[House Hearing, 112 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
EXAMINING THE RE-DESIGN OF THE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TAP)
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY (EO)
of the
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2012
__________
Serial No. 112-77
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
78-767 WASHINGTON : 2013
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; DC
area (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC
20402-0001
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
JEFF MILLER, Florida, Chairman
CLIFF STEARNS, Florida BOB FILNER, California, Ranking
DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado CORRINE BROWN, Florida
GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida SILVESTRE REYES, Texas
DAVID P. ROE, Tennessee MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine
MARLIN A. STUTZMAN, Indiana LINDA T. SANCHEZ, California
BILL FLORES, Texas BRUCE L. BRALEY, Iowa
BILL JOHNSON, Ohio JERRY McNERNEY, California
JEFF DENHAM, California JOE DONNELLY, Indiana
JON RUNYAN, New Jersey TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota
DAN BENISHEK, Michigan JOHN BARROW, Georgia
ANN MARIE BUERKLE, New York RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri
TIM HUELSKAMP, Kansas
MARK E. AMODEI, Nevada
ROBERT L. TURNER, New York
Helen W. Tolar, Staff Director and Chief Counsel
______
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY (EO)
MARLIN A. STUTZMAN, Indiana, Chairman
GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida BRUCE L. BRALEY, Iowa, Ranking
BILL JOHNSON, Ohio LINDA T. SANCHEZ, California
TIM HUELSKAMP, Kansas TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota
MARK E. AMODEI, Nevada
Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, public
hearing records of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs are also
published in electronic form. The printed hearing record remains the
official version. Because electronic submissions are used to prepare
both printed and electronic versions of the hearing record, the process
of converting between various electronic formats may introduce
unintentional errors or omissions. Such occurrences are inherent in the
current publication process and should diminish as the process is
further refined.
C O N T E N T S
__________
September 20, 2012
Page
Examining The Re-Design of the Transition Assistance Program
(TAP).......................................................... 1
OPENING STATEMENTS
Chairman Marlin A. Stutzman...................................... 1
Prepared Statement of Chairman Stutzman...................... 32
Hon. Bruce L. Braley, Ranking Democratic Member.................. 3
Prepared Statement of B. Braley.............................. 35
WITNESSES
Mr. Danny G.I. Pummill, Director, Veterans Benefits
Administration/Department of Defense Program Office, Veterans
Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs... 5
Prepared Statement of Mr. Pummill............................ 35
Mr. John K. Moran, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Veterans'
Employment and Training Service, U.S. Department of Labor...... 6
Prepared Statement of Mr. Moran.............................. 38
Mr. Rhett Jeppson, Associate Administrator for Veterans Business
Development, U.S. Small Business Administration................ 8
Prepared Statement of Mr. Jeppson............................ 43
Dr. Susan Kelly, Deputy Director, Transition to Veterans Program
Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel
and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense...................... 9
Prepared Statement of Dr. Kelly.............................. 46
Brigadier General Robert F. Hedelund, Director of Marine and
Family Programs, U.S. Marine Corps............................. 18
Prepared Statement of General Hedelund....................... 51
Brigadier General Jason T. Evans, Adjutant General, U.S. Army.... 19
Prepared Statement of General Evans.......................... 53
Mr. Edward Cannon, Fleet and Family Readiness Program Director,
U.S. Navy...................................................... 21
Prepared Statement of Mr. Cannon............................. 55
Brigadier General Eden J. Murrie, Director of Services, U.S. Air
Force.......................................................... 22
Prepared Statement of General Murrie......................... 58
Rear Admiral Daniel Neptun, Assistant Commandant for Human
Resources, U.S. Coast Guard.................................... 23
Prepared Statement of Admiral Neptun......................... 60
QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD
Hon. Marlin A. Stutzman, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity to
VA Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs............. 61
EXAMINING THE RE-DESIGN OF THE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TAP)
----------
Thursday, September 20, 2012
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity,
Washington, D.C.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:29 p.m., in
Room 334, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Marlin A. Stutzman
[Chairman of the Committee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Stutzman, Braley, and Walz.
OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN MARLIN A. STUTZMAN
Mr. Stutzman. Good afternoon. Welcome all of you to the
Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity of the Veterans' Affairs
Committee. I want to welcome you all this afternoon. And sorry
for our tardy start. We are just done with a round of votes so
we should have a good time to fulfill our time here in the
Committee hearing.
I want to recognize, we have got some folks in the back I
believe that are here with the, I believe it was the Air Force
Sergeants Association? Is that correct? If you all would want
to stand we would like to just recognize you and thank you for
your service. There we go.
[Applause]
Mr. Stutzman. And thank you very much for your service and
for being here this afternoon. Of course, I want to thank any
veteran or anyone who is serving in our military for your
service. We appreciate you so much and for what you do for our
country.
We are here today to receive testimony on the redesigned
Transition Assistance Program, or TAP. To differentiate between
the original TAP and the redesigned version I am going to refer
to the new program simply as TAP2. Kind of original there.
TAP has been around for about 20 years with little change
over that time other than to update the changes in the various
benefit programs. And while the original TAP was let us say
minimally effective, today's participants and today's civilian
environment necessitated a revised approach from what has
become known as death by power point. Until the passage of last
year's VOW to Hire Heroes Act TAP was not mandatory except in
the U.S. Marine Corps. And I am pleased that the other services
have committed to comply with the VOW Act's mandatory
attendance provisions.
What the VOW Act did not do was describe what types of
training must be provided under the mandatory attendance
provision. And I would like to offer some thoughts on what TAP2
should provide.
Ultimately the goal of TAP2 is to smooth the way to
civilian employment. That said, there are many paths to reach
that ultimate goal and TAP2 should offer participants training
that reflects at least the primary paths.
Following discharge some servicemembers may choose to seek
the full time permanent job path. Others will choose to use a
path using their G.I. Bill or vocational rehabilitation
benefits. Still others will choose the entrepreneurial career
path or one involving training in the trades. So regardless
mandatory TAP2 training must, and I repeat must provide
detailed training in each of these areas. Otherwise we are
failing that one percent who defend us.
I have a couple of slides that I would like to illustrate
why the tailored approach is so important. If you look at the
monitors this first slide shows the importance of ensuring that
individuals who are going to use their G.I. Bill get a full
explanation of how best to use their benefit.
[Slide]
Mr. Stutzman. Slide one shows that four years of Post 9/11
G.I. Bill benefits for someone attending a private institution
amounts to over $141,000. I would point out that the numbers
are averages and can be significantly higher.
The second slide, if I would put that up on the monitor,
shows the curriculum DoD is implementing for TAP2.
[Slide]
Mr. Stutzman. You will note that it does not provide a
timeframe for instruction in the various paths that I have
mentioned. Rather, days two, three, and four are devoted
entirely to job hunting skills, something that is fine for
those who intend to seek full time permanent employment
following discharge. But what about a typical class made of
mostly first term enlistees, 50 percent of whom indicate they
intend to use their G.I. Bill benefits soon after discharge?
What about those who want to start their own business, or enter
trades? The DoD model of mandatory TAP2 as presented to us here
on the monitor does not appear to include training tailored to
their needs.
I would offer that mandatory training must include those
alternative paths and that forcing every servicemember to sit
through three days of job hunting skills at the expense of
training tailored to their post-discharge intentions is a poor
use of resources.
Slide three illustrates one way to achieve what I am
suggesting.
[Slide]
Mr. Stutzman. To be fair, some DoD officials have indicated
that students will have the ``option'' to attend more tailored
training on days six and seven. But unfortunately there seems
to be a mixed opinion from officials as to whether those days
are considered as part of the mandatory training. My staff
along with the Ranking Member's staff recently observed TAP2 at
Randolph Air Force Base and Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.
And at Randolph the class was mostly senior enlisted members,
most of whom already had at least an associates degree and
nearly all of whom intended to seek permanent jobs after
discharge. They were given the DoD model, which was appropriate
for that class' demographics.
The class at Miramar included primarily first termers who
received a more tailored model. Service specific pre-separation
counseling, and VA benefits were condensed to one day of
training. The Department of Labor workshop was condensed into
two days of training, and the remaining two days allowed the
Marines to choose a track that best fit their transition goals.
The staff's observations were that the Marines enjoyed the
choice of the tracks. The Marines confirmed that if the tracks
had been pushed to a second week and were not mandatory their
supervisors probably would not give them the extra time off. I
say that not to criticize those supervisors, but rather to
emphasize what may be a significant weakness in the DoD
curriculum.
It is clear to me that a tailored model is the better
approach. A program of providing a core instruction summarizing
the highlights of the details tracks followed by allowing the
servicemember to choose a track as part of the mandatory
coursework is in my opinion a superior approach to meeting the
needs of TAP participants.
Finally I want to address the oversight role of this
Subcommittee. While I realize that what is now being taught
under TAP2 is in formative stages, having DoD employees
question Congress' oversight role is inappropriate. I hope that
confrontational attitude regarding our constitutional oversight
responsibility ends. We are all working towards the same goal,
and I hope that we can work together to find what is most
beneficial for our servicemen and women as they make the
transition back into the workforce.
I now recognize the distinguished Ranking Member Mr. Bruce
Braley for his remarks.
[The prepared statement of Hon. Stutzman appears in the
Appendix]
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BRUCE L. BRALEY
Mr. Braley. Well Mr. Chairman, I think this is an
appropriate time as this is our last Subcommittee hearing
before the election to thank you for the great working
relationship we have enjoyed with you and your staff. And we
talk a lot about important policy in this Subcommittee but it
is sometimes important to put a human face on that.
And you were here when a constituent of mine named Andrew
Connolly came and testified about some of the challenges he
faced as wounded warrior who was in need of adaptability
benefits to transition his home into a more livable
circumstance. And because of that testimony and the great work
of your staff and the Full Committee staff on both sides of the
aisle, I am very proud that on August 6th the President signed
into law the Andrew Connolly Veterans Housing Act, which
doubled the benefit for temporary adaptability assistance for
many of our wounded warriors who come home and frequently live
in their parents' homes before they complete their education
and go on to a more permanent residency.
And Andrew Connolly died a year ago but I am very proud of
the fact that I called his wife. It happened to be Andrew's
29th birthday. And she was thrilled to know that his legacy
will live on and help improve the lives of other wounded
warriors. And that would not have happened without your
cooperation and assistance and the great staff that we have on
Veterans' Affairs. So I just wanted to thank you again for
making that happen.
I am also glad to have the opportunity to talk about the
importance of the Transition Assistance Program because it has
been one of the most important things that I hear about from my
constituents who are in need of assistance when they are
transitioning out into the civilian workforce. We have had
field hearings on this in both of our districts. We have had
great input from a variety of employers, from the largest
employers in my district to the smallest. And we know that this
is an ongoing obligation and commitment we have to make sure
that we fulfill our promise to the people who serve this
country in uniform.
We know that TAP will help military members explore their
career readiness and obtain the tools they need to apply in the
civilian workforce and to pursue their Post 9/11 G.I. Bill
secondary education benefits. I am pleased that we are leaving
behind the more conventional route of one size fits all and
death by power point, and moving toward a more individualized
TAP plan. That is what we hear from people who are in need of
that assistance. Our goal should be to provide service to men
and women with a comprehensive Transition Assistance Program
that prepares them for life after the military so they can
pursue whatever endeavor they wish. Whether it is employment,
education, or starting a new business. And I am hoping today we
will hear from our witnesses on how we can work together to
make that happen. With that, I will yield back.
[The prepared statement of Hon. Bruce L. Braley appears in
the Appendix]
Mr. Stutzman. Well, thank you. And I want to thank you for
your remarks as well. I want to tell you I have really enjoyed
working together on this staff. We really have had a, I feel we
have been able to accomplish a lot. And definitely hearing from
constituents and servicemen and women as they make a difficult
transition. So I want to thank you for your work and for Mr.
Walz as well working together, and with our staff. I feel very
good about what we have been able to do.
Mr. Walz, would you like to make any?
Mr. Walz. I defer to----
Mr. Stutzman. Very good. Thank you. At this time I want to
ask our first panel is at the table. With us today is Mr. Danny
Pummill from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mr. John Moran
from the Veterans Employment and Training Service, Mr. Rhett
Jeppson is from the Small Business Administration, and finally
Dr. Susan Kelly from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. I
thank you all for being here today. Let's start with Mr.
Pummill from the VA, and we recognize you for your testimony
with five minutes.
STATEMENTS OF DANNY G.I. PUMMILL, DIRECTOR, VETERANS BENEFITS
ADMINISTRATION/DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROGRAM OFFICE; JOHN K.
MORAN, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR OPERATIONS AND
MANAGEMENT, VETERANS' EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICE, U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR; RHETT JEPPSON, ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR
VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, U.S. SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION; AND DR. SUSAN KELLY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR,
TRANSITION TO VETERANS PROGRAM OFFICE, OFFICE OF THE UNDER
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PERSONNEL AND READINESS, U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
STATEMENT OF DANNY G.I. PUMMILL
Mr. Pummill. Yes. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Braley,
members of the Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to
appear before you today to discuss the Department of Veterans
Affairs Transition Assistance Program, or TAP. My testimony
will cover what we are currently doing in the TAP program, the
current TAP reengineering efforts, and the newly designed TAP
pilots, and the program for entering the new TAP program. TAP2
I will call it from now on.
Currently TAP is conducted under the auspices of a
memorandum of understanding between the Departments of Labor,
Defense, Homeland Security, and VA. The departments work
together to schedule briefings and classes on installations to
best serve servicemembers and their expectation as they prepare
for their transition from active military service. Quarterly
meetings among the departments are held to oversee the
operations of the program and plan enhancements to TAP.
VA's current TAP briefings are provided by trained military
service coordinators, MSCs, from the regional offices with
jurisdiction over military installations in the United States
and Puerto Rico. We provide these services to servicemembers
stationed outside the United States through seven overseas
MSCs.
VA also provides transition briefings to demobilizing
Reserve and National Guard servicemembers. These briefings are
typically held at the Reserve component servicemember's home
station upon completion of their deployment.
At TAP briefings servicemembers learn about the array of
benefits and services available from VA. Servicemembers learn
how to complete applications and are advised about what
evidence is needed to support their claims. Following the
general instruction segment, personal interviews are conducted
with those servicemembers who want assistance in preparing and
submitting their application for disability compensation or
other benefits.
In October, 2011 VA joined the Department of Defense, the
Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and the Small
Business Administration in forming a team to develop and
implement the new law. This five-agency team has met regularly
over the past year and has developed a completely revised and
enhanced TAP experience.
The project team, with the assistance of the Department of
Education, completely revised and enhanced the current VA
briefing, creating a new adult education oriented briefing that
is much more interactive. No more death by power point.
Along with this new briefing we are in the process of
developing a web-based version of the VA's portion of TAP to be
available in both a web and webinar formats. We are also
actively collaborating with the Department of Defense to create
a virtual TAP experience. These virtual briefings will be used
by servicemembers and veterans in lieu of the existing brick
and mortar classroom.
We have committed to ensuring that our newly designed TAP
is available to 100 percent of departing servicemembers from
all components by 21 November, 2012, as directed by Congress
and legislation.
The newly designed VA TAP briefing is being actively
piloted at six primary locations. Our efforts to improve the VA
portion of TAP include three main elements. Expand the training
of our briefers; continually update our briefers; and greater
oversight of the program. The classroom TAP presentation has
been revised and updated, eliminating the briefing slides in
favor of the interactive learning experience. Training has been
completed on the new briefing and is being tested at the pilot
locations. A web page has been created to keep our briefers up
to date on all changes on benefits and resources.
As part of the continual development of the VA portion of
TAP, VA along with the Department of the Defense and our other
agency partners are conducting continuous review interviews of
the information and metrics coming out of our pilot locations.
Mr. Chairman, we at the VA are proud of our continuing role
in the transition of servicemembers from military to civilian
life, and seek to continually improve the quality and breadth
of our outreach efforts to active duty, Reserve, and National
Guard members. We are aggressively piloting and developing
implementation plans for the newly designed TAP and are excited
about the opportunities it provides to our servicemembers and
their families.
Thank you for allowing me to appear before you today. I
would be pleased to respond to questions from members of the
Subcommittee.
[The prepared statement of Danny G.I. Pummill appears in
the Appendix]
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. Mr. Moran, you are recognized for
five minutes.
STATEMENT OF JOHN K. MORAN
Mr. Moran. Good afternoon Chairman Stutzman, Ranking Member
Braley, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee. Thank
you for the opportunity to participate in today's important
hearing.
My name is John Moran. As the Deputy Assistant Secretary
for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service at the
Department of Labor, I am proud of the work the department is
doing to support our veterans, transitioning servicemembers,
and their families.
The Veterans' Employment and Training Service's mission is
straightforward and easily remembered by our three Ps: prepare,
provide, and protect. We prepare our separating servicemembers
and their spouses to transition from the military to the
civilian workforce through the Transition Assistance Program,
which I will talk about in great detail in a moment. We provide
them with the critical resources, expertise, and necessary
training to assist them in locating and obtaining meaningful
employment. We protect the employment rights of these brave men
and women to ensure the jobs they left to serve our Nation in
uniform are there when they come home.
Since its inception, the TAP employment workshop has been a
valuable tool for servicemembers transitioning into the
civilian workforce. However, while the needs of transitioning
servicemembers have changed, TAP had remained largely unchanged
for 20 years. For example, today's servicemembers use social
media as a key tool for a variety of purposes, including job
search and networking. Twenty years ago social media was not
even a term in our collective consciousness.
Last year the department initiated a major effort aimed at
revamping and updating the employment workshop to bring it up
to date and current with emerging best practices in career
development and adult learning. In doing so DOL worked with
DoD, the services, academia, and veterans service organizations
to make the workshop more engaging and relevant in light of the
unique challenges our servicemembers will be facing as they
transition into civilian life during a time of economic
uncertainty.
Aside from a new curriculum, delivery methods, and
materials, the redesign of the employment workshop also
includes new tools, such as My Next Move for Veterans to help
servicemembers match their military experience to jobs in the
civilian market that require similar experience, training, and
skills.
The redesigned DOL employment workshop has put increased
emphasis on networking and how to effectively communicate to
employers the value proposition of hiring veterans. This new
three-day curriculum, which has been through a battery of
acceptance testing, relies heavily on interaction and adult
learning principles. Approximately 40 percent of the curriculum
involves participant interaction or exercises. It is
specifically geared toward the hard mechanics of getting a good
job and includes exploring career interest, searching the labor
market, building resumes, preparing for interviews, and
negotiating a job offer.
We have been delivering the new employment workshop over
the past two months at seven pilot sites covering all services.
The feedback has been very positive. We are confident the
curriculum has been well tested, responsive to customer input,
and inclusive of training best practices for adult learners.
Through the Veterans Employment Task Force we worked with
our partners at DoD and the VA and have integrated our workshop
into the agreed upon GPS delivery model. Additionally, we have
accommodated a Marine Corps request to modify the delivery
approach of our workshop to facilitate the Marine Corps
Pathways model. Both approaches ensure Soldiers, Sailors,
Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen all receive the elements
of the employment workshop as required by the VOW Act.
As mandated by the VOW Act, DOL recently awarded a contract
to GBX, Inc. to provide the instructor/facilitator cadre to
deliver our new curriculum. We are well ahead of schedule and
will be fully rolling out our new curriculum and contracted
facilitation team at all TAP sites worldwide in January of
2013.
In conclusion, preparing separating servicemembers and
their spouses for their transition to the civilian job market
is central to our mission and we take that mission seriously.
In the next five years over one million servicemembers will be
transitioning from active duty to civilian life. We owe them
the best services and benefits our Nation can provide. The
department along with the rest of the administration is firmly
committed to fulfilling that sacred obligation. We strive daily
to do so through our programs and services designed to prepare,
provide, and protect our veterans, transitioning
servicemembers, and their spouses.
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Braley, members of the
Subcommittee, this concludes my statement. Thank you again for
the opportunity to testify today. I would be pleased to answer
any questions you may have.
[The prepared statement of John K. Moran appears in the
Appendix]
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. Mr. Jeppson, you are recognized
for five minutes.
STATEMENT OF RHETT JEPPSON
Mr. Jeppson. Chairman Stutzman, Ranking Member Braley, and
members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me to
testify. My name is Rhett Jeppson. I currently serve as the
Associate Administration for Veterans Small Business
Development at the U.S. Small Business Administration. I am
also a veteran and have run a family-owned small business. I
have submitted a full written testimony to the Committee which
I request be made part of the hearing record.
As small business owners, veterans continue to serve our
Nation and create jobs in our communities. According to the
most recent U.S. Census data, nearly one in ten small
businesses are veteran-owned. These businesses generate about
$1.2 trillion in receipts and employ nearly 5.8 million
Americans.
Research demonstrates that veterans over-index as
entrepreneurs. In the private sector workforce veterans are at
least 45 percent more likely than those with no military
service to be self-employed.
Today there are over 300,000 servicemembers transitioning
from active service. To ensure that we are addressing the needs
of these returning servicemembers, SBA is focused on providing
the training, tools, and resources they need to make the
transition from military servicemember to successful business
leader. At the heart of these efforts is an initiative called
Operation Boots to Business: From Service to Startup.
