military facilities in the region help WSMTC members get information about a variety of service member needs.

"This is an opportunity to meet our Navy partners and understand what their needs are to better service the veterans as they leave the Navy," said Cruz. "We really try to expand our reach, and really help service the Navy and meet their needs and assist them in the Navy transitioning program."

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), visit http://www.navy.mil/.