The children of Washington’s service members should have an easier time transferring between schools when their parents receive new orders after Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children on Thursday.

The compact is a binding agreement among states that aims to address an array of disruptions military children face when they move, including graduation requirements, standardized testing, eligibility rules for sports and immunization regulations. Washington becomes the 17th state to enter the compact.

Entering the agreement would cost Washington $49,000 next fiscal year, according to a state estimate. Its proponents – service members from Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base testified at committee hearings – say it’s money well spent.

Washington has more than 135,000 active-duty family members -- servicemembers, spouses and children -- and as many as 33 percent move every year, said Mark San Souci, a regional liaison from the Department of Defense.

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Three of Spc. Jeffrey Sigerson’s fingers are curled, the result of his right hand being crushed in the door of a Humvee during an ambush in Iraq last year while he was on a convoy-security mission.

On top of that, his entire torso twitches frequently after an accident in basic training left him with dislocated vertebrae and damaged nerves.

But as Sigerson rowed himself around American Lake Thursday, the Fort Lewis soldier found peace on the choppy waters.

"I thought it would be a lot harder to do," the 40-year-old Tacoma resident said after 30 minutes on the lake. "But I found out that it’s something I can do. It was relaxing. It’s freedom on the water."

Sigerson and 14 others from Fort Lewis’ Warrior Transition Battalion, a unit for soldiers with complex or long-term health concerns, rowed and played sitting volleyball during a camp run by the U.S. Paralympic Team.

Another 15 veterans or active-duty military personnel from other bases also participated in the camp, which began Tuesday and concludes today.

Sports are growing in popularity as a way to help wounded and injured service members; proponents say they encourage physical activity after a traumatic event and provide a sense of calm. One local nonprofit, the Wounded Warrior Adaptive Golf Project, helps link disabled soldiers and veterans with mentors on the links.

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