Boots to Business is the entrepreneurial track of the new
TAP, or Transition Assistance Program. Boots to Business builds
on SBA's role as a national leader in entrepreneurship
training. SBA is leveraging its ongoing collaboration with
Syracuse University's Institute of Veterans and Military
Families to provide comprehensive training materials
specifically geared toward the transitioning servicemember.
SBA's expert nationwide resource partner network, including
the Women's Business Center, support chapters, Small Business
Development Centers, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers,
which already provide targeted, actionable, real world
entrepreneurship training to over 150,000 veterans every year,
will be responsible for delivering this training to our
transitioning servicemembers.
The Boots to Business program has three phases which
include exposure to entrepreneurship as a potential career
path. This will be offered to all servicemembers leaving the
military. Following that, there is a two-day course focused on
the development of a feasibility plan for a potential business
idea. And then if interested a transitioning servicemember may
enroll in an eight-week online course on the fundamentals of
small business resulting in the development of a business plan.
In June, 2012 Boots to Business pilot was launched with the
Marine Corps at four locations: Quantico, Virginia; Cherry
Point, North Carolina; Camp Pendleton, California; and 29
Palms, California. In August of 2012 three Navy locations were
added to the pilot: Anacostia; Kings Bay, Georgia; and
Bethesda, Maryland. And in October of this year the U.S. Army
will host its first pilot at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Following our assessment of the pilot, we plan to roll out
the program nationally to all the branches of the military in
fiscal year 2013, subject to funding. We know our Nation's
veterans helped reshape the American economy following World
War II. They helped to build one of the longest periods of
economic growth in our history and we know that they can do it
again if they are encouraged and supported with the right tools
and right opportunities. That's what Boots to Business is all
about. And that is why we are committed to ensuring these
amazing men and women have the access and opportunity they need
to fully realize their potential as entrepreneurs and small
business owners.
Thank you for your time in allowing me to appear before
this Committee today.
[The prepared statement of Rhett Jeppson appears in the
Appendix]
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. Dr. Kelly, you are recognized for
five minutes.
STATEMENT OF DR. SUSAN KELLY
Ms. Kelly. Good afternoon, Chairman Stutzman, Ranking
Member Braley, and the distinguished members of the
Subcommittee. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today
with my colleagues from the Departments of Veterans Affairs,
Labor, and the Small Business Administration, and the military
services, to discuss the redesign of the Transition Assistance
Program know as TAP.
TAP, the cornerstone of the department's transition
efforts, is a collaborative partnership between the Department
of Defense, the Department of VA, and the Department of Labor,
and is the primary program used to deliver an array of services
and benefits information to separating servicemembers. Our
overall goal at the Department of Defense is to ensure those
who are leaving the service are prepared for their next step,
whether that step is pursuing additional education, finding a
job in the public or private sector, or starting their own
business. To that end, the department and its partners have
fundamentally redesigned TAP, making the needs of today's
servicemembers and their families a top priority.
The President has emphasized reforms to ensure every
servicemember receives training, education, and credentials
needed to transition to the civilian workforce, pursue higher
education, and reach the goal of being career ready upon
leaving active duty. Additionally the VOW Act of 2011 also
contains specific TAP related provisions as discussed in detail
in my written statement that we are required to implement by
November of this year.
The culmination of the TAP redesign efforts, the transition
GPS, which stands for Goals, Plans, Success, encompasses the
President's intent and the requirements of the VOW Act.
Moreover, it establishes the new career readiness standards,
extends the transition preparation through the entire span of a
member's career, and provides counseling to facilitate the
development of an individual transition plan.
Transition GPS also recognizes the military services'
cultural differences by allowing the services the flexibility
to modify the program, but not change the program's
standardized curriculum or mandatory learning objectives. The
end state for servicemembers is to meet the career readiness
standards for the career path they have chosen regardless of
the branch of service.
To implement the new TAP curriculum this summer we
conducted seven pilots of the core curriculum, which includes
the new DOL employment workshop. The pilots have provided us
valuable servicemember feedback and we have engaged our
partners to apply lessons learned and refine the curriculum
based on this feedback to further improve the Transition GPS
experience for our transitioning servicemembers.
We are eager to pilot the Transition GPS optional tracks in
education, career technical training, and entrepreneurship.
These are scheduled for early 2013. They will allow
servicemembers to tailor their individual preparation to
posture them for successful civilian careers. In other words,
they are career ready.
Starting in fiscal year 2014 the department will migrate
from our current TAP program, which occurs at the end of the
military career, to an innovative military life cycle
transition model that will start at the beginning of a
servicemember's military career. The objective of the model is
for transition to become a well planned, organized progression
that empowers servicemembers to make informed career decisions
and take responsibility for advancing their personal goals.
Servicemembers will be made aware of the career readiness
standards that they must meet long before they separate. They
will be engaged throughout their military careers in mapping
and refining their development plans to achieve their military
goals and their post-military goals for employment, education,
career technical training, or starting their own business.
In closing I want to note that the department expects
approximately 300,000 servicemembers per year to participate in
the redesigned TAP over the next four years. The end state for
this program will be manifested by a population of
servicemembers who have the tools and resources to empower
themselves to make informed career decisions, be competitive in
the workforce, and continue to be positive contributors to the
community as they transition to civilian life.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement. On behalf of the
men and women in the military today and their families, I thank
you and the members of this Subcommittee for your steadfast
support and leadership in this important area. I am happy to
answer any questions you or the other members of the
Subcommittee may have.
[The prepared statement of Susan Kelly appears in the
Appendix]
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. And I thank each of you for your
testimony. And I will begin the questions. And to Dr. Kelly,
the first question that I have, would servicemembers be
required to choose what you have described as an optional track
and to attend the track of their choice during the sixth and
seventh days of TAP2?
Ms. Kelly. Sorry. Can you repeat that?
Mr. Stutzman. Yes. Would servicemembers be required to
choose what you have described as an optional track and to
attend the track of their choice during the sixth and seventh
days of TAP2?
Ms. Kelly. Thank you for that question. Because this lets
me answer and describe how the TAP GPS is actually designed.
What we started off with with the service TAP program managers
was actually to answer the question what is it that our
servicemembers need to posture them for a successful transition
to civilian life? We talked about the concrete products that
they needed to show that would make them career ready. We
started off with the end state, and that end state is the
career readiness standards. And those career readiness
standards are both common track and career track readiness
standards. Meaning you have a financial plan for the first 12
months post-separation, or you are registered in VA's ebenefits
so we automatically have them connected to Veterans Affairs.
Those are a couple of examples of the common readiness
standards.
There are also readiness standards that are connected to
other paths that a military member may choose. And those career
readiness standards might be for education, a completed
application to an appropriate college to which they can apply
for G.I. benefits showing they can make informed decisions to
what those colleges are. For a technical training path, if that
is what they are choosing for their own individual plan, it
would be an application to that technical training institution,
or an acceptance from that technical training institution. So
there are specific career readiness standards that military
members must meet based on that choice that they make in their
path.
Mr. Stutzman. So let me understand. So would, so you are
saying according to the path that they choose?
Ms. Kelly. That is correct.
Mr. Stutzman. So they would be required to choose an
optional track?
Ms. Kelly. They choose. It depends on what their plans are.
If they are planning to go immediately into the civilian
workforce they have to meet the career readiness standards for
employment. If they are choosing to go onto college or a
community college, they have to meet the career readiness
standards for that particular path. The same for technical
training.
Mr. Stutzman. So would the tracks be mandatory as a matter
of the DoD policy?
Ms. Kelly. Well the issue is that, first of all, we are in
agreement that one size does not fit all.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay.
Ms. Kelly. The military member gets to choose the path that
they want. When they choose the path, they then tie themselves
to meeting those career readiness standards.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Let me----
Ms. Kelly. And the curriculum and the path is what builds
the skills to make them career ready.
Mr. Stutzman. Let me ask you this. You state that we must
align the curriculum along all partner modules. Does that mean
that every service will deliver the exact same curriculum
model?
Ms. Kelly. We have allowed flexibility with the services.
What they have to do is provide the standardized curriculum,
the learning objectives that build the skills for the
servicemember to meet the career readiness standards.
Mr. Stutzman. So the Marines, the Marine Corps would not
have to adjust their curriculum then?
Ms. Kelly. The Marine Corps has to ensure that their
separating Marines meet the career readiness standards. We are
not imposing a certain number of hours. We are not imposing on
any servicemember that they must attend a particular path
except what is required by the VOW, which is the DOL employment
workshop. The law mandates that they attend that workshop. So
we are not forcing military members to choose their paths. They
choose those. What they have to do, and what each of the
Services have agreed to do, is ensure that the military members
meet the career readiness standards that are connected to the
path that the individual members chooses.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay.
Ms. Kelly. One of the issues that we were criticized for is
creating a program that seemed to be one size fits all. We have
moved away from that. We have created the Transition GPS so
that it is based on the military member's choice.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Thank you. Mr. Moran, why do you
believe the five-day model that tailors training to the
immediate post-discharge needs of the servicemember is
deficient compared to the model that requires all participants
to attend the model that limits mandatory training to three
days of employment focused training? Could you address that
particular----
Mr. Moran. Yes. Thank you for the question. I know that
there is some confusion around this. First off, when the
department undertook its revamping of its Transition Assistance
Program employment workshop, we looked at what the law required
the Secretary build and there were nine specific elements that
we believed was necessary to meet the mark of Title X. We built
our Transition Assistance Program workshop to those elements.
We worked with academia. We worked with subject matter experts.
And we worked with servicemembers and heard what they were
looking for.
We built a curriculum based on those needs which times out
to be a three-day curriculum. Our three-day curriculum then we
believe is what the VOW Act has told the Secretary of Labor to
put together. We built that curriculum and worked with DoD and
the services, and in the GPS model we found that that three-day
curriculum works nicely within the five day period. With DoD
beginning on day one, with DOL taking over on day two, three,
and four, and VA coming in on the fifth day. And then all the
tracks that any particular servicemember wants to pursue follow
those mandated requirements.
So I think in the process we get the best of both worlds.
We meet all the VOW Act requirements but we also provide the
flexibility and the addition transition assistance through the
tracking or pathways process that the various services and DoD
have put together.
Mr. Stutzman. I may be a little confused here. Can any of
you clarify, are days six and seven, are those mandatory?
Ms. Kelly. It depends on the military members's choice of
the path that they choose. What is mandatory is for them to
meet the career readiness standards. The curriculum provides
the skills building for young military members to be able to
develop the products that show that they are career ready. We
are mandating the career readiness standards----
Mr. Stutzman. Okay, so----
Ms. Kelly. --for the military member to meet. If they
choose the path----
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. So we are mandating, we are mandating
readiness standards not necessarily mandating attendance?
Ms. Kelly. We are not mandating a set number of hours. We
are not mandating attendance. They have to meet the career
readiness standards. For instance, you may have a very senior
Lieutenant Colonel who is in the Air Force who has earned two
masters degrees.
Mr. Stutzman. Mm-hmm, sure.
Ms. Kelly. But who wants to continue their education after
separation. The servicemember has already gone through the
process of choosing colleges. That particular military member
can meet the career readiness standards.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay.
Ms. Kelly. They have done it before. But whereas you may
have a first termer who is separating who is really daunted----
Mr. Stutzman. Sure.
Ms. Kelly. --by having to choose an appropriate community
college or a four-year college. Who is overwhelmed by the
application process. Who is not aware of the financial aid that
is available to them other than the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. The
curriculum is built to help them meet those career readiness
standards.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. That helps. Thank you. Mr. Braley?
Mr. Braley. Mr. Jeppson, the Small Business Administration
has a host of resources available to help any small business
owner avoid the alarming rate of small business failures in the
first year. And when we are dealing with veterans separating
out, who may or may not have the type of background and
preparation to be one of those successful small business
owners, can you help us understand what this program will do to
help them understand the importance of knowing what a business
plan is? And financial plan? Having a qualified lender who can
help you raise capital? And avoid all those missteps that you
know from your personal experience so many small businesses
struggle to overcome at a time when they are ready and full of
energy and can't wait to get out there and start their own
business. How are we going to help them with this program plug
into that network of resources to increase the success rate of
entrepreneurs who are in the program?
Mr. Jeppson. Great, thank you for the question. I think
that if I could boil it down to one thing. We are going to give
them some training and education and just walk them through the
basics of business ownership, the basics that they may or may
not have depending on the rank and the service experience. But
we will give them an opportunity to get into an even more
detailed program in the eight-week course, which actually helps
build a business plan. Along the way we will explain the
fundamentals and then help them write the business plan.
But the single most important thing that we do from the SBA
is we help them. Is we will introduce them to the resource
partner network that we already have in the SBA, with our
SBDCs, the women's chapters, the VBOCs. Many of these have
veterans officers in there to help specifically with veterans
issues. And that we can introduce them to people who can mentor
and help them along the way.
So I think, as we give them some training, which will be
valuable, is they go back home. They will be able to find their
local SBA resource partner there who will understand how the
banking system, the capital markets are in their area. And will
have a better sense of the business market in their area and
will be able to help them tailor their business plan. I believe
that those three things will actually help us as we move the
servicemember from service to a business owner.
Mr. Braley. In my first term I Chaired the Small Business
Contracting and Technology Subcommittee which dealt with a lot
of the government procurement programs that had veteran owned
preferences. Is that going to be a component of this program at
all, given the fact that unfortunately so many of those dollars
go into the area in the Beltway here when they are just as
easily available to businesses outside of this area if we had a
better way of educating and preparing people to take advantage
of those procurement opportunities?
Mr. Jeppson. Absolutely, yes sir. There is a module within
the curriculum. And it is mentioned in the two-day curriculum
briefly and then expanded in the eight-day curriculum on what
the opportunities for veteran-owned businesses and then
especially the service-disabled veteran-owned, which many of
our veterans meet the qualifications for these days.
Mr. Braley. I helped the Quad Cities Business Community set
up a conference that is now an annual conference with the Rock
Island Arsenal and a lot of the small businesses that are
involved in procurement through the Arsenal. And it might be a
good resource for this program to see how private businesses
and local small business can come together and help educate and
prepare people for those opportunities. And we would be happy
to work with you if that would be of any assistance.
Mr. Jeppson. Absolutely. We look forward to it.
Mr. Braley. Mr. Pummill, one of the things I wanted to ask
you about is the fact that we have talked about employment
opportunities, we have talked about educational opportunities,
we have talked about entrepreneurial opportunities, but there
are people that are going through these programs who may have
left right out of high school. They may be interested in
learning a trade, serving as an apprentice. What are we going
to be doing for them through this new revised program to plug
them into ongoing existing apprenticeship programs to give them
the type of job skills they might need that don't require a
college education and don't require them going to work for a
paycheck for somebody right after they separate?
Mr. Pummill. One of the modules that we are offering in
this program that all the agencies put together is a technical
training module. That is one of the two-day add-ons. If a
servicemember determines that he or she would like to go into a
technical field, they would enroll in the technical module. The
technical module is being developed and led by the Veterans
Administration and the intent is to acquaint them with the
tools.
First of all, we want to find out based on your military
occupation what you did in the military, your specialty, how
close to you, how close are you to becoming an apprentice, a
journeyman, or qualified in a trade? Can you advance in a trade
based on that? What skills do you have? We provide them
information on, let us say for example an individual wants to
be an air frame mechanic and that is what he did in the
military. And he wants to find out how he or she can be
certified. We check out the certification. Then we find out,
well where are you going to live? ``Well, I am going to live in
Green Bay, Wisconsin.'' We make sure that there is jobs of that
kind of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Or we advise the servicemember
that, you know, this is a great field, this is a great way to
become an apprentice in that field, to care for your family.
But you might consider one of these cities because these are
where the jobs are.
It is a pretty good curriculum. We are about 80 percent
done developing it right now. And it will be ready to roll out
in about the next three weeks.
Mr. Braley. Thank you.
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. Mr. Walz?
Mr. Walz. Well thank you, Chairman, and the Ranking Member.
Thank all of you for being here. It's great to see the
collaborative approach. We obviously all want to get this thing
right. We want to do morally right by our warriors. But it
makes sense economically to get folks transitioned back to
civilian life, get them working, and going forward. So I'm very
appreciative to have you here.
I am speaking a little bit as I look at this, and I hear
where we are trying to get to. Having over the last, I have
several Marines in my office who have gone through this.
Myself, when I transitioned after a deployment in 2004 we, the
chaplain showed us ``The Horse Whisperer'' and then we went
home. And that was what happened. And, and my soldiers ask me
the moral of that story and I was not quite sure.
But, and then last October my Marines, I have one and I
asked him to write down for me their experience on this. And
coming back and actually doing this, returned from Afghanistan,
six hours of class given by another sergeant. Nobody from VA,
nobody from DOL, and not single mental health professional were
present. Now I know we are all trying to get at this. And I say
this not as derogatory or whatever. I think we should probably
be asking that whole group of sergeants in the back. I am
hearing about all these things they have to go through. They
are simultaneously taking their warrior leadership courses,
their ALCs and everything else. They are trying to figure that
out. They are trying to move forward. How are we going to make
sure that what looks good on paper is going to be implemented
and have a result that actually does what we are supposed to?
Because I think we are finally trying to get our mind wrapped
around this.
But I have to be very honest when I look at them, I really
liked what you said, Dr. Kelly, about this military lifestyle
transition. I think the only way you can do this is if it is
built in, it is long term, and you do not just jam it down
towards the end. Because I know how that goes. They want to get
the heck out of there and go on and do whatever.
And so it is not for lack of effort in many cases by all of
our agencies. It is just, I am a teacher, our preparatory set
is bad. They are not prepared to hear it, they are not prepared
to go on. So how do we track this? How do we get buy in?
Because first and foremost these warriors need to do their
military job. And we never want to cross into that realm, where
we are interfering with the job of the day or the mission that
needs to be implemented. But we also have to be smart. We take
them off the streets, transition them into warriors. It does
make sense to transition them back into the civilian sector and
not put up barriers to them.
So I liked, Mr. Pummill, your point about this. And we have
addressed this issue, or starting to, this vet skills to job to
make sure your certifications cross over, make sure at the
state level. But if each of you, I know it is a bit of a
subjective question, tell me how we can ensure that we are not
just adding another layer? Because I see those young soldiers
in the back and I am guessing they are thinking, or Airmen, I
hear they are saying, ``God dang it, it sounds like more for us
to do.'' Just curious.
Ms. Kelly. If I could take that, please? I think that is a
great question and that is exactly why the response for the
task force with all of our partners, we developed three phases
of transition preparation with moving into the military life
cycle being our goal.
Each one of the services have already developed a schema of
how they would start embedding transition preparation. Some of
them start as early as basic training. Others start at that
first permanent duty station. And part of the military training
is to have a development plan. This is your MOS, these are the
squares you are going to have to fill, if you allow me that
vernacular, and this is the training that you are going to get.
And here is your IDP. Some of the Services are actually looking
at training even better their career counselors to also look
long term and to help the military member look at their post-
separation goals.
Again, the Marines and now much of the Army are first
termers. You are going to be with us four years or six years,
whatever. Look at that IDP. This is what you are going to get
out of your military training. How does that match up with what
you want to do when you separate four years, six years,
whatever that might be after your first term? Because that is
the model for some of our services. It is a first, we take most
people for one----
Mr. Walz. And this is just integrated seamlessly so it is
not an addition at the end of the workday? Come over here and
do this, or whatever? We are seamlessly putting it in so it is
happening?
Ms. Kelly. We are actually looking at the IDP, that
individual development plan that military members already have,
morphing that in into this individual transition plan. So that
as they move towards the actual end of their military career,
they are synched up.
We are also looking at developing virtual curriculum. We
are developing the curriculum in the GPS. We are trying to get
the curriculum right and the skills building piece right first.
And then embed this virtual curriculum. And actually looking at
the services learning management systems right now.
Mr. Walz. And we are going to field this as soon as
possible?
Ms. Kelly. The learning management systems are being
reviewed now, we are still piloting the curriculum. We piloted
some of the curriculum this summer. We are going to be piloting
the education track, the tech training track, and the
entrepreneurship in 2013. But we are going to embed all of that
into a virtual curriculum so that it is available in a very
high quality product. We have developed standards that we are
all agreeing to for virtual curriculum. And embedding that into
the learning management systems of each one of the services.
That is where military members go anyway to get their online
military training. Transition will be part of those same
learning management systems.
But it is a step by step process and we are just getting
started. But we are excited to see it through to fruition.
Mr. Walz. Thank you. I yield back, Chairman.
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. If I could, I have one more
question for Mr. Pummill. The VOW Act requires that DOL
contract for TAP instruction. What is VA's position on
contracting for the VA portion of TAP? And why should not VA
and DOL jointly contract for TAP2 instruction?
Mr. Pummill. Mr. Chairman, we actually thought what DOL did
was a great idea. I met with a senior member, the deputy over
at Department of Labor, to look at the contract, see what they
did, how they did it. With the thought of maybe we could use
their contract and tie into it. It's a great contract. It was,
you know, well written, it covers all the aspects of what they
need to have done. The problem is it was too far down the road
and out of scope for what we needed for the VA. So what I did
was borrow a lot of what they had in their contract and we are
developing a similar type contract for VA.
We have not determined at this point whether we are going
to permanently contract out or use government FTE, because this
is a new task and new jobs. But what we do not want to do is as
we are rolling this out and piloting it over the next year to
18 months, we do not want to hire permanent civilian people,
put them in a location, and then find out that maybe we got the
through put incorrect, the number of servicemembers going
through is not right, the time period is not right, and we find
out we have got too many or too few people at a location.
