The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is a U.S. Department of Defense-led program that provides service members with information and resources to prepare them for their civilian life. TAP is an interagency program between the Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Department of Labor, Department of Veterans Affairs, Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Education, and Office of Personnel Management. Service member participation in TAP is mandatory.
Contents
The program offers curriculum through classroom training as well as online through the Joint Knowledge Online (JKO) portal for geographically separated service members, short-notice separatees, spouses, or as a refresher for service members, their spouses, and veterans. The curriculum is standardized by the DoD and administered individually by each military service. It is reviewed annually based on participant and other SME feedback. TAP courses are executed at roughly 200 military installations.
History
In 1990, as the U.S. military's post-Cold War drawdown was beginning, the United States Congress authorized through HR4739 (101st Congress), which became PL 101-510, a set of benefits and services to assist military personnel in the transition to civilian life. Over 20 years later as Post-9/11 veterans are separating from the military, President Barack Obama announced plans for the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to design a "reverse boot camp" to improve the transition from military to civilian life. On November 21, 2011, President Barack Obama signed the "Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act" which among other things brought about major changes to the Transition Assistance Program.
The redesign to the program was authorized in the VOW Act, which became PL 112-56, and included mandatory participation for all service members, standardized curriculum and learning outcomes, expanded timeline and smaller class sizes, the requirement to have components of the program spread throughout a service member's military career, completion of Career Readiness Standards, and the verification by a commander of a service member’s career readiness. On average, 200,000 service members separate from the military each year.
DoDI 1332.35
On February 29, 2016, the DoD issued Department of Defense Instruction 1332.35 for The Transition Assistance Program for Military Personnel. This DoDI replaces DoDI 1332.36 and Directive-Type Memorandum 12-007 (refs c and d).
Curriculum
Most service members complete their career readiness standards (CRS) through attending TAP's core curriculum in a five-day classroom training. This core curriculum, called Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, Success), includes courses such as the Military Occupational Code Crosswalk, Financial Planning for Transition, Resilient Transitions, VA Benefits Briefing, and the Department of Labor Workshop, among others.
Transitioning service members may also opt to enroll in additional two-day courses, called Training Tracks. There are three of these Training Tracks: Accessing Higher Education, Career Technical Training and Entrepreneurship. In the Accessing Higher Education Training Track, service members will learn how to choose a college or university, how to submit an application, and the various ways to find financial aid. The Career Technical Training Track helps service members select a technical training school and connects them with the school or a counselor. The Entrepreneurship Training Track is the Small Business Administration's "Boots to Business" course and helps service members who are interested in starting their own business build a business plan.
The Military Life Cycle (MLC) Transition Preparation Model encourages a service members to begin their transition preparation early in their military careers through taking advantage of training and educational opportunities while still in the military.
Career Readiness Standards
Career Readiness Standards are a set of career preparation deliverables that service members must complete to depart from active duty and be considered "career ready." The standards provide service members with a set of tools and resources to ensure they have the training needed to transition successfully into civilian life. Examples of these deliverables include: completing an individual transition plan (ITP), creating a 12 month post-separation budget, and registering with the VA eBenefits site. All CRS are verified by a service member's commander prior to transition. If a service member doesn't meet their CRS, there is a warm handover to an interagency partner for additional assistance.
eForm and Enterprise Database
In November 2016, TAP released an eForm and Enterprise Database. The new eForm combines the three previous forms that service members used in their transition process into one electronic version. It is more streamlined and efficient, and there is no need for service members to collect wet signatures from their counselors and commanders.
The Enterprise Database provides real-time access and visibility for commanders across all branches of service. This allows for a smooth transition for service members who might be separating from the military while stationed at an installation that is not their military branch.