Senior Policy Associate Andrew Petrie delivers Statement for the Record for hearing on Transition Assistance Program.
Assuring that the U.S. Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) continues to evolve and modernize in ways that best assist servicemembers and their families in their shift from the military to civilian world was highlighted during written testimony submitted by The American Legion to Congress ahead of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Oversight’s March 25 hearing.
The subject of the hearing was “Mission Incomplete: Strengthening the TAP Program to Ensure a Smoother Transition to Civilian Life for Tomorrow's Veterans”. The Legion’s Statement for the Record was submitted by Andrew T. Petrie, Senior Policy Associate in the Veterans Employment & Education Division. View the Statement for the Record here.
Petrie noted that TAP’s effectiveness can have an overall impact on the DoD’s mission of meeting the nation’s national security needs. “To ensure DoD can accomplish its mission, military leaders must ensure that servicemembers return to society as successful citizens,” he wrote. “To achieve this, servicemembers must be permitted to complete the necessary TAP training activities to be best prepared for their transition back to the civilian world.
“Frequently, force readiness requirements create competing priorities for commanders, leading to servicemembers being prevented from completing the entire TAP program. Lack of participation in TAP leads to an ill-prepared veteran and future challenges.”
Petrie shared that in December 2022, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on TAP that found 22 percent of servicemembers in the program’s third tier did not attend or did not complete the required two-day career track portion of the curriculum; GAO also found that 70 percent of servicemembers failed to meet the statutory requirement to initiate TAP counseling at least one year in advance of separation.
“By delaying TAP participation, the window in which servicemembers have to participate in or learn about post-service programs, apply for earned benefits, or prepare for their transition properly is drastically reduced,” Petrie wrote. “Systemic delays must be remedied to ensure servicemembers thrive rather than struggle in life post military service. Veterans who experience a turbulent transition will surely influence how friends, family and siblings view service in the military.”
An evolving TAP approach is critical, Petrie said.
“As our nation’s technology capabilities and data collection improves, it is imperative that the TAP program is continuously modernized and streamlined,” Petrie wrote. “Transition is not a one-size-fits-all journey. Addressing the innumerable needs of transitioning servicemembers requires the program to impart all available information to them ahead of their unique journey.
“Additionally, the experience and requirements for active-duty servicemembers are vastly different than those in the National Guard or the Military Reserves. The American Legion believes that TAP must meet servicemembers and their families where they are to provide the most effective information for their unique needs, which will require change.”
Petrie wrote that while there are a wide range of resources available outside the TAP curriculum, “the most common hurdle lies in finding resources that are reliable. The VA currently offers Military Life Cycle (MLC) modules that centralize reliable information for separating servicemembers and their families. The MLC’s robust modules, which consist of 14 distinct sessions, address a wide range of topics in-depth, including VA Education Benefits, the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program, Community Integration Resources, and other critical areas that support servicemembers' transition from military to civilian life. The modules are offered in-person or online—allowing users to access information at their own pace.”
He said that while the MLC module is underutilized, it appears to be the most promising approach to reaching a wider audience in a faster and more efficient manner. “MLC modules offer a promising model for government agencies involved in military transition to promote easily accessible micro-learning opportunities and increase awareness of benefits long before military separation,” he said. “Simply creating educational content is insufficient if the intended recipients are not fully aware of its availability or relevance to their needs.”
He also urged congressional support for the creation of a TAP mobile app for transitioning servicemembers.
“The American Legion believes that the creation of a mobile application would serve as a powerful alternative to existing virtual offerings, providing servicemembers with an extensive toolkit of on-demand, easily accessible, transition-related content,” Petrie wrote. “By making TAP resources available on smartphones and tablets, the application would enable the military-connected community to access critical information any time and place, facilitating consistent engagement with the material. Moreover, the application would offer personalized features, allowing users to tailor their career and transition plans to their unique circumstances, ensuring the information they receive is relevant to their specific needs.
“The American Legion cautions that the development of such an application must be done thoughtfully, ensuring it is user-friendly, effective and accessible. The application should not be rushed into design but, rather, implemented with careful consideration of the diverse needs of servicemembers, veterans and their families. Lastly, it is critical that interagency partners, community resource groups and veterans service organizations, such as The American Legion, be actively involved in the design process to provide feedback and suggest potential improvements to ensure that the final product meets the needs of its users and maximizes its impact on transition readiness.”
Petrie’s statement also noted “There is a need for an alternative pathway for National Guard and reserve servicemembers to complete TAP so that they have the best information possible when pursuing their transition back to civilian life. Challenges faced by National Guard and reserve component servicemembers do not mirror those faced by active-duty servicemembers.
“The unique experience of being deployed one day and then returning to a civilian job the next is a transition that needs to be facilitated with resources and a potential warm handoff to one or multiple federal agencies, which will assist in the process of assimilating back into the general public.”
Petrie shared multiple American Legion resolutions related to TAP in support of his testimony:
· Resolution No. 100: Accountability of the Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program;
- Legislative