So we are going to start out with a contract option and
then look at the contract option and do what is fiscally the
right thing to do after we analyze it.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions from the
Committee? Okay, thank you. You all are dismissed.
I would like to recognize and invite our second panel to
take the seats at the table. With us today on our second panel
is General Robert Hedelund from the U.S. Marine Corps; General
Jason Evans from the U.S. Army; Mr. Edward Cannon from the U.S.
Navy; General Eden Murrie from the U.S. Air Force; and Admiral
Daniel Neptun--Neptun, is that how that is pronounced?
Admiral Neptun. Neptun.
Mr. Stutzman. Yes, sir. Thank you. Sorry about that. From
the U.S. Coast Guard. Welcome each of you and we will go ahead
and start taking your testimony. And General Hedelund, when you
are ready we will let you start. And you will be recognized for
five minutes. And since you are a Marine, Marines are first to
the fight. You are up.
STATEMENTS OF BRIGADIER GENERAL ROBERT HEDELUND, DIRECTOR OF
MARINE AND FAMILY PROGRAMS, U.S. MARINE CORPS; BRIGADIER
GENERAL JASON T. EVANS, ADJUTANT GENERAL, U.S. ARMY; MR. EDWARD
CANNON, FLEET AND FAMILY READINESS PROGRAM DIRECTOR, U.S. NAVY;
BRIGADIER GENERAL EDEN J. MURRIE, DIRECTOR OF SERVICES, U.S.
AIR FORCE; AND REAR ADMIRAL DANIEL NEPTUN, ASSISTANCE
COMMANDANT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES, U.S. COAST GUARD
STATEMENT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL ROBERT F. HEDELUND
General Hedelund. Absolutely. We relish the opportunity.
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Braley, and distinguished members
of the Subcommittee, on behalf of the Commandant of the Marine
Corps, thank you for your steadfast support of Marines. And
especially your attention to the needs of veteran Marines.
General Amos identified his commander's intent for
transition assistance in his 2010 planning guidance. That
guidance was direct and purposeful: revolutionize transition
assistance. Later he provided additional direction. First,
Marines must have skin in the game. Second, give Marines a
choice of career transition pathways to include staying Marine
through the Marine Corps Reserves. Third, ensure all mandatory
training was completed. And fourth, all training must be
provided by quality instructors at sufficient numbers to
support the practical application of the training.
Partnerships in this process are crucial. We have been
working with Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), our
sister services, and key departments throughout the federal
government to transform our program and ensure our Marines and
families are transition ready. Our transition readiness seminar
remains a work in progress. With nearly a year of piloting and
evolution of curriculum based on input from our Marines, we are
nearing the desired end state and our Commandant's intent,
which I stated here 15 months ago in this very room, our
Marines want to attend our transition readiness seminar.
So the question becomes, how can you help us? Number one,
give us the flexibility to determine and deliver our program in
a manner which best prepares Marines and families for
transition while meeting established standards. Second, give us
the ability to evolve our program as we learn more about what
works best. Thirdly, consider the benefits of a virtual piece
to transition, which we have already discussed at some length,
to assist spouses and family members and for veteran reach
back. And fourthly, continue to educate our country, as you do
so well at this Subcommittee, on the benefits of hiring veteran
servicemembers.
I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Brigadier General Robert
Hedelund appears in the Appendix]
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. General Evans, you are recognized
for five minutes.
STATEMENT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL JASON T. EVANS
General Evans. Chairman Stutzman, Ranking Member Braley,
distinguished members of the Committee, thank you for providing
me the opportunity to appear before you on behalf of America's
Army. The United States Army is committed to ensuring the
lifelong success of our soldiers. Preparing our soldiers for
transition by enhancing the training and service models and
beginning the transition process early provides the greatest
opportunity for post-military success.
The Army continues its commitment to support the soldier
throughout the military life cycle, to include life after the
Army. Our responsibility is to keep the soldier Army strong by
providing essential counseling and training to ensure soldiers
return to their local communities better prepared for civilian
life.
Under the transition policy signed by the Secretary of the
Army in August of last year, transition is no longer the end of
the service event. Under our new military life cycle model all
new soldiers will receive counseling pertaining to their
educational and career goals within 30 days of reporting to the
first permanent duty station. They will also be required to
create an individual development plan that is recorded and
tracked and can be adjusted during their tour of duty. The
individual development plan will also serve as the basis for a
soldier's individual transition plan. Under the Army's new
policy, transition is now the commander's program.
Additionally, transitioning soldiers will have to attain career
readiness standards for the first time rather than just attend
briefings, create a resume, and fill out a job or school
application.
The Army Career and Alumni Program is actively engaged in
testing and improved and expanded core curriculum and career
readiness modules at various pilot assessment sites. We are
staffing our installations, mobile and forward support teams,
virtual center, and a 24-hour call center to be ready for the
November 21, 2012 implementation date.
In order to reach this goal we are adjusting our transition
process in six phases. The first phase of implementation was
creating the strategic plan. This occurred from January to
April, 2012. Transition partners developed their respective
curricula through the Office of the Secretary of Defense in
coordination with Departments of Labor, Veterans Affairs,
Education, Office of Personnel Management, and the Small
Business Administration.
Phase two from May through June, 2012 concluded
modifications to support the contract and funding. These
modifications included the expansion of software capabilities
to capture soldiers' transition progress and risk assessment.
They increased the number of counselors needed for forward
transition mobile support teams, as well as installation
centers.
Phase three is currently in progress with an end date of
November, 2012. During this recruit, hire, train, and pilot
phase all new curricula will be developed and tested and new
personnel are being trained. Pilots are currently active at
several assessment sites to validate the Army's ability to
implement the VOW Act transition requirements.
During phase four, which we will begin November 21, 2012,
Army execution of the VOW Act becomes fully operational. All
soldiers will receive the mandated pre-separation counseling,
Veterans Affairs benefits briefing, and the Department of Labor
employment workshop. These mandatory requirements will be
completed over a 12-month period before separation.
Phase five will fulfill the choice based plans, success,
and goals, and capstone requirement. This phase begins with
core curriculum to include the requirements of incorporating
the military occupational code crosswalk, the applications,
financial planning, and individual transition planning courses,
and ends with the capstone. The pilot will begin in March, 2013
and conclude no later than October, 2014.
The final phase is the military life cycle for transition
and will be implemented no later than 2014. The military life
cycle centers on pairing career readiness standards with career
progression by synchronizing Army career tracker with
transition training. The soldier will select a track based on
career goals to include one of the following: employment,
technical training, education, or entrepreneurial
opportunities.
We have invested a tremendous amount of resources and
deliberate planning to preserve the all volunteer force. We are
continued to ensuring soldiers who have sacrificed so much in
service of America's defense are taken care of as they begin
the next chapter of their lives.
To conclude, I wish to thank all of you for your continued
support. The Army is committed to being the leader of the
Department of Defense transition efforts by finding the right
solution for our soldiers and our veterans.
[The prepared statement of Brigadier General Jason T. Evans
appears in the Appendix]
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. Mr. Cannon, you are recognized for
five minutes.
STATEMENT OF EDWARD CANNON
Mr. Cannon. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Braley,
distinguished members of this Committee, I would like to thank
you for the opportunity to testify about the Navy Transition
Assistance Program, or TAP, soon to be TAP2, and our continuing
efforts to successfully transition Sailors to civilian life and
employment.
I am pleased to discuss the current status of the Navy's
Transition Assistance Program and how we will meet the Veterans
Opportunity to Work Act that will be the foundation of our
efforts to meet the career readiness standards of our Sailors.
The Navy has continued to provide top quality transition
programs to a very diverse group of Sailors who are within 24
months of retiring or 12 months of separation. The Navy
separates or retires approximately 39,000 Sailors each year
from an overall force strength of approximately 322,000. In
rough numbers approximately 50 percent transition after their
first enlistment.
Many Sailors are sought over by civilian employers because
of the training and skills they obtained in the Navy and we
have a robust transition program in place to prepare our
Sailors who possess these skills.
Every Sailor receives one on one pre-separation counseling
to inform them of the programs and services that are available
to assist them with their transition to civilian life. The Navy
currently provides a four- to five-day transition workshop at
Navy installations worldwide via our Fleet and Family Support
Centers. Fleet and Family Support Centers also conduct first
term and mid-career workshops in a four-day course to provide
information that will enhance our active duty servicemember in
achieving Navy and future civilian career goals.
Navy is collaborating with OSD, Department of Veterans
Affairs, Department of Labor, Department of Education, Small
Business Administration, and the Office of Personnel Management
to pilot a five-day curriculum that consolidates our current
efforts with additional offerings designed to meet all elements
of the VOW Act. This mandatory workshop will educate our
Sailors on transition services that are available to them. It
will help them translate their military training and experience
into civilian skill sets and identify gaps in their training
and experience that need to be filled to meet their personal
goals, financial and individual transition goals.
Employment workshops and benefits and application briefings
will also be provided as well as workshops on higher education,
technical skills, and entrepreneurship. A capstone event
provided 90 days prior to separation will verify that
transitioning Sailors completed the five-day curriculum and
achieved their career readiness standards.
In addition, all Sailors will be offered a warm hand off to
appropriate government agencies and organizations that will
provide our transitioning servicemembers continued benefits,
services, and support as veterans.
The Navy wants to retain trained, qualified Sailors to
continue to protect and serve the country. For those who choose
to separate or retire, we are committed to ensuring that they
leave the Navy with tools to be successful in their career
transition.
Mr. Chairman, I have submitted the rest of my statement for
the record and stand by to answer your questions. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Edward Cannon appears in the
Appendix]
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. General Murrie?
STATEMENT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL EDEN J. MURRIE
General Murrie. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking
Member Mr. Braley, and distinguished Subcommittee members for
the opportunity to discuss the redesigned Transition Assistance
Program. As always, we greatly appreciate the leadership and
support this Subcommittee continuously provides on matters
affecting the readiness and quality of life for our Airmen and
their families.
The strategic direction for the Air Force Transition
Assistance Program targets the emerging needs of our Active
Guard and Reserve members and focuses on ensuring current and
relevant solutions for today, tomorrow, and the years to come.
I am very proud of the men and women in our Airmen and
Family Readiness Centers and in our Education Centers. These
are the members under the leadership of our installation
commanders entrusted with the front line planning and day to
day execution of transition support and services to our total
force Airmen. We are strengthening our traditional Transition
Assistance Program model to help forge a stronger Air Force
community, evolving and expanding our services to meet the
constantly changing needs of our Airmen and their families.
The Air Force has a long history of providing support to
its Airmen and families as they prepare to transition from
military life back to the private sector. For years the Air
Force has publicly stated that voluntary education is a primary
recruitment and retention tool. Our members, enlisted and
officers, take great advantage of this educational opportunity
as we detail what is needed to help ensure maximum success in
uniform and out.
Consequently this same educational opportunity and the
manner in which our members embrace it plays a key role in
their preparation for transition back to civilian life at the
end of their military duties.
The redesigned Transition Support under the Veterans
Opportunity to Work and the Veterans Employment Initiative
result in even greater services and support to our separating
and retiring total force members. Accordingly, we are closely
linked with a wide range of partners to include the Office of
the Secretary of Defense, Department of Labor, Department of
Veterans Affairs, Department of Education, the Small Business
Administration, and other agencies to ensure VOW and VEI are
well executed.
The Air Force is committed to sustaining this partnership
as a critical platform to reaping the benefit of every
opportunity and rendering sharp transition support and services
to our Airmen and their families.
Thank you for the opportunity to be with you here today and
I look forward to any questions.
[The prepared statement of Brigadier General Eden J. Murrie
appears in the Appendix]
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. Admiral Neptun, you are recognized
for five minutes.
STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL DANIEL NEPTUN
Admiral Neptun. Good afternoon Chairman Stutzman, Ranking
Member Braley, and the distinguished members of this
Subcommittee. It is a pleasure for me to appear before you
today to discuss the Coast Guard's Transition Assistant
Program. On behalf of the men and women of the Coast Guard I
thank this Subcommittee for its strong advocacy and support for
our veterans.
Consistent with the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 1995, the Coast Guard established transition
assistance for its military personnel in October of 1994.
Pursuant to such all separating and retiring servicemembers are
provided access to transition assistance services.
Involuntarily separated members also receive specific benefits.
As with the other branches of the armed forces, the Coast Guard
is committed to ensuring our veterans are prepared for their
transition from active duty to civilian life.
While many features of the Coast Guard's Transition
Assistance Program are similar to what the Department of
Defense provides for transitioning members, there are some
noteworthy differences between our services, our military
members, and our programs.
First, when compared to the other armed forces the Coast
Guard is relatively small in size and its personnel are broadly
dispersed geographically. Additionally, many of the skills and
experiences that our Coast Guard personnel acquire over their
careers, ranging from administrative to financial management,
human resources to law enforcement, maritime safety and
security, and environmental response are often considered
readily transferable to the civilian workforce. Finally,
although some Coast Guard members have served overseas in war
zones the Coast Guard does not have the same proportion of
combat veterans as the other armed forces.
All of these factors are considered in developing and
delivering transition assistance programs to best serve our
Coast Guard members. The Coast Guard's program is designed to
assist servicemembers and their families in making an informed
and effective transition from military service to civilian
life. An integral aspect of this vital effort is to ensure
separating members are made aware of and have access to the
numerous programs and services available to assist them in the
transition process.
The Coast Guard has taken steps to ensure our men and women
receive the support they need to transition successfully. For
example, command representatives meet with all members
separating, retiring, or entering the disability evaluation
system usually 180 days before separation but not later than 15
days after official notification of separation. During pre-
separation counseling, which must occur at least 90 days prior
to separation, the command representative assists members in
achieving educational, training, and employment objectives as
well as those of their spouse.
Additionally, formal Coast Guard TAP seminars are delivered
at our 13 Coast Guard bases. These seminars, developed in
coordination with the Departments of Defense, Labor, and
Veterans Affairs, provide instruction on skills identification,
resume preparation, interview techniques, and veterans
entitlements. Seminars typically are five days in length.
The first three days include the core curriculum focused on
the job search process provided by the Department of Labor. The
last two days include presentations on veterans benefits,
educational opportunities, TRICARE, retired pay, insurance, and
the DD-214. Over the past several years approximately 1,600 of
the 3,000 active duty and Reserve members who transition out of
the Coast Guard each year elected to attend a transition
seminar.
Pursuant to the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, the Coast
Guard is developing plans to increase the number of scheduled
seminars offered. Given the dispersed location of Coast Guard
units, the service is exploring alternative delivery methods
for members that cannot physically attend a seminar. The Coast
Guard is currently working with the Departments of Defense,
Labor, and Veterans Affairs to develop a comprehensive virtual
solution for members who, for whatever reason, cannot attend a
seminar on person. And we look forward to continue working with
those departments to share ideas and tools.
Thank you for this opportunity to appear before you today
and for your continued support of the United States Coast
Guard. And I will be pleased to answer any questions you may
have. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Rear Admiral Daniel Neptun
appears in the Appendix]
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you to each of you for your testimony.
I will begin with several questions. First of all to General
Hedelund. General, can you please tell us about the feedback
you have received from the Marines who have participated in the
tailored model and their view of the tracks? And do you believe
that they would be better off with the model proposed by OSD?
General Hedelund. Thank you for that question, Mr.
Chairman. The feedback that we have received, as you well know
I think, that we have been in this business for quite a while
of revising our curriculum, as I mentioned in my oral and
written testimony. And the feedback that we get from Marines
focuses on the choice. They, that is probably the biggest plus
that we get from our Marines, is that they enjoy the
opportunity to choose. They recognize, of course, the
importance of the information that is received from the core
curriculum as well. But having a little control over what they
are about to experience in transition seems to really do well
with them.
The, specifically if you are referring to the pilot in
Miramar, we worked very hard with all of our partners to put
together a package that best met our Commandant's intent of
providing those pathways and quality instruction, but also
complying with those elements of the VOW Act that are clearly
mandatory.
So the feedback we have received from that has been very
good as well. There are, there were some other, there were some
outliers, if you will. But overall it was a pilot, after all,
and the whole idea with the pilot is to take those lessons
learned, put them to work, refine the content, and then roll it
back into future pilots and future full scale curriculum. So I
think that, I think that covers the question that you wanted.
Mr. Stutzman. Yeah. Could you touch a little bit on the
lessons learned out of that pilot program?
General Hedelund. I think, yes, sir. I think the first, the
most important lesson that we can take away from that, from the
pilot, and from doing this work together, is that the team is
important. So while we sit here in Washington, D.C. and talk
about how important this process is, what really is important
to our individual Marines who are transitioning is how well
does that team work out there at the installations where they
are participating in the program?
Mr. Stutzman. Yes.
General Hedelund. As we stabilize the curriculum and we put
these teams together that will be executing this work out
there, it is imperative that they understand the holistic
approach so that they are well integrated. Right now, it,
because this, because pilots are pilots, and curriculum are
sometimes being rolled out for the first time, there are
obvious places where there may be either redundancy overlap or
friction points that have to be worked on. So the closer that
team works together over time, the better that program and that
deliver of the curriculum will be.
Mr. Stutzman. Yes.
General Hedelund. So I think overall that is probably the
biggest take away that we would say, is that teamwork is the
key to success out there.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay, thank you. Admiral, do you believe that
the virtual TAP that you described in your testimony fulfills
VOW Act requirements that all servicemembers attend TAP? And
also, could you describe how that process works and the results
that you are seeing?
Admiral Neptun. Mr. Chairman, thank you for the question. I
hope that virtual TAP for our purposes will allow us to expand
to that other 47 percent of the Coast Guard that has not
historically taken a TAP seminar. And that will help us get to
compliance with the VOW Act. And it will also provide some
choices. Because the, I think the best of e-learning is what we
are really pursuing and collaborating with our sister services,
as well as Department of Labor and Department of Veterans
Affairs. We hope to come up with something that will really
draw more people that tend to be reluctant to respond to a TAP
seminar.
The second part of the question, I missed that, sir.
Mr. Stutzman. What kind of results? What type of feedback
are you receiving on the virtual experience that you are giving
to members?
Admiral Neptun. Mr. Chairman, we do a fair amount of our
member training, departmental requirements, Coast Guard
requirements, through the virtual e-learning environment. And
it seems to go quite well. There is always some challenge
getting 100 people in a classroom at any given time. Giving
people e-learning alternatives, they can pick the time of the
day that they choose to do it. That is a huge advantage and
that is also what we see as an opportunity for any sort of
eTAPs that we are able to put together. It lets people do that
during their time. And I am very inspired by what the SBA
representative presented in terms of the eight-week online
curriculum for people that want to become members of business.
That is one of those tools I really look forward to offering to
them as a way to get to their specific desires once they leave
the Coast Guard.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Thank you. And if I could, if you could
just give me a yes or no answer to the question from each of
you. Do you believe that the tracks where the student can
choose a class that fits their transition goals should be made
mandatory? And I will start with you, General Hedelund.
General Hedelund. Absolutely.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay.
General Evans. Sir, not at this time. I would like to take
it back and evaluate it.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. So a no for now?
General Evans. Yes, sir.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Mr. Cannon?
Mr. Cannon. Similar to the Army. No for now, but we are
looking at that possibility of making it mandatory.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Thank you. General Murrie?
General Murrie. Sir, the same for me. I would say no at
this time. We need to look at it. Once again, it is new and I
think it will be important to take it as we go forward and
reevaluate.
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. Admiral?
Admiral Neptun. Mr. Chairman, we are not looking to make it
mandatory for people to choose a particular track.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Thank you very much. Mr. Braley?
Mr. Braley. General Hedelund, I know that Friday night was
a tough night for the Marine Corps. And I just want you to know
that my thoughts and prayers are with the families of
Lieutenant Colonel Raible and Sergeant Atwell.
And without reigniting this interservice dispute that my
fearful Chairman started I just want to point out that I had
the opportunity earlier this year to go back to Iwo Jima with
12 World War II veterans who served there with my dad, who
landed there the day both flags were raised on Mount Suribachi.
And he landed on LST-808 that was piloted by Navy and Coast
Guard personnel. And the mission was to clear the airfield so
the Army Air Corps B-29s could land on Iwo Jima. And before he
left Iwo Jima he was providing fire support to Army personnel.
And General Hedelund, you said the most important lesson is
that the team is important. And seeing you all sitting there,
and thinking back on what my father experienced reminded me of
why this is important.
And I took the flag that was presented to my mother at my
father's funeral, exactly 31 years to the day before I went up
Mount Suribachi, up there with me. And when you go there you
will see these totems that are left by Navy corpsmen for John
Bradley, who is in the statue across the river commemorating
the flag raising at Iwo Jima.
And General Evans, I had the privilege of attending a
wedding of a constituent named Ian Ralston, who was an Army
combat medic, who is now paralyzed from the neck down. And he
is living with one of the combat medics who served under him.
And I was talking to his best man at the wedding about the
difficulties he is having finding employment in the medical
field despite the fact that his real world training would
probably surpass anything he could get working through a
nursing program or any other type of emergency medical
personnel program.
And I know Mr. Cannon, you identified opportunities to earn
occupational credentials and licenses prior to separation. It
seems to me with the huge demand in the healthcare field this
is one of those areas we have to do a much better job of, is
identifying all these specialty medical requirements in each of
the 50 states and trying to find some way to standardize how we
can transition trained medical personnel when there is high
demand in the civilian community and they do not have to go
through reeducation programs to relearn what they have already
learned serving their country.
