TriWest Healthcare Alliance, which oversees the military healthcare for the Western United States, will continue offering services for Washington and 20 other states.

The contract, which was announced Monday, goes into effect immediately. The Department of Defense estimates the total potential value of the deal, which includes a 10-month base period and five one-year option periods, at almost $17 billion.

It’s the third such contract for TriWest, which has been offering services for 13 years.

"It has been our great honor and privilege to serve the healthcare needs for those who sacrifice so much in defense of freedom, and we are pleased that the Department of Defense has selected us again for this critical work," said David J. McIntyre, Jr., TriWest’s president and CEO, in a press release.

TriWest provides services to 2.7 million active-duty personnel, their families and retirees. The Phoenix-based holding company is owned by 15 nonprofit health care organizations and two university hospital systems. It employs about 1,900 people and has a regional hub in Tacoma.

The 81st Brigade Combat Team cased its colors in Ramadi, Iraq, on Monday as the Washington National Guard unit prepares to return home.

The brigade of about 3,500 soldiers – about 2,400 of whom are from Washington – served at bases throughout Iraq since November. Most of the unit was tasked with providing security for contractor convoys that keep the American military supplied. The convoys logged more than three million miles on the road.

Other subordinate units were tasked with running day-to-day operations or providing defense for bases. The colors-casing ceremony took place at Camp Ramadi in Anbar province, where the headquarters was running the base's mayor cell.

"I am in awe of these soldiers," brigade commander Col. Ronald Kapral said in a press release. "They come from all walks of life, many different professions, and yet when our nation and state called, they answered and performed their duty. We have taken them away from their families, friends and jobs and they did not complain or question.

"We trained at Yakima, Fort McCoy and Kuwait before deploying to Iraq. They have lived in tents, barracks and containerized housing units, trained in temps below freezing to over 130 degrees and still they perform their tasks without question. I will never know why they do this, but I thank God every day we have young Soldiers who volunteer and step up to serve."

The brigade mobilized in August for its second tour of Iraq; it previously deployed in 2004-05. It trained at Fort McCoy, Wis., and in Kuwait before arriving in Iraq.

One soldier was killed during the tour. Spc. Samuel Stone of Port Orchard died May 30 when his M1117 Armored Security Vehicle rolled over near Tallil.

The soldiers will begin returning home later this month after a de-mobilization process in Wisconsin.

Below is part of the press release that gives a better idea of what each battalion was doing in Iraq:

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