Ashley Hackett saw an opportunity to fulfill her dream to join the military and at the same time lay groundwork for a health care career by signing up for the U.S. Army Reserve out of high school.

The Vancouver woman, now 20, is getting help from the new, local Veteran Women Program to move forward with both goals. VWP is an assistance program offered through Vancouver-based Partners In Careers that is intended to help women vets find services, training and jobs in the private sector.

Hackett, a Reserve private first class, spent much of last year on active duty, getting her basic training and learning to be an Army surgical technologist. Now she’s back in Vancouver, meeting with her Reserve unit, the 396 Combat Support Hospital, once a month and trying to build on that training. Hackett turned for help to Roxanne Boose, Veteran Women Program coordinator.

“I really had no idea what to do once I was out of basic,” Hackett said. “I think sometimes women may have bigger challenges than men (in moving back to civilian life). We may not know the right questions to ask, where to go.”

Hackett, with assistance from Boose (pronounced boo-say), is now enrolled at Clark College, working toward an associate’s degree in science that, when combined with her Army training, will qualify her for work in the private sector as a surgical tech.

With a steady increase in the number of women serving in the military (an estimated 202,000, or 14 percent), services geared to their specific needs are more important, said Boose, 53, who herself is retired with the rank of Army master sergeant after a 24-year career.

Updated Census data shows the nation has an estimated 1.8 million female veterans, including 3,046 in Clark County and 670,628 in Washington. The numbers have been increasing since the 1980s. Experts project that there will be 1.9 million women vets by 2020.

The women vet program is new to the Partners In Careers agency, said Pam Brokaw, executive director.

“Our survey shows that women vets are underserved,” said Brokaw. “Many of these women may not even see themselves as vets. They may be young, single mothers. We want to get the word out, bring together these vets with new jobs and training in this community with a one-stop shop.”

Boose says she’ll be touching base with local veterans groups such as the American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars, as well as state employment service agencies.

“This is so dear to me,” Boose said. “Women vets need a safe place to talk about their (military) experiences and gain a sense of camaraderie. Bottom line, we want to help women with these transitions.”

Weekly meetings

VWP hosted it first weekly Job Club session earlier this month. Sessions rum one hour starting at 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays at 111 W. 39th St., Suite B.

Brokaw said the program got a jump-start from Riverview Community Bank with a $5,000 contribution.

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