So I would be interested in hearing from our panel on ways
we can make that happen based on your experiences dealing with
this problem.
General Evans. Well sir, thank you for the questions. One
of the things the Army is doing, the Training and Doctrine
Command, we are doing just that. Experimenting with and
piloting those particular military occupational skills that are
being taught in the school. And can we get those to translate
to an EMT in a particular state? So sir, I am with you on that.
And so that work is ongoing right now.
We are also, we have got a task force together looking at
apprenticeship programs. Allowing soldiers who are
transitioning to participate on duty time in those particular
apprenticeship programs.
General Hedelund. Sir if I may, first I want to make sure
that I answered the question correctly about the mandatory
nature. That applies to the Marine Corps. Okay? I would not
want to say that we want to impose upon the other services.
They have different demographics, they have different
populations, and they have a different ethos and culture than
the Marine Corps does. So we like the nature of a mandatory
program but it may not work well for other services. That is
number one.
Number two, I appreciate your comments, Ranking Member
Braley, about Otis. Otis, that is Lieutenant Colonel Raible,
was an instructor of mine at Marine Aviation Weapons and
Tactics Squadron 1 when I was the Commanding Officer (C.O.). So
we were very, very close to him. And I appreciate your comments
on that.
And thirdly I will answer much like my Army brother did
here about the credentialing piece. We are currently working on
a pilot for our, because since we do not have medical personnel
per se, we do adore our corpsmen. But we are putting together a
pilot for our warehousemen and supply folks and also for our
heavy equipment operators so that we can make that transition
again for, whether it is a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) on
the heavy equipment side, or credential required for the
warehousing piece, to be much more smooth. And so I am looking
forward to the opportunity to team with the private
organizations as well as with the Army on making that work.
Mr. Braley. Well I was able to drive an MRAP in Kuwait and
my CDL expired a long time ago. So I just want to put that on
the record, that I had a great time.
Mr. Cannon. Congressman Braley, three quick points to go
there. First of all, as far as looking at the skill sets we
currently have 670 military career counselors embedded
throughout the fleet. And so they on a daily basis are working
with our military members to crosswalk those skill sets. To
make sure that we are looking at not only today but how do they
meet their career readiness standards and how are they
preparing for the future?
The second point, you talk about teamwork. We had great
reports back on the Small Business Administration pilot that we
held at Joint Base Anacostia/Bolling. And in that class we had
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine. We got great feedback. In fact
the only thing bad about it was I got a call from MCPON and CNO
saying hey, how come we did not get to go to this as well? It
was very popular. We got very good feedback from that.
And lastly, I just met today with Mrs. French, who is the
ombudsman at large, and she hosted today, for the Navy, excuse
me, she hosted today the Military Spouse Employment Program.
And we specifically talked about credentialing for nurses and
teachers and making sure that we can, from state to state, help
our spouses out. I know this is specifically about veterans but
it really all ties together. Are we looking out for how that
can slide from your military career, from it being a spouse, to
getting a job out in the community? So thank you, sir.
Admiral Neptun. If I may, sir, I would like to use my wife
as an example. It reminded me that our spouses are very much a
part of that veterans equation. And I am in my 20th assignment.
She has been a registered nurse and a nurse practitioner across
a variety of states. She has had to keep credentialed in five
different states. And it is more challenging for nurse
practitioners to do that. So she has chosen to just sort of
hold back for now until I settle down finally and then get back
into the business of nurse practitioning. But it just is
representative of the challenge that all of our spouses face as
well. And for the members themselves, and try to match their
credentials to what is available on the outside, we are very
much in favor of finding ways to expedite and help people get
there.
General Murrie. Mr. Braley, like all of my colleagues we
are looking at all of the credentialing. We have some very
obvious skills that transfer very easily. Aircraft maintenance
being one of those. But there are some not so obvious ones that
we are making sure that we can take care of the folks that have
those skills and make sure that they can transition to the
outside.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay, thank you. Mr. Walz?
Mr. Walz. Well, thank you Chairman. I want to thank all of
you for the professionalism, for the enthusiasm you bring to
this task. It, this is a part of readiness and it has to be
done. It is about keeping faith with those who are willing to
serve and about letting folks know ahead of time. And as I
said, I think it is not just fulfilling that moral
responsibility, it is smart economics for this country in a
time we want to use those dollars wisely.
So I guess the question I would ask all of you is the devil
is certainly in the details of delivering these. I want to make
sure that we are not overly prescriptive because all of you
will, you will take your orders from the civilian leadership
and make it work. I want to know candidly if you think, are we
providing the resources? Are we doing the right thing? Because
I do think there is a, we have to be cognizant of the mission
first that needs to be done. And then for you to be able to
simultaneously deliver on a long range plan. Are we getting
that right in terms of what we are prescribing in law that
comes to you, and then is written into regulation, and then the
resources to fulfill what we are asking you to do? Is that,
from a leadership perspective are we getting it right?
And I ask you to speak candidly if you can. It is just help
us to get it. I know that, I understand that, I understand the
nature of the question. But for me all I care about is for you
to, I know you want to deliver it. Are we getting that part
right?
Admiral Neptun. Sir, I will speak from the perspective of
the Coast Guard because we are probably the most resource
challenged of all the services. And this is important enough
that we will find a way to get there. And in terms of the tools
that you provide through the VOW Act and others to give us a
bar to reach for, I think it is absolutely the right place to
be. Our veterans deserve every bit of that focus. Thank you,
sir.
General Murrie. Sir, I agree with that. I am really proud
of the program we have now but every program can get better.
And the VOW Act and the VEI give us some guidance and some
direction and some resources to help us assist that. Over 90
percent of our Airmen go beyond the mandatory pre-separation
counseling for a three- to five-day course that we already
offer. But we are going to make it better. We are going to do
that with this direction. And so we appreciate the guidance.
Mr. Cannon. Congressman, very similar comments. About 85
percent of our folks currently go through the full TAP program.
So anything we can do now that we are saying that it is
mandatory, having that consistent curriculum, being forced to
go through the pilots and learn from them, and then make
adjustments has been very helpful. The only other concern we
initially had, and we have worked through it, was there was
honestly much concern about the amount of money required for
computers and space. But we have worked through that. The Navy
is very supportive of it so we are in the process now of
rolling that out. And so we are looking very much forward to
this program. Thank you.
General Evans. Sir, we agree that we have the resources we
need. The Army had started a study in 2009 by West Point and
studied specifically the pre-separation program. And determined
out of that that there was a couple of wins that we could get
out of that quick. And that was one, getting commanders
involved and making it a commander's program, and two, starting
earlier instead of 90 days out. And so we issued an execution
order in December, 2011, right before the VOW Act, became law.
That, this is now a commander's program and soldiers will start
12 months out. So we welcome the guidance, sir.
General Hedelund. Sir, I think we are fortunate that we
have a Commandant and his Mrs. who are both very focused on
this as a high priority. So the Marine Corps will make
decisions based on those priorities. So while there are
portions of this that could be fiscally challenging we do meet
those challenges with setting priorities appropriate to the
need.
We also would like to just state, as I mentioned briefly in
my oral statement, that Marines are mission oriented. You give
us the task, you give us the objective to achieve, and we will
achieve the objective. Tell us to take the hill, don't tell us
how to take the hill. And we will be more than happy to meet
that expectation, meet those standards, and deliver a quality
product.
Mr. Walz. Well again, I am very appreciative of all of you.
And I think we need to keep sight of that we are going to take
care of every single one of these folks. And while the
unemployment rate is too high, we are moving folks out into the
sector. We are having successes. We are improving those
numbers. And we will not be satisfied until we get it all
right. But I do applaud you on certainly taking this for the
spirit of what is behind it and making it work. So with that, I
yield back.
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. And since we have you here, could
each of you describe, or give us a timeline for each of your
services, for the full implementation, the timeline for the
full implementation of TAP2? I mean, if you could give us some
idea----
General Hedelund. Mr. Chairman, if you mean by TAP2 the VOW
Act, VOW compliance, the Marine Corps is VOW ready today. Now
we have to implement across the Marine Corps, but we have the
pieces in place that we need to be VOW compliant today.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Thank you. General Evans?
General Evans. Sir, ditto. We are prepared to implement the
VOW Act on the 21st of November.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Is this at all locations?
General Evans. Yes, sir.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Thank you. Mr. Cannon?
Mr. Cannon. Yes. We will also be VOW Act compliant on the
November date. Yes.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Thank you. General Murrie.
General Murrie. Yes, sir. The same for the Air Force.
Admiral Neptun. Mr. Chairman, we have our tools in place to
get there. And as I mentioned, the e-learning capability I
think will help us get to a much closer to 100 percent
participation, which is our biggest challenge right now. We do
approximately 60 seminars a year across the country. We need to
get that up to about 100, maybe more, so that we can reach out.
And we will do that as well as e-learning and I think we will
be able to achieve the goal.
Mr. Stutzman. Okay. Thank you. And you know, I would just
mention that I would be interested in knowing more, or maybe an
update down the road of how the success of e-learning is
working for you all. And if it is something that, we can take
look at and the success or the shortcomings of how that is
working for your members. So----
Admiral Neptun. Yes, sir.
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. Any other questions from any of
the members? Okay. I want to thank our final panel. I would ask
our Ranking Member if he has any closing comments?
Mr. Braley. Well I just think that the amount of time we
have spent in the last two years focusing on this specific
program is justified by the demands for outplacement and
preparation and information that is not just practical but is
accessible. And so when we talk about things like e-learning we
know that even though it may have some shortcomings, it is
better than no learning. And so I think that our mission is to
make sure that we are giving all the resources we can in the
most easily accessible and retrievable way possible. So that
not just during the initial demobilization but for as long as
necessary afterward those resources can easily be retrieved by
the servicemembers who need them and we can be proud of the
product they are getting. And with that, I will yield back.
Mr. Stutzman. Thank you. I hope today's hearing has shed
some light on the need to continue our oversight of TAP2. It is
just too important. As Mr. Braley mentioned, the work that we
have put into it, and I know the need for those being
discharged for employment is such an important aspect for them
as they make the transition.
I would say to the witnesses that I hope you will see some
of the logic of making attendance in the various tracks
mandatory and adjust TAP2 accordingly. This Subcommittee will
continue to monitory the implementation of TAP2 as the full
implementation is rolled out.
I know that this Committee has discussed a possible trip
sometime to view a training facility and I mentioned to staff
that maybe we will see what the outcome of November and
December looks like, but maybe we could find a time in December
to possibly make a trip to see how programs are working.
This is maybe the last meeting. Obviously I do not know
what the next two months brings. But I just want to say thank
you to each of you who serve in each branch for your service,
and I want to thank our staff. And of course it has been a real
privilege to work alongside both Mr. Braley and Mr. Walz and
the other Committee members as well. And I hope that we can
continue to work together to make sure that we do serve our men
and women who serve us in our military the best that we can.
So I ask unanimous consent that all members have five
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include any extraneous material related to today's hearing.
Hearing no objection, so ordered. This Subcommittee is
adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 4:00 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
----------
Prepared Statement of Hon. Marlin Stutzman, Chairman
Good afternoon. We are here today to receive testimony on the
redesigned Transition Assistance Program or TAP. To differentiate
between the original TAP and the redesigned version, I am going to
refer to the new program simply as TAP 2.
TAP has been around for about 20 years with little change over that
time other than to update the changes in the various benefit programs.
And while the original TAP was, let's say, minimally effective, today's
participants and today's civilian environment necessitated a revised
approach from what had become known as ``Death by PowerPoint.''
Until the passage of last year's VOW to Hire Heroes Act, TAP was
not mandatory, except in the U.S. Marine Corps, and I am pleased that
the other Services have committed to comply with the VOW Act's
mandatory attendance provisions. What the VOW Act did not do was
describe what types of training must be provided under the mandatory
attendance provision and I would like to offer some thoughts on what
TAP 2 should provide.
Ultimately, the goal of TAP 2 is to smooth the way to civilian
employment. That said, there are many paths to reach that ultimate goal
and TAP 2 should offer participants training that reflects at least the
primary paths. Following discharge, some servicemembers may choose to
seek the full time permanent job path. Others will choose to use a path
using their GI Bill or Vocational Rehabilitation benefits. Still others
will choose the entrepreneurial career path or one involving training
in the trades. Regardless, mandatory TAP 2 training must, and I repeat
must, provide detailed training in each of these areas otherwise we are
failing that one percent who defend us.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
I have a couple slides to illustrate why the tailored approach is
so important. If you will look at the monitors, this first slide shows
the importance of ensuring that individuals who are going to use their
GI Bill get a full explanation of how best to use their benefit. Slide
1 shows that 4 years of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for someone
attending a private institution amounts to over $141,000. I would point
out that the numbers are averages and can be significantly higher.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
The second slide shows the curriculum DoD is implementing for TAP
2. You will note that it does not provide a timeframe for instruction
in the various paths that I have mentioned. Rather, days 2, 3, and 4
are devoted entirely to job-hunting skills, something that is fine for
those who intend to seek full time permanent employment following
discharge.
But what about a typical class made of mostly first-term enlistees,
50 percent of whom indicate they intend to use their GI Bill benefits
soon after discharge? What about those who want to start their own
business or enter the trades? The DoD model of mandatory TAP 2 - as
presented to us - does not appear to include training tailored to their
needs.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
I would offer that mandatory training must include those
alternative paths and that forcing every servicemember to sit through 3
days of job-hunting skills at the expense of training tailored to their
post-discharge intentions is a poor use of resources.
Slide 3 illustrates one way to achieve what I am suggesting. To be
fair, some DoD officials have indicated that students will have the
``option'' to attend more tailored training on days 6 and 7.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a mixed opinion from officials as to
whether those days are considered as part of the mandatory training.
My staff, along with the Ranking Member's staff recently observed
TAP 2 at Randolph Air Force Base and Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.
At Randolph, the class was mostly senior enlisted members, most of whom
already had at least an Associate's Degree and nearly all of whom
intended to seek permanent jobs after discharge. They were given the
DoD model which was appropriate for that class' demographics.
The class at Miramar included primarily first termers who received
a more tailored model. Service specific pre-separation counseling and
VA benefits were condensed to one day of training. The Department of
Labor employment workshop was condensed into two days of training and
the remaining two days allowed the Marines to choose a track that best
fit their transition goals.
The staff's observations were that the Marines enjoyed the choice
of the tracks. The Marines confirmed that if the tracks had been pushed
to second week and were not mandatory, their supervisors probably would
not give them the extra time off.
I say that not to criticize those supervisors, but rather to
emphasize what may be a significant weakness in the DoD curriculum.
It is clear to me that a tailored model is the better approach. A
program of providing a core instruction summarizing the highlights of
the detailed tracks followed by allowing the servicemember to choose a
track as part of the mandatory coursework is, in my opinion, a superior
approach to meeting the needs of TAP participants.
Finally, I want to address the oversight role of this Subcommittee.
While I realize that what is now being taught under TAP 2 is in its
formative stages, having DoD employees question Congress' oversight
role is inappropriate. I hope the confrontational attitude regarding
our Constitutional oversight responsibility ends now. We are all
working towards the same goal.
I now recognize the distinguished Ranking Member for his remarks.
Prepared Statement of Hon. Bruce L. Braley
I'm glad we are taking this opportunity to conduct oversight on the
redesign of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) once more before
the end of this Congress. This is a critical stage in the program and
we must ensure that the launch of the new TAP is successful in meeting
the needs of our separating servicemembers. The TAP redesign is being
lead by an interagency team composed of the Departments of Defense,
Veterans Affairs, Labor, Education, and Homeland Security. I hope that
all the agencies are working together to achieve this goal because the
restructuring of this program is vitally important.
TAP will help military members explore their career readiness,
obtain the tools necessary to apply their military careers to the
civilian workforce and understand the benefits of using their Post-9/11
GI Bill to pursue a secondary education. The newly redesigned program
gives participants a more tailored learning experience with updated
content. I am pleased to see that we are leaving behind the more
conventional route of ``one size fits all'' and ``death by power
point'' towards a better individualized TAP.
Our goal is to provide our service men and women with a
comprehensive transition assistance program that prepares them for life
after the military so they can pursue any endeavor they wish, be it
employment, education, or starting a new business. I'm hoping that
today we will hear our witnesses discuss how the newly revamped TAP
reflects the priorities of this Committee to revitalize the program
and, most importantly, how it will prepare our servicemembers for
civilian life.
Prepared Statement of Mr. Pummill
Chairman Stutzman, Ranking Member Braley, and Members of the
Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today
to discuss the redesign of the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA)
support to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). In July, 2012,
President Obama announced a redesign of TAP to help our separating
servicemembers successfully transition to the civilian workforce, start
a business, or pursue higher education. My testimony will summarize
legacy TAP, our redesign efforts, and our implementation of redesigned
TAP.
Legacy TAP
TAP is conducted under the auspices of a Memorandum of
Understanding between VA and the Departments of Labor (DOL), Defense
(DoD), and Homeland Security. The Departments work together to schedule
briefings and classes on military bases to assist Servicemembers as
they prepare to transition from active military service. Quarterly
meetings among the agencies are held to oversee the operations of the
program and to plan enhancements. VA TAP briefings are provided by
trained military services coordinators (MSCs) from our regional offices
on military installations in the United States and Puerto Rico. TAP
briefings are also provided to Servicemembers stationed outside the
United States by overseas MSCs who are temporarily assigned in the
United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Okinawa, Japan and Korea. In
addition, VA provides transition assistance briefings to demobilizing
Reserve and National Guard members. These briefings are typically held
at the reserve component's home station after completion of a
deployment.
Attendance at VA TAP briefings has been voluntary, and
participation has been at the discretion of each Military Service. In
fiscal year (FY) 2009, VA provided 3,523 TAP briefings for 134,626
attendees, while 276,615 Servicemembers separated from active duty
status according to the Defense Manpower Data Center. In FY 2010,
144,207 attendees participated in 3,918 TAP briefings, while 268,918
Servicemembers separated. In FY 2011, 147,718 attendees took part in
3,470 briefings, while 273,000 Servicemembers separated.
VA believes that it is in Servicemembers' and their families' best
interests to acquire a good understanding of Federal and state benefits
that could impact their life, home, and work. Servicemembers who attend
a TAP briefing are made aware of an array of VA benefits and services
that can help ease their transition from the military to civilian life.
Servicemembers are also advised of required supporting documentation
and the process to apply for various benefits. Upon request, counseling
services are provided by professional staff from VA's Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program. Information on VA
benefits is predominately delivered in a non-interactive lecture
format.
Redesign Efforts
In the current labor market, which places a premium on job-ready
skills and work experiences, knowledge of Federal and state benefits is
critical to a successful transition from military to civilian life. As
demonstrated by unemployment rates from DOL's Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Servicemembers often find that embarking on successful and
productive post-military careers is very challenging. In June 2011, the
unemployment rate for post-9/11 Veterans was 13.3 percent. With a
renewed focus on hiring Veterans in the public and private sectors, the
unemployment rate for this cohort improved to less than ten percent in
June 2012. However, VA and other stakeholders recognize that
Servicemembers, particularly younger Servicemembers completing their
first enlistment, would benefit from a more tailored TAP with a focus
on employment assistance.
Administrative Action
In August 2011, the President directed DoD and VA to lead the
Veterans Employment Initiative (VEI) Task Force and provide
recommendations to maximize the career readiness of all Servicemembers.
The Task Force members met weekly for five months. In late 2011, the
members recommended a comprehensive training and service-delivery model
with an end-goal of strengthening the transition of Servicemembers from
military to civilian status. The proposed model consisted of four key
features: career readiness standards; transition assistance integrated
into the military life cycle; an outcome-based training curriculum; and
an end-of-military-career event.
In early 2012, an interagency Executive Steering Committee was
established to develop implementation strategies for the VEI Task Force
principal recommendations. The core outcome-based training curriculum,
entitled Transition Goals, Planning, and Success (GPS), consists of
five days of instruction provided by the military services, DOL, and
VA. In addition to the core Transition GPS, two-day electives are
offered for three tracks- education, technical training, and
entrepreneurship. Prior to separation, a Servicemember will participate
in an end-of-military-career event where a designated official will
certify that Transition GPS requirements have been fulfilled.
Congressional Action
The VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 was enacted in November, 2011.
It required VA, DOL, and DoD to expand current programs to ensure a
seamless post-military transition for Servicemembers. This legislation,
in addition to the steps being taken by the VEI Task Force,
aggressively addressed the high unemployment rate of Post-9/11 Veterans
through a multitude of comprehensive provisions, including improvements
to TAP, retraining opportunities for unemployed Veterans, and employer
tax credits for hiring unemployed Veterans. In addition, the VOW to
Hire Heroes Act mandated participation in previously voluntary portions
of TAP by November 21, 2012, as well as pre-separation counseling, a VA
briefing, and DOL's Employment Workshop.
VA Responsibilities--Redesigned TAP
VA's portion of the Transition GPS includes four hours of
interactive instruction, which replaces the previous lecture and slide-
deck presentation. The new format allocates one hour to VA education
benefits and three hours to all other VA benefits and services. With
assistance from the Department of Education (ED), a VA project team
completely revised the current VA briefing, creating an interactive
curriculum that incorporates adult-learning principles. This revision
reduced the overwhelming number of slides by over 50 percent. Rather
than viewing a static and lengthy slide presentation, Servicemembers
will now participate in interactive activities that teach them how to
review, apply for, and receive the benefits and services they have
earned. To ensure that Servicemembers have access to all the
information they need, VA has also developed new user-friendly
classroom reference materials to augment this curriculum, including the
VA Benefits Reference Guide, which highlights each benefit or group of
benefits, outlines eligibility requirements, and provides actionable
steps to access the specific benefit. The VA Benefits Reference Guide
also provides web addresses and information on other resources to
assist Servicemembers in making the most informed decision when
choosing their benefit options. VA personnel have delivered TAP
briefings in various venues, which are not always conducive to adult
learning. Auditoriums and meeting spaces on military bases that can
accommodate hundreds of Servicemembers are commonly used. In the newly
designed TAP program, the number of Servicemembers attending the four-
hour VA benefits module generally will be 50 maximum Servicemembers to
one VA instructor.
VA was also tasked to lead development and implementation of the
two-day technical training track, during which time Servicemembers are
provided advice on different technical fields as potential career
choices. In addition, VA is providing assistance to other agencies to
develop the other two tracks, education and entrepreneurship, to ensure
pertinent VA benefits information is included. All of the two-day
elective tracks and the end-of-military-career event are currently
under development. The number of students permitted to attend the two-
day technical training track has been limited to 50 students per
instructor. A minimum student load has not been finalized and will
depend on the number of Servicemembers who express an interest in
attending.
In addition, VA is in the process of developing a virtual version
of VA's portion of TAP to be available in different eLearning
modalities. Virtual briefings will mirror the classroom environment and
will be used by Servicemembers where appropriate. VA is actively
collaborating with DoD to define functional requirements for this
virtual option. An interagency working group has proposed guiding
principles for development of the virtual TAP curriculum to meet the
needs of separating Servicemembers.
Implementation
Successful implementation of the redesigned TAP is critical to
providing servicemembers with the tools required for successful
transition. VA continues to assess the number of Servicemembers who
will participate and the resources required to provide an optimum
delivery of services to military personnel and their families. VA has
met with DOL officials to review the delivery of its portion of TAP by
contractors and to determine if it is feasible, as well as legally and
fiscally permissible to acquire the services of DOL for the delivery of
the VA portion of TAP. VA expects to complete its analysis in the next
60 days.
VA will continue to work with Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs)
located on or near military installations. VA informs Servicemembers
that VSOs are independent of VA and can provide expert advice when they
are interested in applying for VA benefits. The VA Benefits Reference
Guide given to each Servicemember contains a link to information on VSO
representatives in a specific geographic area. VA values the
relationship we have with our VSO partners and the assistance they
provide. We look forward to continuing this positive relationship that
results in best outcomes and improved services for our Servicemembers
and Veterans.
Demand-Driven Planning Factors
The historical annual demand for VA TAP briefings has averaged just
over 142,000 attendees between FY 2009 and FY 2011. Based on the VOW to
Hire Heroes Act, VA is now required to provide a TAP briefing to all
separating Servicemembers. As such, VA's planning model to implement
the VOW Act and VEI Task Force requirements is demand-driven, using
total separation numbers provided by the Military Services. For
resource modeling purposes, VA currently projects that approximately
307,000 Servicemembers will separate, demobilize, or deactivate per
year for the next four years. The Military Services have provided VA
with projected transitioning Servicemembers at all military
installations in the United States and at overseas locations. For
resource modeling, VA may need to have a presence 251 military bases,
with VA staffing levels driven by the projected demand at each site. VA
will continue to work with the Services throughout implementation to
refine our resource requirements.
Pilot Sites
Prior to any pilot being conducted, VA staff accompanied DoD
personnel in performing site assessments to determine initial
operational capabilities. During these site visits, interagency teams
met with local military installation personnel to discuss
infrastructure and operational requirements that needed to be in place
for the pilot. The redesigned VA TAP has been piloted at Naval Air
Station Jacksonville, FL; Naval Station Norfolk, VA; Randolph Air Force
Base San Antonio, TX; United States Marine Corps Air Station Miramar,
CA; and Army Fort Sill, OK. In addition, VA conducted pilots with the
Guard and Reserve components to include Fort Hood, TX, for the Army
Reserve and Camp Shelby, MS, for the Army National Guard.
An interagency evaluation team consisting of representatives from
DoD, the Military Services, VA, DOL, and the Small Business
Administration (SBA) were present at pilot sites to observe and provide
constructive feedback that will be used to improve the VA TAP session.
Feedback indicated that VA met its stated learning objectives for each
training module, but several comments indicated that facilitators need
to have an increased awareness to integrate their portion of TAP into
the overall GPS curriculum to ensure a well-coordinated delivery and to
minimize duplication of effort.
In addition to feedback from the evaluation teams, an interagency
project team developed a survey to track attendance and customer
feedback from both the pilots and the full TAP program deployment. This
tool provides VA with valuable information, including participation
rates, customer satisfaction data, and qualitative feedback, which will
help VA to better meet the needs of transitioning Servicemembers. VA,
DoD, and our other agencies are reviewing data from the survey at the
pilot locations to continue making improvements.
Timeline
Implementation of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act and VEI Task Force
requirements will occur using a sequential, phased-in approach. Phase 1
will implement the VOW Act by November 21, 2012; Phase 2 will implement
Transition GPS, and Phase 3 will implement other VEI Task Force
recommendations. VA is committed to taking action on overarching
implementation strategies and will complete key operational and
programmatic goals through multi-agency collaborative efforts with DoD,
Military Services, DOL, ED, and SBA.
During Phase 1, which focuses on implementation of the VOW to Hire
Heroes Act, VA will expand the previously optional four-hour VA TAP
briefing to a mandatory VA benefits briefing with a ratio of 50
attendees to one instructor. VA will use feedback from pilot sites and
interagency evaluation teams to improve our training. During Phase 1,
VA will work with DoD to enhance its online version of TAP. These web-
based formats will allow Veterans as well as Servicemembers in remote
locations to go back and review the latest information concerning VA
benefits and services.
During Phase 2, which centers on implementing the Transition GPS,
VA will develop the curriculum for the optional technical training
track, and will assist DoD and SBA with curriculum development for the
education and entrepreneurship tracks. VA will provide support to our
agency partners with the implementation of the full VEI Task Force
recommended curriculum. In addition, VA will continue to assess and
improve the delivery of TAP information deployed in Phase 1.
Phase 3 will institutionalize VEI Task Force components of the
redesigned TAP. VA will assist DoD and the Military Services in
implementing other VEI Task Force recommendations, including a capstone
event prior to a Servicemember's transition to verify and enhance
transition services. VA will also assist with the implementation of a
military life cycle transition model to incorporate preparation for
Servicemembers' career transition throughout their military service.
Conclusion
VA is proud of our continuing role in the transition of
Servicemembers from military to civilian life and seeks to continually
improve the quality and breadth of our outreach efforts to active duty,
Reserve, and National Guard members. VA has aggressively piloted its
revised benefit briefings, developed implementation plans for the newly
designed TAP, and is excited about the opportunities it provides to our
Servicemembers and their families. VA fully supports the Administration
and Congressional efforts to ensure that transitioning Servicemembers
are ready for employment or education upon separation.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement. I would be pleased to
answer any questions you or other Members of the Subcommittee may have.
Prepared Statement of Mr. John K. Moran
Good Morning Chairman Stutzman, Ranking Member Braley and
distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for the
opportunity to participate in today's hearing on ``Examining the Re-
Design of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP)''. With the drawdown
outlined in the recently released Defense Strategic Review, the number
of returning and transitioning Service Members is expected to increase
over the next five years by an estimated 200,000 per year. The TAP
redesign is an important part of the Administration's efforts to ensure
that America fulfills its obligations to these Service Members,
Veterans, and their families.
Every day, we are reminded of the tremendous sacrifices made by the
Members of the U.S. Armed Services, National Guard and Reserve. They
leave their friends, families and careers behind to defend our freedoms
around the world. These brave men and women deserve a hero's welcome
and a chance to utilize their unique skills to help rebuild our economy
when they return home. Yet, all too often, those who have given so much
for America face a difficult transition back to civilian life and
struggle to find a job worthy of their talents. President Obama and
Secretary Solis are committed to serving our military families as well
as they've served us by providing them with the services and support
they need and deserve to successfully transition to the civilian
workforce and find and secure meaningful careers.
My name is John Moran, and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) at the Department of
Labor, I am proud of the work the Department is doing to support our
Service Members, Veterans, and spouses. We provide these American
heroes with the critical resources and expertise they need and deserve
to help prepare them to obtain meaningful careers, maximize their
employment opportunities, and protect their employment rights.
Prepare, Provide and Protect:
In all our efforts, the Department is guided by the three P's:
Prepare, Provide and Protect. We Prepare our Veterans, separating
Service Members and their spouses to transition from the military to
the civilian workforce through a variety of programs, the most
important and extensive of which is the Transition Assistance Program,
which I will discuss in more detail later in my testimony.
We Provide them with the critical resources, expertise, and
training to assist them in locating and obtaining meaningful careers.
We do so through services provided at the more than 2,800 American Job
Centers (AJC) (formerly known as Career One-Stops) that serve as the
cornerstone for the Nation's workforce investment system, as well as at
other locations. The Department ensures that Veterans, eligible
spouses, and transitioning Service Members receive priority of service
at the AJCs with respect to all Department of Labor (DOL)-funded
employment and training programs.
As you know, the Department has decades of experience working with
states, local areas, Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), non-profits,
employers, and many others to advance the recruitment, training and
employment of Veterans and transitioning Service Members. Through the
Jobs for Veterans State Grants (JVSG) program, for example, the
Department provides grants to states to support Disabled Veterans'
Outreach Program (DVOP) and Local Veterans' Employment Representative
(LVER) staff that provide outreach services and intensive employment
assistance to meet the needs of eligible Veterans and transitioning
Service Members.
We Protect the employment rights of the men and women that serve
this Nation and ensure they are provided every opportunity they have
earned in the workplace. Among the important worker protection laws
enforced by DOL is the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment
Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), which prohibits discrimination against
Members of the Armed Services, Guard and Reserve because of their past,
present, or future military obligations and provides for prompt
reemployment and full restoration of benefits upon completion of
protected service.
The Department also works diligently to investigate and resolve
Veterans' Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) complaints and to ensure
that Veterans receive their due preference in Federal employment. In
addition, we enforce the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance
Act of 1974 (VEVRAA), which prohibits Federal contractors and
subcontractors from discriminating against protected Veterans and
transitioning Service Members, and requires them to ensure equal
opportunity in all aspects of employment.
These three P's guide all our efforts, day in and day out, to serve
these brave men and women with a broad array of coordinated programs
and initiatives that lead to the Secretary's vision of ``Good Jobs for
Everyone.''
Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Employment Workshops:
The U.S. military transitions approximately 160,000 active duty
Service Members and demobilizes 95,000 Reservists and National Guard
members annually. Given these figures, it is imperative that we Prepare
our men and women to reintegrate into the civilian workforce by
providing transition assistance and employment services. This is
especially true now that the Iraq war has officially ended and we are
drawing down our presence in Afghanistan which we expect to result in
an increased number of troops transitioning out of the military in the
coming months.
As I mentioned earlier in my testimony, an important program,
designed to prepare separating Service Members and their spouses' for
transition from the military to civilian employment, is TAP, an
interagency effort led by the Departments of Labor, Veterans Affairs
(VA), Defense (DoD), and Homeland Security (DHS). Through TAP, the DOL
brings to bear its extensive expertise in employment services to
provide a comprehensive three-day TAP Employment Workshop, now known as
the DOL Employment Workshop, at U.S. military installations around the
world.
The Department began providing the DOL Employment Workshops over 20
years ago when Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 1991 (P.L. 101-510). Since then, the number of
workshops, participants and locations has continued to increase. For
instance, in 2003 we expanded TAP to overseas military installations,
pursuant to section 309 of the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003. Two years
later, in FY 2005, DOL began offering Employment Workshops to returning
members of the Reserve and National Guard and committed to providing
requested modules at the 30, 60, and 90-day Yellow Ribbon Reintegration
programs.
To date, the Department has provided training and services through
Employment Workshops to over 2.5 million separating or retiring Service
Members and their spouses at 272 locations worldwide. Last year alone,
DOL provided more than 4,200 Employment Workshops to nearly 145,000
participants at domestic and overseas locations.
Since its inception, the DOL Employment Workshop has been a
valuable tool for Service Members transitioning into the civilian
workforce. However, while the needs of transitioning Service Members
have changed over the past 20 years, the Transition Assistance Program
had remained largely unchanged.
Last year, the Department initiated a major effort aimed at
revamping and updating the Employment Workshop curriculum to bring it
up to date and current with emerging best practices in career
development and adult learning. DOL worked with its partner agencies to
significantly redesign the DOL Employment Workshop to make it more
engaging and relevant in light of the unique challenges facing
returning Service Members, as they look to transition into meaningful
civilian careers during the current economic recession. Aside from a
new curriculum, delivery methods, and student hand-out materials, the
redesign of the Employment Workshop also includes tools to help Service
Members match their military experience to jobs that require similar
training, experience, and skills.
VEI Task Force for a Career-Ready Military and the VOW to Hire Heroes
Act:
Around the same time that DOL began the redesign effort, the
President created a Veterans Employment Initiative (VEI) Task Force for
a Career-Ready Military to develop proposals to maximize the career
readiness of all Service Members. This effort was aimed at building on
the existing TAP program to give separating Service Members a clear
path: to civilian employment; to success in an academic or technical
training program; or to the successful start-up of an independent
business entity or non-profit organization. The Task Force was created
in August of 2011, and included representatives from the Departments of
Defense Veterans Affairs, Labor, Education, the Small Business
Administration (SBA), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Together, we worked to develop a new transition program to meet the
President's mandate for a career ready military.
The Task Force also worked to incorporate the requirements of the
VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (VOW), which the President signed into
law in November 2011. The VOW Act mandates several reforms to the
interagency TAP, such as mandatory participation, with some exceptions
to be determined by DoD and DHS, in consultation with DOL and VA. The
VOW Act also requires that by November 21, 2013, DOL use contract
instructors or facilitators in delivering its Employment Workshop.
DOL Employment Workshop Redesign--Phase I:
The Department worked with our partner agencies on the VEI Task
Force throughout the redesign process. In August 2011 we initiated the
process by awarding a contract to redesign the DOL Employment Workshop
curriculum. The first redesign of the employment workshop curriculum
was completed in November 2011, with the publication of a TAP workshop
participant manual, entitled ``It's Your Future! DOL Employment
Workshop: Participant Guide'' and companion ``Leader Guide'' for
workshop facilitators. In addition, facilitators were provided with CDs
containing various videos and PowerPoint slides that could be used
during their presentations. The new TAP curriculum was divided into 17
individual modules, 12 of which were intended to be taught in the
classroom over three days. There are also three web-based modules and
one to be included as a reference to be used after the workshop.
Prototype workshops using the new curriculum were then tested at
four active duty military installations including, Andrews Air Force
Base, Naval Station Norfolk, Marine Corp Base Camp Lejune, and the Army
base at Fort Bragg. DOL then revised the curriculum based on
observations and feedback from the four pilot sites.
DOL Employment Workshop Redesign--Phase II:
Beginning in December 2011, the current TAP workshop instructors,
comprised of DVOPS and LVERs, were trained on how to facilitate the
redesigned curriculum. In February 2012, this cadre of instructors
began to deliver the workshop under a 3-month pilot program at 11
active duty installations across the services, including the following
sites: Army (Ft. Bragg, Ft. Knox, Ft. Belvoir and Ft. Drum), Navy (NAS
Jacksonville and Naval Base San Diego), Air Force (Travis AFB and JB
McGuire), Marine Corps (MCB Quantico and MCAS Miramar), and Coast Guard
(Cape May).
Beginning in February of 2012, the Department conducted a third-
party formal evaluation of the workshop's effectiveness. In this
evaluation, the aim was to determine if the redesigned TAP curriculum
provided exiting Service Members with the skills, tools, and resources
needed to transition back into civilian employment. Additionally, this
evaluation effort was designed to capture direct feedback from TAP
facilitators and workshop participants to assess levels of
satisfaction, explore workshop effectiveness for participants, and
identify potential areas in which the new curriculum could be revised
and enhanced.
The main study findings and recommendations were based on over
5,200 comments derived from: (1) observational visits to 11 military
bases piloting the new TAP curriculum; (2) in-person interviews with
facilitators involved in conducting the pilot-tests of the new
curriculum at these bases; (3) a survey of participants attending
workshops at the pilot sites; and (4) a survey of facilitators
conducting the workshops at the 11 military bases. Based on the
preliminary results of this evaluation, along with feedback from the
piloting sites and other commentators, a team of Subject Matter Experts
began revising the curriculum in April of 2012.
Proposed revisions included:
Reduce the size of the participant manual.
Improve content by correcting editing mistakes,
inaccuracies, outdated material, and by ensuring high interactivity is
built into the curriculum.
Develop remedial/retraining method to current cadre of
TAP facilitators on newly designed curriculum.
Rollout new revised DOL Employment Workshop by July 2,
2012 in conjunction with DoD Transition Goals Plans Success Pilots.
DOL Employment Workshop Redesign--Phase III:
In early May 2012, the revised DOL Employment Workshop curriculum
was completed and sent out for review and comment to representatives
from over 100 different organizations including Federal and state
governmental entities, Members of Congress and their staff, Veterans
Service Organizations (VSOs), experts in adult learning and training
techniques, Veterans, transitioning Service Members, State Workforce
Agencies, Army, Air Force (USAF), Air Force Reserve (AFR), Air Force
National Guard (AFNG), Coast Guard (USCG), Navy (USN), Marine Corps
(USMC) and others.
Based on the feedback received from the pilot, along with the
formal evaluation report, DOL fine-tuned the Employment Workshop
curriculum. In June 2012, the revised curriculum and training were
approved.
Redesigned 3-Day DOL Employment Workshop:
The redesigned DOL Employment Workshop focuses on experiential
learning and best practices, with an increased emphasis on networking
and communicating the Veteran's skill value to the employer. This new
three-day curriculum relies heavily on interaction and adult learning
principles. It is specifically geared toward the mechanics of getting a
good job, exploring career interests, searching the labor market,
building resumes, preparing for interviews, and negotiating a job
offer.
On Day 1, for example, participants learn how to develop a ``Change
Management Plan'' to identify an overall strategy for transitioning
into the workforce, explore new careers that complement the skills and
expertise learned through their military service, develop a master job
application from which targeted resumes can be built, and learn how to
research the job market using the latest search tools. On Day 2
participants learn how to analyze the job market, understand the
difference between applications and resumes, how to use social media in
job searches and networking, and practice targeted resume development.
During the final session on Day 3, participants learn how searching for
a Federal job differs from the private sector, and they hone their
interview skills through a mock interview exercise.
Transition Goals, Plan, Success (GPS) Program:
The Department has collaborated with VEI Task Force members to
undertake an additional pilot of the DOL Employment Workshop, along
with the other components of the new redesigned TAP, collectively known
as Transition GPS at seven military instillations. This new model will
meet the President's call for a career-ready military, and is designed
to be implemented over the entire course of a Service Member's military
career.
One aspect of Transition GPS consists of a five-day series of
training sessions and workshops that make up the core curriculum
Service Members will be required to attend. During these five days, DoD
will provide an overview of the program and available services, conduct
a financial planning seminar and lead Service Members through a
Military Occupational Code Crosswalk to translate their military
skills, training, and experience into civilian occupations,
credentials, and employment. The VA will conduct a workshop on
available Veterans' benefits and services, and DOL will deliver the
redesigned Employment Workshop previously described above. In addition,
transitioning Service Members will have the option of participating in
tailored tracks in addition to the Core GPS Curriculum including: (1)
an education track; (2) a technical and skills training track; and (3)
an entrepreneurship track.
The Transition GPS pilot was primarily focused on how well each
agency's component pieces complement each other in order to ensure a
logical flow of information and alleviate duplication. Feedback has
been positive and indicates that the new DOL Employment Workshop is
meeting the needs of transitioning Service Members and their spouses.
Therefore, DOL does not anticipate any significant revisions to the
curriculum, and we are moving forward with our phased rollout plan.
As mandated by the VOW Act, DOL awarded a contract in compliance
with the 100 percent contractor facilitation requirement. We are now
ahead of schedule to transition to full contract facilitation and
implementation of the new DOL Employment Workshop curriculum at all
military installations worldwide by January 2013.
The result has been a well-received, well-tested curriculum that
was developed to be responsive to customer input, and inclusive of
training best practices for adult learners. Preparing separating
Service Members and their spouses for the transition to the civilian
job market is central to our mission and we take that mission
seriously.
Conclusion
In the next five years, one million Service Members men and women
will be transitioning from active duty to civilian life. We owe them
the best services and benefits our Nation can provide. The Department,
along with the rest of the Administration, is firmly committed to
fulfilling that sacred obligation. We strive daily to do so through
programs and services designed to Prepare, Provide and Protect our
Veterans, transitioning Service Members and their spouses.
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Braley, Members of the Subcommittee,
this concludes my statement. Thank you again for the opportunity to
testify today. I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
ATTACHMENT 1
DOL TAP EMPLOYMENT WORKSHOP (DOLEW) REDESIGN TIMELINE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Date:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redesign TAP contract Awarded 8/2011
------------------------------------------------------------------------
New DOLEW curriculum developed 10/2011
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Began new DOLEW tested at 4 military installations 10/2011
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DVOP/LVER facilitators were trained on new 12/2011
curriculum
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-month Pilot program began at 11 sites 2/2012
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOLEW curriculum & training revisions 5/2012
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOLEW curriculum & training finalized and approved 6/2012
------------------------------------------------------------------------
New DOLEW curriculum & training rollout 7/2012
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOLEW Facilitation Contract Awarded 8/2012
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contractor Phase-In Period to Recruit, Train and 10-12/2012
obtain SOFA Agreements for OCONUS Sites
------------------------------------------------------------------------
100% Contract Facilitation at all DOLEW sites 1/2013
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prepared Statement of Mr. Rhett Jeppson
Chairman Marlin A. Stutzman (IN), Ranking Member Bruce L. Braley
(IA) and members of the Subcommittee--thank you for inviting me to
testify.
My name is Rhett Jeppson. I currently serve as the Associate
Administrator for Veterans Small Business Development at the U.S. Small
Business Administration and am also a veteran. I am a Lieutenant
Colonel in the United States Marines Corps Reserve, with recent service
in U.S. European Command, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, and U.S. Special
Operations. After my first tour in the Marine Corps, I left the service
to operate a small family business while my father underwent a bone
marrow transplant. Additionally, in the late nineties I served as the
Director of State Purchasing in Florida.
Two of America's greatest assets are the service of our returning
veterans and the economic dynamism of our small businesses. Our
Nation's 28 million small businesses employ half of the private sector
workforce and are responsible for creating 2 out of 3 net new private
sector jobs across the country. \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Headd, Brian. ``An Analysis of Small Business and Jobs,'' U.S.
Small Business Administration, March 2010.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As small business owners, veterans continue to serve our country
and create jobs in our communities. According to the most recent U.S.
Census data, nearly 1 in 10 small businesses are veteran-owned. These
businesses generate about $1.2 trillion in receipts and employ nearly
5.8 million Americans. \2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``Survey of Business Owners - Veteran-Owned Firms, 2007,'' U.S.
Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, May 2011.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research also demonstrates that veterans over index in
entrepreneurship. In the private sector workforce, veterans are at
least 45 percent more likely than those with no active-duty military
experience to be self-employed. \3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ ``Factors Affecting Entrepreneurship among Veterans,'' Office
of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration, March 2011.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today, there are over 200,000 servicemembers each year
transitioning from active service. Boots to Business, the
entrepreneurial track of the new Transition Assistance Program (TAP),
is focused on providing these servicemembers with the training, tools
and resources they need to make the transition from military
servicemembers to successful business leaders.
SBA's Role Supporting Veteran-Owned Businesses
At SBA we are focused on making sure our Nation's veterans have the
capital, the counseling and the access to contracting opportunities
they need to start, build and grow successful business. This is what we
refer to as our 3 Cs: capital, counseling, and contracting.
The first `C' is capital. In FY 2011, SBA supported more than 4,300
loans to veteran business owners, totaling more than $1.5 billion.
In addition, our Patriot Express Loan program has supported more
than $460 million in lending to veteran entrepreneurs and small
business owners over the last three years. The program, which has been
extended through 2013, offers low-interest loans to members of the
veteran and military community.
Our second `C' is counseling. Our data show that small business
owners who have a long-term counselor are more likely to hire, grow,
and increase revenues.
Not many people know just how extensive SBA's counseling network
is. We call it the SBA bone structure. The backbone is our SBA
employees on the ground in 68 field offices around the country. If the
field office is our bone structure, our muscle is our Resource Partner
network comprised of over 900 Small Business Development Centers, most
at local colleges and universities, more than 100 Women's Business
Centers, our Veteran Business Outreach Centers, and more than 370
chapters of a mentoring program called SCORE.
In sum, there are about 14,000 SBA-affiliated counselors who serve
about 1 million people each year, and the best part is it's free for
participants. We estimate that there is an SBA counselor within about
an hour of every small business in America.
Last year our Small Business Development Centers, Women's
Development Centers and SCORE network trained more than 68,000 veteran
entrepreneurs. And, an additional 86,000 veterans received training and
business counseling through our Veteran Business Outreach Centers last
year.
The third `C' is contracting. At SBA, we work across Federal
agencies to ensure that the statutory goal of 23 percent of Federal
contracts are awarded to small businesses. This is a win-win. Contracts
are the oxygen that small businesses need to build their top line. At
the same time, the government gets to work with some of the most
innovative, nimble and responsive companies--often with a direct line
to the CEO.
The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern
Procurement Program allows Federal agencies to set acquisitions aside
for exclusive competition among service disabled veteran-owned small
business concerns. SBA works with service disabled veteran-owned small
businesses to build awareness of Federal contracting opportunities and
to ensure they have the resources they need to bid for Federal
contracts.
Last year we helped service disabled veteran-owned small businesses
access more than $11.2 billion in Federal prime contracting dollars.
This is the fifth consecutive year that we have increased the amount of
Federal contracting going to these businesses.
Operation Boots to Business: From Service to Startup
In the fall of 2010 and 2011, President Obama called for the
creation of two joint task forces: the Department of Defense-Department
of Veterans Affairs (DoD-VA) Veterans Employment Initiative Task Force
and the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development
led by SBA. The goals of the task forces are to:
1) develop proposals to maximize the career readiness of all
servicemembers; and
2) create proposals to better support veteran-owned small business
owners.
Both task forces identified the need to create a nationwide
entrepreneurship training program for transitioning servicemembers. As
an outcome of these task forces, SBA is working with DoD and VA to
include entrepreneurship training as a part of the overall, service-
wide changes to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP).
The overall goal of the ``new TAP'' is to strengthen the transition
of all of our servicemembers from military to civilian life and to
prepare them for success in the next phase of their life. In the ``new
TAP,'' each servicemember will receive ``core'' education in post-
service veterans' benefits. In addition, the goal is for each veteran
to choose from three ``optional'' tracks for further, targeted
training: 1) Higher Education; 2) Technical Training; and 3)
Entrepreneurship. When fully implemented, the SBA and its partner
network would deliver the entrepreneurship track to those transitioning
servicemembers who opt-in to receive entrepreneurship training.
The Operation Boots to Business program will build on SBA's role as
a national leader in entrepreneurship training. SBA will leverage its
ongoing collaboration with Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans
and Military Families (IVMF) to provide comprehensive training
materials specifically geared toward transitioning servicemembers.
Through the Boots to Business initiative, SBA Resource Partners
will build on these efforts by deploying this expertise at military
bases around the country to collaboratively deliver face-to-face
introductory entrepreneurship training as a network. Our Resource
Partners, not a group of contractors, will also introduce transitioning
servicemembers to the essentials of entrepreneurship and lifetime
business support available to them in our Resource Partner network.
A transitioning servicemember upon completion of the introductory
course may enroll in an intensive, 8-week online business planning
training course delivered by Syracuse and other affiliated University
partners. As always, counselors and mentors from SBA's Resource Partner
network will be there to work with servicemembers throughout the eight-
week online course, and thereafter as these servicemembers start their
businesses.
There is great work that is already going on around the country by
our Resource Partners to provide transitioning servicemembers and
veterans with entrepreneurship training. At the same time, SBA, DoD and
the Services realize the need to have a standardized curriculum to
ensure that every servicemember has the opportunity to receive
entrepreneurship training. The national curriculum, enhanced by the
tailored approach and expertise of our Resource Partner network, helps
us ensure that every transitioning servicemember has this opportunity.
This national, Resource Partner-delivered model is dependent on FY2013
funding and statutory authority to help support the training that will
occur on bases across the country.
The national initiative consists of three progressive phases that
will deliver exposure/introduction, feasibility assessment, and in-
depth training for servicemembers interested in business ownership:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Phase 1: Short Introduction on Entrepreneurship (< 10 minute video)
Phase 1 of the program will introduce all 200,000 plus
transitioning servicemembers to entrepreneurship as a career path. The
introductory video is packaged and delivered for online streaming or
DVD distribution. Participation is mandatory as part of the TAP
curriculum.
Phase 2: Feasibility Analysis Instruction (2 days)
Phase 2 guides participants through a 2-day classroom instruction
focused on creating a feasibility analysis for a business plan. This
training will be delivered face-to-face by our Resource Partners on-
base. The Feasibility Analysis Deliverable will represent the outcome
of the 2-day intensive seminar. The document will serve as the basis
for future business planning efforts, and is designed to assist the
servicemember in developing an `actionable' plan for subsequent effort
focused on launching a new venture. A pre-formatted template will be
used to facilitate the completion of the analysis during the 2-day
training and participants will `walk away' from the training with a
completed feasibility study of their own business concept.
Phase 3: In-depth Online Entrepreneurship Course (8-week ONLINE course)
Phase 3 offers participants an in-depth, 8-week online training
program to further explore the fundamentals of small business
ownership. This online course will be offered by Syracuse and its
affiliated University instructors/partners. Curriculum topics include
understanding customers, marketing, accounting and finance, and
operations. This online course will be offered on a rolling basis, to
be completed within 60 days from the start date. Participation is
optional, but participants must sign up in advance.
Getting Started: Pilot with the USMC
To test the initiative prior to national rollout, in June 2012 SBA
partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps to deliver a streamlined version
of the Boots to Business entrepreneurship training to approximately
20,000 transitioning Marines in four pilot locations: Quantico (VA),
Cherry Point (NC), Camp Pendleton (CA), and Twenty-Nine Palms (CA).
The pilot with the Marines consists of three progressive phases to
deliver exposure, introduction, and in-depth training for
servicemembers interested in business ownership. The pilot does not
include the 2-day feasibility assessment but uses a 90 minute course at
the pilot locations due to time and cost constraints.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Phase 1: Short Introduction on Entrepreneurship (10 minute video)
Estimated Number of Participants: ALL 20,000
transitioning Marines at the four bases participating in the pilot.
Phase 2 (Initial USMC pilot only): In-Person Classroom Training Course
on Entrepreneurship (90-minute training)
Estimated Number of Participants: 4,000 Marines,
representing 20% of population at the four bases in the pilot.
Delivery: Face-to-face, by SBA Resource Partners on-base.
Phase 3: In-depth Online Entrepreneurship Course (8-week course)
Estimated Number of Participants: 1,600 Marines,
representing 8% of population at 4 pilot sites; 40% of initial
participation due to attrition.
Registration Information: Registration information for
the 8-week course is provided in the 90-minute curriculum slide deck so
that participants can learn about their opportunity to sign up for the
8-week online course. Additional information is also provided in the
90-minute course's teaching notes. Interested Marines can register for
the 8-week online course by going to http://boots2business.org and
hitting the `register' tab, filling out the registration form, and
entering the following code: USMC2012. The original version of the 8-
week online course will be managed by professors in Syracuse
University's network. The SBA is also exploring self-paced curriculums
for future uses.
Delivery: By Syracuse and its affiliated University
instructors/partners
Supplemental Demonstration of 2-Day Curriculum at VA Conference on June
24-25, 2012
Overview: SBA partnered with Department of Defense (DoD),
Veterans Affairs (VA), Syracuse, and SBA Resource Partners to present a
2-day feasibility analysis curriculum at the National Veterans
Procurement Conference June 24-25th. The purpose was to demonstrate the
additional phase of the Program which will be integrated into the
nationwide rollout but which is not part of the streamlined Marine
Pilot.
Estimated Number of Participants: 50 servicemembers, representing all
branches of the military.
In August 2012 three Navy locations were added to the pilot:
Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, DC, Bethesda, MD and King's Bay, GA. In
October 2012, the U.S. Army plans to host a pilot in Ft. Sill, OK.
Following our assessment of the pilot we plan to roll the program
out nationally to all branches of the military in FY 2013 subject to
funding.
We know that our Nation's veterans helped reshape the American
economy following World War II. They helped to build one of the longest
periods of economic growth in our country's history.
And, we know they can do it again if they are encouraged and
supported with the right tools and the right opportunities. That's what
Boots to Business is all about.
And, it's why we are committed to ensuring that these amazing men
and women have the access and opportunity they need to fully realize
their potential as entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Thank you for your time today and for allowing me to appear before
this Committee.
Prepared Statement of Dr. Susan Kelly
Chairman Stutzman, Ranking Member Braley, and Members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the views of the
Department of Defense (DoD) on the redesign of the Transition
Assistance Program (TAP). TAP, the cornerstone of the Department's
transition efforts, is a collaborative partnership between DoD, the
Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
It is the primary platform used to deliver an extensive array of
services and benefits information to all eligible separating, retiring
and demobilizing/deactivating Service members.
Our overall goal at the Department of Defense is to ensure those
who are leaving Service are prepared for their next step--whether that
step is pursuing additional education, finding a job in the public or
private sector, or starting their own business. Particularly in this
economic climate, we are concerned about the number of unemployed
veterans, especially our 18-24 year old population. Finding ways to
help veterans to successfully transition to civilian life is a priority
for the President and the Department.
Redesigned TAP
Under the leadership of President Obama, and with strong bipartisan
support in Congress, we have fundamentally redesigned TAP. This
redesign effort involves a strong interagency partnership that will
make the needs of today's Service members and their families the top
priority.
In his ``Call to Action'' on August 5, 2011, the President mandated
the creation of a joint DoD and VA task force to work with the White
House economic and domestic policy staff and other agencies to develop
proposals to maximize the career readiness of all Service members. As a
result, the DoD/VA Veterans Employment Initiative (VEI) Task Force was
established in September 2011, with representatives from the
Departments of Labor and Education, the Small Business Administration,
the Office of Personnel Management, and the President's economic and
domestic policy teams.
The President also emphasized the need to develop reforms to ensure
that every Service member receives training, education, and credentials
needed to transition to the civilian workforce, pursue higher
education, and be ``career ready'' upon separation from the military.
In the TAP redesign, a new career readiness standard for Service
members seeking employment requires a quality resume (public or private
sector), professional personal references and/or a a job application or
an acceptance letter from a potential employer. Service members
pursuing degrees or career technical training will meet the career
readiness standard for education or career technical training by
completing an application package for submission to an education or
training institution, providing confirmed appointments with an
institution's academic counselor and connection with student veteran
organizations, or an acceptance letter to an academic or training
institution. Student veteran organizations benefit veterans by
providing an opportunity to interact socially with other student
veterans who have similar experiences and challenges. Other examples of
career readiness standards include registration in eBenefits, a
completed Individual Transition Plan (ITP), and a 12 month post
military budget reflecting personal goals. These are several examples
of our new ``career readiness standards'' Service members will meet
before they are separated from military service.
In July 2012, President Obama announced the launch of the
``Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, Success)'', the culmination of the TAP
redesign efforts that will establish the career readiness standards,
extend the transition preparation through the entire span of a Service
member's career, and provide counseling to facilitate the development
of an individual transition plan. The Department anticipates
approximately 307,000 Service members will separate annually over the
next 4 years. Our goal is to prepare and equip them to be career ready
and apply their valuable military experience however and wherever they
choose in the civilian workforce.
Transition GPS improvements recognize the Military Services'
cultural differences and the unique circumstance of Reservists and
National Guard members. The Services have the flexibility to modify the
program to reflect unique Service culture while maintaining the
program's standardized curriculum and mandatory learning objectives.
This flexibility provides Services opportunity to adjust for their
Service members' individual transition goals and Service mission
requirements. The end state for each Service member is to meet the
Career Readiness Standards for the career plan they have chosen,
regardless of branch of Service.
The building blocks of the new Transition GPS consist of Pre-
separation counseling, CORE Curriculum, optional tracks and CAPSTONE.
Pre-separation Assessment and Counseling: Each
transitioning Service member must go through mandatory pre-separation
counseling to introduce them to the full range of programs and services
available to them during their transition. While some pre-separation
needs are common, other needs are identified for individual Service
members resulting in immediate referral to installation resources to
address such needs. The needs and referrals are documented in an
official form that becomes part of the Service member's permanent file.
The CORE Curriculum, includes the following:
b Financial Planning: A workshop on financial planning provides
Service members with the information and tools needed to identify
financial responsibilities, obligations, and goals after separation
from the military. Upon completing the financial planning seminar,
Service members will be prepared to build an integrated 12 month budget
that reflects post-military employment, education, or training goals,
ultimately helping to ensure their personal and family security.
Instructors and financial planning staff will be available for follow-
up counseling as requested by the Service member or as identified by
the subject matter expert.
Military Occupational Code (MOC) Crosswalk: The MOC
Crosswalk is a module on translating military skills, training, and
experience into credentialing appropriate for civilian jobs. Upon
completing this module, Service members will have a file recording
their military career experience and skills; translation of their
military occupation experience to civilian sector skills; and
identification of gaps in their training and/or experience that need to
be filled to meet their personal goals. Members will be able to develop
a clear line of sight between their military skills and training and
career fields of their choice. This will permit a targeted job search
and self-development by each Service member. Instructors and education
and employment experts are available for further personal assistance.
VA Benefits Briefings: Workshops on VA benefits that
inform transitioning Service members of their Veterans benefits
options. The VA modules include the VA Education Briefing (Post 9/11
and Montgomery GI Bills, Pell Grants, and other Federal student aid),
the VA Benefits briefing including the Disabled Transition Assistance
Program (DTAP) information and information about Veterans health,
education, home loan guarantee, insurance, and other benefits for which
they may be eligible. Service members will have face-to-face access to
VA staff, facilitating personalized attention and service.
Individual Transition Plan: Each Service member is
required to develop an ITP which, step- by-step, helps the Service
member determine the actions they must take to achieve their career
goals. Each plan will be tailored, and the documents required by the
plan reviewed by the Commanders or their appointed representatives.
Service members will deliver products to serve as evidence that they
are indeed, prepared for their transition and postured to meet their
post-separation goals.
Optional Tracks consisting of:
b Education Track: Service members pursuing college education will
receive guidance to prepare for the college application process. The
Education Track addresses such topics as identifying one's educational
goals, education funding, and researching and comparing institutions.
Upon completion of the education track, Service members will be
prepared to submit an application to an academic institution, schedule
a session with a counselor from the institution, and connect with a
Student Veterans Organization on campus. Service members will be able
to meet with installation education counselors for individualized
preparation, as desired.
b Career Technical Training Track: Service members pursuing further
technical training and job-ready skills will receive individualized
guidance and help in selecting a training institute/college/program and
technical fields. The Technical Training Track addresses such topics as
selection of a reputable career and technical training program or
college, the application process to a school from start to finish, and
how to use certification finder Web tools and other Internet resources
that identify licensed occupations, and a military occupational code
translator. Similar to the Education Track, upon completing the
Technical Training track, Service members will be prepared to submit an
application to a technical training institute/college/program, schedule
a session with a program counselor, and connect with a veteran student
organization at the facility or in the vicinity, as available.
Technical training experts and VA vocational education counselors will
be available to meet individually with Service members, as needed.
Entrepreneurship Track: Service members pursuing self-
employment in the private or non- profit sector will learn about the
challenges faced by entrepreneurs, the benefits and realities of
entrepreneurship, and the steps toward business ownership. Upon
completing the Entrepreneurship Track, Service members will have
developed the initial components of their business plan. After
completing an optional eight-week online course, Service members and
Veterans will be connected with a small business owner to mentor and
guide them through their business start-up. This is a tremendous effort
by SBA and we are grateful for their commitment to our Service members.
CAPSTONE: A singular event which verifies the Service
member meets the relevant Career Readiness Standards to posture him or
her for success after military service. For example, the Service
members must provide evidence that they are, indeed, financially ready
by preparing a budget for the first 12-months post-separation; they
must show a resume or application to enter college or technical
training institute; and the member must have a completed ITP. The
CAPSTONE Event remains in development by the Military Services. We
anticipate they will have CAPSTONE in place, piloted, and ready for
implementation by the end of fiscal year 2013.
In November 2011, President Obama signed into law the VOW to Hire
Heroes Act of 2011, and we are on track to implement TAP-related
provisions by November 21, 2012:
In accordance with the VOW Act, the new DOL Employment Workshop
will be mandatory for nearly all Service members, including the Reserve
and National Guard leaving active duty. However the law does allow for
exemptions. The VOW Act states that the Secretaries of Defense and
Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and
Veterans Affairs, may grant exemptions to the mandatory participation
requirement for Service members unlikely to face major readjustment,
healthcare, employment, or other challenges associated with the
transition to civilian life. The exemptions policy is in development
and clearly states no Service member is exempt from receiving Pre-
separation Counseling and the VA Benefits Briefing.
The VOW Act very wisely mandates services for demobilizing
Reservists and National Guard members as they face unique
circumstances. Reservists and National Guard members in demobilizing
units frequently return to dispersed geographic locations. Many return
immediately to previous employment, but others are returning to homes
hit by economic downturn; and still others return to college endeavors.
The challenge of the Department and its partners is to meet these
Service members' needs while they are spread across the Nation,
separated from a military support network.
The VOW Act does not mandate participation in optional tracks.
These are additional requirements to the VOW Act established by the
Department, in collaboration with our interagency partners.
The primary delivery method for the components of the program will
be in person, in a traditional ``brick and mortar'' classroom setting.
Nonetheless, because of the geographic disbursement of some Service
members, the nature of the Reserve Component, and the requirement for
mandatory participation by all Service members in TAP, the Task Force
will develop virtual delivery methods for Transition GPS. Such delivery
methods will need to meet quality standards to help ensure equivalent
outcomes to brick and mortar instruction.
To implement the Transition GPS, the Department conducted seven
pilots of the CORE Curriculum and the revised DOL Employment Workshop
this summer. The locations were:
Randolph Air Force Base
Jacksonville Naval Air Station
New York Army National Guard, Utica, NY
Fort Sill, OK
Norfolk Naval Station
Miramar Marine Corps Air Station
Fort Hood Army Reserve
On August 21-22, 2012, the Department piloted the Education Track
at Randolph Air Force Base and the Entrepreneurship Track was piloted
at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. The Department and VA anticipate
piloting the Career Technical Track at Quantico Marine Corps Station
this fall and a CAPSTONE proof of concept at Jacksonville Naval Air
Station in December of this year.
Preliminary results indicate the piloted curriculums are hitting
the mark. There has been incredible support by the Military Services,
Commanders, The State Adjutant General, NY, installation staffs, and
our interagency partners. The revised DOL Employment Workshop,
financial planning seminar, and VA Benefits Briefing have received
positive feedback. However preliminary feedback indicates that we must
align the curriculum across all partner modules to ensure seamless
learning experience for Service members. We will take a hard look at
this to ensure the best use of Service members' time.
The pilots have also shown us that Service members value the
information, Web sites, skills building, and practical work they must
accomplish. For example, the Financial Planning Seminar exercise of
developing a 12-month post-military budget illustrated the importance
of financial planning and preparedness post military life. Service
members have to calculate and document how they will financially meet
the first 12 months of post-separation costs for expenditures such as
healthcare, changes in the geographic cost of living, dependent care,
taxes, and life insurance. In the pilots, Service members become very
engaged in deliberate personal planning and preparation of their post
military budget.
Additional lessons learned include:
Service members are learning to translate their military
skills into civilian language and to navigate the DOL Labor Market
Information (LMI) Web site to what employment opportunities exist in
their geographical relocation areas.
Commanders and installation leadership ``hands-on''
involvement are critical to the success of the pilots.
Limiting the class to50 participants is a definite
improvement and having classrooms equipped with audio-visual equipment
and access to the internet enhances the learning environment.
To help us garner grassroots feedback, we developed on-line
assessment tools for Service members, facilitators, and the team of
observers who attended each pilot. The Department also set up a ``TAP
Auditor Sensing Session'' as part of our pilot evaluation. We asked for
volunteers who already completed the legacy TAP, but are still on
Active Duty, to go through the redesigned TAP and give us feedback.
Overall, the Transition GPS scored high marks for improved information
and skills building.
The Department will complete the analysis of all pilot assessments
by the end of September and will assemble a group of subject matter and
functional experts to make adjustments to the curriculums by October.
The modified Transition GPS Core curriculum will be in place by
November 21.
Military LifeCycle Transition Model
The measure of a successful transition does not reside solely on a
Service member's participation in the new Transition GPS. Rather it is
a shared responsibility with military leadership at every level within
the command structure that ensures that Service members receive
opportunities to prepare for or meet career goals. In tandem there must
be strong personal involvement by the Service member and his or her
family. We will continue to find new ways to not only reach our Service
members and provide useful information to them, but also strive to
provide them with skills for the job search and other challenges they
will encounter as they transition to civilian life. A virtual delivery
model offers great potential to allow Service members to both learn and
refresh skills. The Department and our partners are exploring this
capability.
We learned that we cannot wait until the end of a Service member's
military career to help him or her succeed after separation. We have to
start early and give our members the tools they need to develop
personal goals, and reach milestones throughout their careers.
Therefore, starting in fiscal year 2014, the Department will
migrate from our current TAP program, which occurs toward the end of a
military career, to an innovative Military LifeCycle Transition Model
that will start at the beginning of a Service members' military career.
The objective of the model is for transition to become a well-planned,
organized progression that empowers Service members to make informed
career decisions and take responsibility for advancing their personal
goals. Service members will be made aware of the career readiness
standards they must meet long before their separation. They will be
engaged throughout their military careers in mapping and refining their
Individual Development Plans to achieve their military goals and their
post-military goals for employment, education, career technical
training, or starting their own business.
Throughout the Military Lifecycle, Service members will have
various ``touch points'' that will be mapped into their military
lifecycle. For example, at their first permanent duty station or first
drilling weekend, they will initiate their Individual Transition Plan
(ITP) - a document they will update throughout their military
lifecycle. Also during their first 12 - 24 months, they will be able to
complete the Transition GPS curriculums (MOC Crosswalk, Personal
Financial Seminar, Education, Career Technical Training, or
Entrepreneurship) at various stages of their military lifecycle-- well
in advance of separation. Deployments provide yet another ``touch
point'' in the Military LifeCycle when we can provide Service members
and their families with budgeting and personal financial planning
skills that are necessary to help them improve and maintain their
financial footing during such a challenging time in their military
lives.
When it is time for the member to separate, the ITP will migrate
into the Individual Transition Plan--a roadmap that will assist the
Service member with their transition process.
The Military LifeCycle Model requires Service members to meet the
same Career Readiness Standards (CRS) mentioned earlier and the CRS
will be verified at a CAPSTONE Event prior to separation.
Credentialing and Licensing Task Force
The Department is leading a new Credentialing and Licensing Task
Force that was directed by President Obama this May in order to address
gaps between military occupational specialties and civilian licensing
requirements. The Task Force will do the following:
Identify military specialties that readily transfer to
high-demand jobs, such as aircraft maintenance, automotive mechanics,
healthcare specialists, truck drivers, information technology
professionals, and logisticians;
Engage civilian, state, and local credentialing and
licensing entities to close gaps between military training programs and
credentialing and licensing requirements;
Seek ways to partner with VA to help certain groups of
veterans develop new skills in order to better compete in the private
sector. For example, some infantry veterans - who have expertise that
may not transfer readily to the business world - are acquiring
information technology skills through a digital tutoring program
developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Our goal is to help private sector employers appreciate veterans'
valuable skills and experience, and to simplify the process for
translating military skills and experience into private sector
credentials. For our communities, there is an enormous return on our
investment in these veterans. We began this effort with a focus on the
manufacturing sector, and partnered with leading manufacturing
credentialing agencies to enable up to 126,000 Service members to gain
industry-recognized certifications for high-demand manufacturing jobs.
Conclusion
In summary, the end-state for the redesigned TAP will be manifested
by a population of Service members who have the tools and resources to
empower themselves to make informed career decisions, be competitive in
the workforce, and continue to be positive contributors to their
community as they transition to civilian life.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement. On behalf of the men and
women in the military today and their families, I thank you and the
members of this Subcommittee for your steadfast support.
Prepared Statement of Brigadier General Robert F. Hedelund
Executive Summary
As our Nation's force in readiness, Marines always stand combat
ready. The Commandant is committed to ensuring they also stand
transition ready. The Marine Corps is transforming its approach to
transition assistance to one that engages Marines throughout the
military lifecycle. We will help our Marines develop long-term
education and career goals and will equip them with the skills needed
to successfully reintegrate into civilian life. Our first phase was to
revolutionize our end of cycle transition readiness course, which now
contains both core and track content that tailors a Marine's transition
experience to his or her goals. We are confident in our approach and
are working hard to ensure Marines and families are ready for the
demands of their post-active duty lives.
Chairman Stutzman, Ranking Member Braley, and distinguished Members
of this Subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to describe the
steps we are taking to transform our Transition Assistance Program
(TAP). As our Nation's force in readiness, Marines always stand combat
ready. The Commandant is committed to ensuring they also stand
transition ready. Partnering with the Office of the Secretary of
Defense and our sister services, the Departments of Veterans Affairs
(VA), Labor (DOL), and other federal agencies, we are transforming our
program from a single event toward the end of a Marine's service to one
that engages Marines throughout their military lifecycle. From their
entry into the Corps, we will help Marines establish long-term
education and career goals and will equip them with skills to ensure
they are career ready to successfully reintegrate into civilian life in
communities throughout our country. Along the way, we will provide
counseling and advisement services plus critical resources such as
tuition assistance and credentialing for selected military skills. This
is important work; we are determined to get it right.
Revolutionizing Our Approach to Transition Assistance
We have been at this for some time. In keeping faith with our
Marines and families, the 2010 Commandant's Planning Guidance directed
a review and improvement of the transition assistance we were
providing. The Commandant personally reviewed results of three
Transition Assistance Operational Planning Teams and approved plans to
correct deficiencies with legacy programs through a conceptual
framework to improve services and integrate personal and professional
development services.
Effective transition assistance is not achieved simply by
completing a training course at the end of one's service, thus simply
checking a block. It requires continuous deliberation and planning of
one's future goals, quality advisement, and a thorough understanding of
available resources and tools. Because 75 percent of our Marines
transition from active service after their first enlistment, we must
ensure these Marines have the tools needed to return to civilian life
and be productive citizens. Our Marine Lifecycle Model will engage our
Marines at designated touch points during their service and will focus
on the knowledge, skills and abilities they will need to effectively
translate their Marine Corps experience into meaningful careers or
transition to new pursuits. This model positions us to better support
both the advancement of a Marine's military career and the eventual
reintegration into civilian life upon leaving active duty service.
Transition will no longer be a culminating event to a Marine's career;
it will rather become a vital part of a Marine's continuous personal
and professional development from recruit to veteran.
Our Revised Transition Readiness Course
In migrating to a Marine Lifecycle Model, we directed our first
plan of action at revolutionizing our TAP course. As our overall intent
is readiness of the individual Marine, our redesign began with our
transition readiness course. Initially piloted in the Marine Corps in
January 2012, our five-day course incorporates the learning objectives
and standards required by the Transition Goals Plans Success program,
which requires Marines to reach certain milestones in order to be fully
transition ready. Our incorporation of these objectives ensures we will
comply with the requirements of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act and the
President's Veteran's Employment Initiative (VEI).
One of the essential elements of our course is track choice. Via
their feedback, our Marines have been most supportive of these tracks.
Therefore, our overall goal is to balance core and track content to
allow Marines to individually tailor their training experience to meet
their personal goals. Following completion by all attendees of
mandatory core curricula including the DOL's Employment Workshop and
the VA's benefits brief during the first three days of the program,
Marines choose the track that is most aligned with their post-service
goals and objectives: Education; Skills and Technical Training;
Employment; or Entrepreneurship. During the remaining time of the
course, Marines further explore their chosen pathway.
The Education track, for example, gives more detailed information
on the college admissions process, determining the right college or
university, and important considerations in standardized testing and
accreditation. The Entrepreneurship track gives advice on developing an
effective business plan and finding sources of capital. The Skills and
Technical Training track distinguishes certification, licensure and
apprenticeship and assists with online resources. The Employment track
expands upon the mandatory DOL Employment Workshop and explores in
greater detail best practices in finding jobs including opportunities
and hiring practices with the Federal Government. Because all tracks
require Marines to interact in professional settings whether seeking
work, applying for small business loans, or discussing education goals
with school administrators, all tracks train Marines in effective
interview skills. Marines may participate in the transition training
curriculum more than once, must complete pre-work requirements to
enhance the transition experience, and are encouraged to bring spouses.
In August 2012, the Marine Corps piloted its revised course at
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and generated important lessons
learned. These insights will form the basis of our revised transition
program that will be implemented at other Marine Corps installations
beginning in September 2012. The core elements of training will include
pre-separation counseling, a crosswalk of military occupational
specialty skills to civilian jobs, a re-designed DOL employment
workshop, and a VA benefits brief. Our tracks will remain relatively
unchanged. In partnership with the DOL and VA, transition training will
be introduced at Marine Corps installations throughout Fiscal Year
2013.
Making Marines Transition Ready
We are confident that our Marine Lifecycle Model and our revised
transition program will make our Marines transition ready. We are
working hard to ensure they are prepared for the demands of the post-
active duty phase of their lives. Whether they choose to be reservists,
students, business owners, or employees, our Marines will return as
quality citizens with a plan for success. Thank you again for your
sincere concern in our transition efforts, concern which was most
recently demonstrated by the presence of two of your professional staff
members, Mr. Jon Clark and Ms. Orfa Angelica Torres-Jaen, at our August
Miramar pilot. Their insight and presence were helpful to both the
pilot staff and the training participants. Cooperation in this effort
is key because only by working together will we be able to provide our
servicemembers and their families with the transition support they need
after giving so much in dedicated service to our Nation.
Prepared Statement of Brigadier General Jason T. Evans
Chairman Stutzman, Representative Braley, members of the Committee,
I would like to express my appreciation for this opportunity to appear
before you to discuss the Army's Transition Assistance Program or TAP.
This program was established by the enactment of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991. The program prescribed that the
services would be required to provide Preseparation Counseling and
Employment Assistance Training to all retiring and separating Soldiers
and their Family members.
Redesigning Transitional Assistance Program for the Army
The Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) is the Army's Transition
Assistance Program (TAP) integrated and coordinated with The Department
of Labor (DOL) and Veterans Affairs (VA). The overall goal of the TAP
is to provide separating and/or retiring servicemembers and their
families the information, skill set, and resources needed for a
successful transition to the civilian sector. The TAP also provides
civilian career development, personal and financial wellness plans, and
life transition preparation to all separating and/or retiring Airmen.
ACAP recently celebrated its twentieth year of providing transition
services. Looking back at two decades of helping Soldiers to transition
from the Army back into civilian life shows us how far we've come.
In response to Public Law and in the face of increased reductions
in the size of the military, ACAP began as a one-year pilot program in
1990 to prepare Soldiers, Department of the Army (DA) Civilians, and
their families for separation from the Army. ACAP started with six
pilot sites, and quickly grew to eight, fielding 55 sites by the end of
the pilot.
As with all of American society, the events of September 11, 2001
had a significant impact on ACAP and the provision of transition
services. Most significantly, Reserve Component Soldiers--the Army
National Guard and the Army Reserve - were beginning to play a much
greater role in the Global War on Terror. As Guardsmen and Reservists
grew to provide as much as 28% of the forces in the field, they would
also need greater access to transition services. Just as they had
mobilized for war, they would also need to demobilize and transition
back to their civilian lives. Following 9/11, the Army's strategic and
policy priorities were shifting and changing in response to world
events. Flexibility continued to be a vital component of ACAP as it
worked to ensure that Soldiers' transition needs were anticipated and
met.
The next major step along the road for ACAP was the 2010 United
States Military Academy (USMA) study. The study resulted in a
recommendation to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army to place greater
emphasis on providing a lifecycle of decision-based services to
Soldiers through a program that unit commanders would be responsible
for overseeing.
As ACAP moves forward following the USMA Study, it has become a
much more robust and rich program. ACAP began offering its services
through a secure web portal so that Soldiers, DA Civilians, and their
families could take advantage of online transition services safely from
any location, worldwide. ACAP is now a commanders' program as unit
commanders will have oversight of and track their Soldiers' progress
through transition services. Commanders begin transition preparation by
discussing military and long term goals during the Soldier's first unit
of assignment. Commanders will identify a focal point/advisor for
synchronizing the unit's transition program with the ACAP program.
Additionally, ACAP is providing services that will be driven by a
Soldier's life choices. So whether a Soldier chooses to seek private
employment, pursue higher education or start his or her own business,
ACAP offers tailored transition counseling and training for each path.
Core Curriculum and Career Readiness Mandatory Services
In order to implement the re-design of the Transition Assistance
Program (TAP) to meet the requirements of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of
2011 (VOW), and Transition Goals, Planning, and Success (GPS) as
directed by the Presidential Veterans Employment Initiative Task Force
(VEI TF), the Core Curriculum and Career Readiness Standards have been
created, redesigned and improved to represent a life-cycle model to
better assist our transitioning Soldiers:
--No later than 12 months prior to planned separation, the Soldier
will begin his or her preseparation counseling with an ACAP advisor.
During this time, Soldiers are informed about transition services and
benefits available to them. Each attendee will then begin the
development of the GPS for employment and at the end of the first day;
attendees will have built their GPS for their financial futures. They
are also guided in developing an Individual Transition Plan (ITP) from
a highly qualified counselor. We are also pleased that our Army Spouses
can participate in the TAP GPS classes. Spouses receive the same
transition and employment services as the military member. As we
continue to move forward with this program, we will market the
opportunity for spouses to attend via the Military Spouse Employment
Program.
--The Department of Labor Employment Workshop is a three-day
workshop facilitated by trained subject matter experts. It is to be
completed no later than ten months prior to the Soldier's separation
date. The workshop provides attendees with the knowledge and skills to
execute a successful job search. Guidance includes: resume and cover
letter preparation, networking, identification of job opportunities,
interviewing, and even salary/benefit negotiations. In order to enhance
the participants' experience from this class, ACAP counselors provide
various employment assistance seminars on private and Federal
employment opportunities.
--The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Education Benefits
Briefing is a one-hour class regarding VA education benefits such as
the Post 9/11 and Montgomery G.I. Bills. These briefings must be
completed no later than six months prior to transition. The briefings
are administered by the VA staff. The VA Benefits Briefing is a three-
hour workshop conducted by VA counselors for all separating and
retiring Soldiers. These briefings cover all VA services and benefits
available to Veterans, including information regarding the Disability
Transition Assistance Program.
--A six-hour long Financial Planning Seminar is conducted by Army
Community Service Financial Counselors, and should be completed no
later than ten months prior to transition. Topics and activities
include financial planning, credit ratings, home ownership, healthcare
and insurance planning, as well as estate and tax planning. The
Financial Planning Seminars prepare participants' for financial
independence following their military separation and provide the
fundamental tools to build an integrated budget.
--The Military Occupation Code (MOC) Crosswalk (a two-hour module)
begins the process of identifying the skills, experience, credentials,
and education obtained while in the military, and transitions them to
civilian opportunities. Service members will learn about the different
types of job-seekers and how to conduct a MOC crosswalk. Participants'
will conduct a partnering activity and will crosswalk their individual
MOC to civilian career opportunities identifying the gaps needed to be
explored in order to be more employable and marketable in the civilian
sector. This newly designed program was created to meet the
requirements of the VEI TF and is currently being tested during the
pilots.
--`Value of a Mentor/Special Issues', a new program currently being
tested at the pilot locations, is a 30-minute overview that discusses
the mentor support structures and interpersonal relationships that
occur during and after transition. This overview also connects the
Service members with installation and community resources. This
briefing must be completed no later than ten months prior to
transition.
--Finally, the Career Readiness Standard is the choice based
CAPSTONE Event. A new program developed, and currently being tested at
the pilots, to align with the VEI TF requirements. This assessment is
completed by the Soldier no later than 90 days prior to transition. At
the beginning of CAPSTONE, Soldiers complete a Transition-focused
assessment to identify their confidence and preparedness levels for
transition. Counselors review the assessment with Soldiers to identify
any shortcomings regarding training and/or confidence level, thus
allowing the Soldier to seek assistance. The CAPSTONE requirements
serve to mitigate risks for possible negative outcomes after
separation--such as unemployment, financial issues, social services
issues and homelessness. Three CAPSTONE options will be available to
Soldiers and Commanders: 1) a face-to-face/virtual counseling with an
ACAP counselor; 2) a face-to-face with the commander; or 3)
participation in a four-hour large event with guest speakers.
The Military Life Cycle for Transition will be implemented no later
than 2014. The initial concept for Military Life Cycle centers on
paralleling career readiness with career progression by synchronizing
Army Career Tracker (ACT) with Transition training and interfacing ACT
to Transition counselors. Following the competition of the Day five of
the training, the attendees select (based on career goals) one of the
following as applicable: Technical Employment track (in development),
Entrepreneurial track (for those going into business on their own), or
the two-day Education track (should their immediate plans include
attending school).
Implementing the Army Transition Plan
The Army is implementing the Transition plan to incorporate the
requirements set by the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (VOW), the
Presidential Veterans Employment Initiative Task Force (VEI TF)
recommendations, and the DA execute order (EXORD) to provide robust and
timely transition.
The Army will execute three Choice-based transition efforts to
align the new TAP with the EXORD, VOW, and VEI TF requirements: 1)
reinforcing existing virtual capabilities; 2) reinforcing existing Army
Career and Alumni Program Centers; and 3) establishing Forward
Transition Support Teams and Mobile Transition Support Teams.
By reinforcing and updating virtual ACAP capabilities, this remote
outreach provides Soldiers a 24/7 opportunity to begin their separation
with a highly qualified ACAP counselor.
Testing the pilots
The Army developed a Transition pilot in preparation for the
changes necessitated by transition EXORD, VOW, and VEI TF, etc. The
pilot program is being tested at one Active Component (AC) location
(Fort Sill, OK), five Reserve Component (RC) locations: Demobilization
sites at Utica, NY; North Fort Hood, TX; and Camp Shelby, MS and three
additional locations (called HOOAH locations) focusing on Virtual
Career Fairs. The Army Transition pilot at Fort Sill reached completion
on August 30, 2012 and two RC pilots are complete (107th MP CO, ARNG
and 436TH TC BN, USAR). Three other RC locations will be completed in
September 2012, and HOOAH locations will host seven Virtual Career
Fairs from September 2012 through January 2013.
There are four main Transition pilot objectives: 1) Evaluate the
ability to manage and sustain increased transition assistance
throughput; 2) Evaluate curriculum quality and presentation; 3)
Evaluate Soldier feedback and tracking system; 4) Evaluate a connection
mechanism to link Soldiers and potential employers.
There are also several notable success stories as a result of the
Transition pilot. For example, the workloads and throughputs have
remained manageable (which bodes well for Army-wide implementation);
timing and delivery of material has improved with every week of the
pilot; and pilot attendance tracking at local levels has also become
more efficient.
As the Transition pilot is ongoing, the objectives are still being
measured and assessed. Among many other considerations, the Army is
examining exemptions for Active Component and Active Guard Reserve
Soldiers, how to eliminate redundancies and improve relevance in
curricula among stakeholders, proper sequencing/presentation of
information, time requirements, attendance tracking, and facilitator
preparedness.
One of the most valuable lessons learned from the pilots is that
segregating Soldiers into cohorts by age/rank increases interaction
among Soldiers and counselors/facilitators. The discussion of these
issues is not exhaustive, and the Army is continuously re-evaluating
the pilots until completion. Currently, ACAP surveys are being used for
Soldier metrics collection and to capture and review Soldier comments.
The Office of the Secretary of Defense will release its survey results
upon conclusion of the pilot period.
Conclusion
We have a sacred commitment to ensure that the Soldiers that have
sacrificed so much in service to America's defense are taken care of as
they begin the next chapter of their lives. To conclude, I wish to
thank all of you for your continued support. The Army is committed to
being the leader of the Department of Defense transition efforts by
finding the right solution for our Soldiers and our Veterans. Chairman
Stutzman, and members of the sub-committee, I thank you again for the
opportunity to appear before you, and I look forward to your questions.
Prepared Statement of Mr. Edward Cannon
Chairman Stutzman, Congressman Braley, and distinguished members of
this Subcommittee, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to
testify about the Navy Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and our
efforts to successfully transition Sailors to civilian life and
employment.
The Navy separates or retires over 39,000 Sailors each year from an
overall force strength of approximately 322,000. The average age of our
Sailors is 29 years, and over half are married. Our Sailors are in
diverse career fields including the Navy SEALs, air traffic
controllers, healthcare, electronics technicians, and nuclear
engineers. The Navy is an expeditionary force that routinely deploys.
Many Sailors are sought after by civilian employers because of the
training and skills they obtain in the Navy, and we have extensive
retention programs in place to man the Fleet with Sailors who possess
these critical skills. Over 29,000 Sailors possess post-secondary
degrees, with 47,000 using Tuition assistance. Our Reserve Component
Sailor is also more senior with an average age of 37, 88% are above the
pay grade of E-3, and 30% have bachelor degrees. Ninety percent of our
Reserve Sailors are employed or attending school and two-thirds have
prior active service.
Current Navy Transition Assistance Program
Under the current Navy transition process model, Sailors may begin
the transition process 24 months (retirees) or 12 months (separating)
prior to separation; however, they are required to begin preparation
for their transition to civilian life no later than 90 days before
separation. During this period, each transitioning Sailor must go
through mandatory (by law, Title 10 (Sec. 1142)) pre-separation
counseling to introduce them to the programs and services available to
assist them. Sailors currently complete a checklist that documents the
counseling received as well as the additional services and briefings to
which Sailors are referred based upon their individual needs.
The Navy currently provides a 4-5 day Transition Assistance Program
(TAP) Workshop at installations world-wide via Fleet and Family Support
Programs. In FY-11, the Navy had 33,000 attendees (85% of separating
Sailors) voluntarily attend TAP Workshops. Depending upon the
installation size and population, TAP Workshops may be tailored for
separation, involuntary separation, retirement, or seniority. Frequency
of classes is dependent upon installation population size. The current
Navy TAP workshops consist of the Department of Labor (DOL) Employment
Workshop, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits briefing,
Disabled Transition Assistance Program briefing, and Navy specific
topics. Additionally, Fleet and Family Support counselors also provide
individual transition counseling and resume and other transition-
related workshops as requested.
The Navy Fleet and Family Support Centers also conduct First Term
and Mid-Career Workshops (CONSEP--Career Options and Navy Skills
Evaluation Program). These four day courses are designed to assist
active duty servicemembers in achieving Navy and future civilian career
goals. The training topics provide vital information on career-making
decisions, upward mobility, college and certification opportunities,
apprenticeships, as well as financial management and investment
strategies which enhance the ability to achieve personal and
professional success. In addition, the Navy is working with the
Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force to identify
opportunities for more than 400,000 Active and Reserve Sailors to earn
civilian occupational credentials and licenses prior to separation.
For our recent force shaping initiative, the Navy supplemented
existing transition services by contracting with a civilian
outplacement service company to provide personalized career coaching
and job search assistance to these Sailors that were involuntarily
separated.
Re-Designed Transition GPS (Goals, Plan, Succeed) Program
In collaboration with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, VA,
DOL, Department of Education, and the Small Business Administration,
the Navy is conducting pilot programs for the five-day curriculum of
the redesigned Transition GPS (Goals--Plan--Succeed) and the CAPSTONE
event. The elements of the re-designed Transition Assistance program
are:
1) Career Readiness Standards (CRS)--A set of common, discreet and
measurable transition ``readiness'' standards that Service members must
meet prior to separation from active or reserve duty.
2) Transition Goals, Plan, Succeed (GPS) Program--A series of
training that includes Pre-Separation Counseling, three-day Department
of Labor Employment Workshop (DOLEW), and two-day workshop comprised of
VA Benefits Briefings, Financial Education, Military Occupational Code
Crosswalk, Family/Special Issues, and an Individual Transition Plan
(ITP) review. Additionally, participants may select from optional two-
day training tracks in Education, Entrepreneurship, or Technical
training.
3) Military Life Cycle--Incorporate preparation for Service
members' career transition throughout their military service - from
accession through transition from service and reintegration back into
civilian life.
4) CAPSTONE Event--A forum provided for Service members to validate
Career Readiness Standards are met, and to refer members as needed for
additional training prior to separation or retirement.
Navy Transition Assistance Core Workshop Curriculum
The mandatory Navy Transition GPS Core Workshop is a five day
curriculum. On Day One, Navy transition staffs cover the following
topics:
1). Transition Assistance Overview: includes a Welcome Address /
Workshop Schedule of Activities, Topics for Family Considerations/
Special Issues, the Value of a Mentor, and a review of available Fleet
and Family Support services.
2). Military Occupational Crosswalk: The Military Occupational Code
(MOC) Crosswalk is a module on translating military training and
experience into skills appropriate for civilian jobs. Upon completing
this module, Sailors will have a document recording their military
career experience and skills; translation of their military occupation
experience to civilian sector skills; and identification of gaps in
their training and/or experience that need to be filled to meet their
personal career goal. The crosswalk will allow Sailors the ability to
develop a clear line of sight between their military skills and
training and career fields of their choice.
3). Financial Planning: Upon completing the financial planning
seminar, Sailors will be prepared to build an integrated 12-month
budget that reflects post-military employment, education, or training
goals. Instructors and financial planning staff will be available for
follow-up counseling as requested by the Service member.
The DOL delivers the approved Employment Workshop Days Two thru
Four. On Day Five, the VA conducts the approved VA Benefits and
Applications briefing and Sailors review progress on their Individual
Transition Plan.
Optional Education, Technical Training and Entrepreneur Workshops
In addition to completing the Transition GPS Core Curriculum,
transitioning Sailors will also have the option of participating in a
series of two day tailored tracks within the Transition GPS curriculum:
(1) an Education track, for those pursuing a higher education degree;
(2) a Technical and Skills Training track, for those seeking job-ready
skills and industry-recognized credentials in shorter-term training
programs; and (3) an Entrepreneurship track, for those wanting to start
a business.
The Navy CAPSTONE Seminar
The Navy will host a pilot on our CAPSTONE Event to validate the
process. Ninety days before their separation from military service,
Sailors will participate in this CAPSTONE seminar, which will verify
that transitioning Sailors completed the Transition GPS curriculum and
achieved Career Readiness Standards. Staff will also review potential
challenges Veterans may face, and review the tools and resources
available to them that they learned about in the Transition GPS
Workshops. Sailors who require additional assistance will be referred
to supplemental training opportunities. In addition, through the
CAPSTONE event, all Sailors will be offered a `warm handoff' to
appropriate government agencies and organizations that will provide
them continued benefits, services, and support as veterans.
Military Life Cycle Transition Model:
The new transition program will incorporate career readiness and
transition preparation into the entire span of a servicemember's
career. In the past, transition and preparation for the civilian
workforce occurred late in a servicemember's time in the military -
near the point of separation. Under this new program, these concepts
will be incorporated earlier to ensure that the counseling,
assessments, and access to resources to build skills or credentials
occur at earlier stages of a servicemember's military tenure.
The Navy will incorporate aspects of transition assistance in the
Navy Retention and Career Development program. The current career
development program is designed to improve the ability of our Sailors
to achieve their professional goals. Individual Career Development
Plans are developed based upon Career Roadmaps for each enlisted
Rating. The Rating Roadmap includes information on Skill Training, Job
Description, Personal and Professional Development, Career Development
Boards, the Navy Qualifications and Certifications, Civilian
Occupations and the Navy Credentialing Opportunities On Line, US
Military Apprenticeship Program, Professional Military Education, and
Voluntary Education.
The Navy will incorporate aspects of the transition assistance
program into our Career Development Boards, which are routinely held
during key points in a Sailor's career. For example, we will ensure
that Sailors: (1) are registered for and know about eBenefits;(2) while
on active duty, are informed about the VA benefits they are eligible
for during active duty as well as after they become Veterans; and (3)
understand the importance of maintaining their own personnel records
and obtaining credentials and certifications for the skills obtained in
the Navy. Essentially, a Sailor's Individual Career Development plan
should become their Individual Transition Plan. The Career Development
Program is a key component of transition--qualified, successful Sailors
are sought after as potential qualified, successful employees after
separation
Summary
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Navy's Transition
Assistance Program with you. We are improving the Transition Assistance
Program with our Agency partners. The Navy wants and needs to retain
trained, qualified Sailors to continue to protect and serve the
country. For those who choose to separate or retire, we are committed
to ensuring that they leave the Navy with tools to be successful in
their career transition
Prepared Statement of Brigidier General Eden J. Murrie
The Air Force Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is a continuous
partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Labor
(DOL), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of
Education (DoE), the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Office
of Personnel Management (OPM). The overall goal of the TAP is to
provide separating and/or retiring servicemembers and their families
the information, skill set, and resources needed for a successful
transition to the civilian sector. The TAP also provides civilian
career development, personal and financial wellness plans, and life
transition preparation to all separating and/or retiring Airmen.
Historically, our program has been successful. In FY11, the TAP
participation rate for retiring and/or separating members exceeded 90
percent. This success was due in part to our partnerships with DOL, VA,
DoE, SBA and OPM. We also have a long and successful partnership with
our Veterans Service Organizations (VSO). The VSOs have provided
multiple forms of transition services (transportation to medical
appointments, assistance with completing VA claims, hospital
visitation, and so forth) for our Service members for years and
continue to be a great partner to the men and women of the Air Force.
Our partnerships are critical as we embrace the re-directed TAP
initiatives outlined by the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (VOW) and
Veteran Employment Initiative (VEI). While our leadership has
collaborated with other Agencies in detailing implementation plans and
requirements, our Airman and Family Readiness and Education Center
professionals are focused on the operational aspects of addressing the
VOW and VEI. Additionally, we will build on our current successes as we
expand our TAP with the re-directed VOW/VEI. In our new and improved
TAP, all attendees will have accomplished their pre-separation
counseling prior to attending the DOL Employment Workshop. Day one of
the TAP is for the Airman and Family Readiness Center (A&FRC)
representatives to provide an overview for the week. They also present
topics for discussion and consideration (family consensus, changes in
life skills, role perception and changes, special issues--suicide
prevention, alcohol and drug abuse, thrill seeking behavior following
deployments, children with special needs, disability issues--and the
value of a mentor) to assist our members. A&FRC representatives will
have the attendees begin to think about how their skills and
experiences will translate into civilian life. Each attendee will then
begin the development of the Goals, Plans and Success (GPS) for
employment and at the end of day one, attendees will have built their
GPS for their financial futures. Attendees then incorporate knowledge
gained and decisions made on Day one into their Individual Transition
Plan (ITP). Day two thru day four is the DOL employment workshop. Over
the course of three days, attendees prepare their change management
plan, begin developing their job search plan, as well as engage in
career exploration and validation, build a resume, navigate the Federal
hiring process, practice interview skills and receive a post-interview
analysis. Day five is the VA benefits brief on VA education and
benefits. Following the completion of day five of the training, the
attendees select (based on career goals) one of the following as
applicable: Technical Employment track (in development),
Entrepreneurial track (for those going into business on their own) or
the two-day Education track (should their immediate plans include
attending school).
VOW TO HIRE HEROES ACT OF 2011
We are on target to be fully compliant with the VOW Act by the 21
November 2012 implementation date. Transition Assistance program
support and services will be completed and verified via a CAPSTONE
event (still in development) optimally occurring no later than 90 days
prior to separation.
With the new requirements from the VOW Act, we have leaned forward
and trained all of our active duty A&FRC and Education staffs along
with the staffs for the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve to
execute the requirements. This training includes the re-designation of
the DOL Employment Workshop, completion of the ITP and transition
process for Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel. We have
authorized our major commands to advance hire in Fiscal Year 2013 to
ensure we are fully staffed by Fiscal Year 2014.
We held the first TAP Pilot at Joint Base San Antonio - Randolph in
July 2012. The Pilot program consisted of a new Employment Workshop and
VA curriculum. We had thirty-two attendees from the active duty, Air
National Guard and Air Force Reserves completing all blocks of this
program. The blocks of instruction included the Transition Overview,
Military Occupation to Civilian Crosswalk, Financial Planning Seminar,
Topics for Family Considerations, VA Education Benefits Briefing, VA
Benefits Briefing, Value of a Mentor and VA Benefits Sign-Up. We also
hosted members of the OSD, DOL, SBA, VA, and Air National Guard and
Reserves as observers during the Pilot. This Pilot program was
evaluated in six dimensions: (a) curriculum, (b) facilitators, (c)
facilities, (d) logistics, (e) compliance and OSD integrated
guidelines, and (f) local MOU with partner agencies. At the end of each
day, the team met and discussed the modules covered that day and
summarized comments to help ensure every effort was captured to render
the best support for our total force members. Overall, the Pilot
program was a tremendous success, with detailed lessons learned and
critical recommendations provided to OSD. The OSD staff compiled,
assessed data from the Pilot and provided feedback to our sister
Services to help ensure consistent, quality support for our members at
every installation as we roll out VOW/VEI.
We are also pleased that our Air Force Spouses can participate in
the TAP Goals, Plans and Successes (GPS) classes. Spouses receive the
same transition and employment services as the military member. As we
continue to move forward with this program, we will market the
opportunity for spouses to attend via the Spouse Employment Program.
While we maintain our efforts to meet all requirements for the VOW
Act, we also continue to press forward to meet the White House VEI,
which requires the implementation of four overarching recommendations
to improve the career readiness of members leaving the military. As of
today, we are on-track to meet all the VEI requirements by 1 October
2013 implementation date. These requirements include developing Career
Readiness Standards, GPS Program, Military Life Cycle, and a CAPSTONE
Event.
TOTAL FORCE
The Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard and active duty are in
lock step and focused on ensuring we are all compliant with the VOW
act. The Air Force Reserve Wings, co-located on active duty bases, are
collaborating with the active duty A&FRC's as an equal partner under
the Total Force concept. Those Air Force Reserve members not located at
an active duty bases may participate at other service installations
(Army, Navy, etc.) or the Reserve hub at Robins AFB Georgia. Air Force
Reserve members will be provided pre-separation counseling, mandatory
VA briefings, Military Occupation to Civilian briefings and further TAP
briefings and applicable VEI employment, education, or entrepreneurial
tracks.
The Air National Guard estimates 6,000 Guardsmen will qualify for
the TAP each Fiscal Year after serving on Title 10 (T10) orders for at
least 180 consecutive days or more. The majority of the Guardsmen will
meet exemption requirements (e.g., they already have confirmed
employment, education plans or previously attended TAP) and may opt out
of the TAP. The primary requirement for these individuals will be pre-
separation counseling prior to T10 orders. The remainder of the Airmen
will complete pre-separation counseling prior to beginning T10 orders
and will attend TAP upon completion of T10 orders. The Airmen located
at active duty bases will continue to collaborate as an equal partner
under the Total Force concept. Airmen at stand-alone Air National Guard
wings will attend TAP at an active duty base (of any service) closest
to them or at one of two Air National Guard wings, Fort Worth, Texas or
Phoenix, Arizona; whichever best meets the citizen Airman's schedule.
Further, once CAPSTONE events are on line, the Air National Guard plans
to hold these events within the Airman's state; preferably as close as
possible to their duty location, to ensure each Airman gets the chance
to meet and have a ``warm handoff'' with local representatives (e.g.,
DOL, VA, etc.).
Again, we are committed to Total Force collaboration (active duty,
Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard) for TAP. This collaboration
includes a keen focus on credentialing programs that assist separating
Service members in their transition to civilian life and successful
reentry into the Nation's workforce. Our enlisted Airmen begin to earn
college credit from the moment they complete basic training,
progressing through advanced technical training, to include
professional military education and off-duty education pursuits. The
Community College of the AF, Technical School Training, Voluntary
Education, and On-The-Job training supports credentialing that
transfers to the civilian sector as the Airman begins their military to
civilian transition. To improve outcomes in the transition to civilian
work, DOD is using a military crosswalk, which is essential in
detailing how a member's military specialty/duties translate to
civilian job requirements. DOD and the Armed Services, are partnered
with multiple private sector credentialing bodies that are working
together to ensure that civilian industry benefits immensely by
receiving highly trained, qualified, experienced, and disciplined
employees while supporting the successful transition of the Airman and
their family.
CONCLUSION
We remain focused on providing our Total Force personnel, who are
separating or retiring, with the information, skills, and resources
needed for a successful transition to the civilian sector. We are also
committed to providing this support in new and innovative ways. Our
Airmen and families who have sacrificed much for this Nation deserve no
less. Again, we thank the Subcommittee for the opportunity to share
information of Air Force's approach to implementing the re-directed
Transition Assistance Program under the VOW and VEI initiatives.
Prepared Statement of Rear Admiral Daniel Neptun
Good morning Chairman Stutzman, Ranking Member Braley and
distinguished members of the Subcommittee. It is a pleasure to appear
before you today to discuss the Coast Guard's Transition Assistance
Program.
Transition assistance was established for Coast Guard military
personnel in October 1994 to comply with the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 (Public Law 103-337). This law
requires that all separating and retiring servicemembers have access to
transition assistance services and that members who are involuntarily
separated receive specific benefits. Military personnel from all of the
Armed Forces share similar needs when transitioning from active duty to
civilian life. As such, many features of the Coast Guard's Transition
Assistance Program are similar to what the Department of Defense (DoD)
provides its transitioning members. There are, however, some important
differences between the needs of transitioning Coast Guard personnel
and their DoD counterparts that should be highlighted.
When compared to the other Armed Forces, the Coast Guard is
relatively small in size and has broad geographic dispersion. As
discussed below, this has an impact on the manner in which our
Transition Assistance Program is implemented and delivered. In
addition, many of the skills and experience our Coast Guard personnel
acquire over the course of their careers, ranging from administrative,
acquisition, and human resource, to law enforcement, maritime safety
and security, and environmental response, are often considered readily
transferrable to the civilian workforce. Finally, although some Coast
Guard members have served overseas in war zones, the Coast Guard does
not have the same proportion of combat veterans as the other Armed
Forces. All of these factors are considered in developing and
delivering a Transition Assistance Program that best serves Coast Guard
members.
The Coast Guard understands that irrespective of the differences
between the other Armed Forces and the Coast Guard, providing a robust
Transition Assistance Program to our members is critical. As such, we
have taken steps to ensure our men and women are receiving the support
they need to make their transition successful. Currently, the Coast
Guard provides mandatory, pre-separation counseling for our
transitioning members, and we strongly encourage attendance at a
Transition Assistance Program seminar for each member within a two year
window prior to separation or retirement.
The Transition Assistance Program begins with pre-separation
counseling at the unit level. Each unit Commanding Officer is required
to ensure separating and retiring members, and their families, receive
the transition benefits and services to which they are entitled. A
Command representative is required to meet with all members separating,
retiring, or entering the Disability Evaluation System approximately
180 days before separation and not later than 15 days after official
notification of separation. As directed under Coast Guard policy, pre-
separation counseling must occur at least 90 days prior to separation.
During pre-separation counseling, the command representative assists
members in achieving educational, training, and employment objectives,
as well as those of the spouse, if applicable. Depending on the desires
expressed by the member during pre-separation counseling, the Command
either directs the member to the appropriate office for delivery of
services, or provides additional counseling on specific benefits and
programs as requested.
Formal Coast Guard Transition Assistance Program seminars are
delivered at each of our 13 Health, Safety and Work-Life Regional
Practices across the United States. Each of these designated transition
sites features a Regional Manager who is responsible for managing
overall individual and family support programs, and one Transition and
Relocation Manager who coordinates the Transition Assistance Program
for their area of responsibility (AOR). The Coast Guard typical AOR
encompasses several states. Each Transition and Relocation Manager is a
certified International Job and Career Coach and is generally
responsible for the Transition Assistance Program, Relocation
Assistance Program, and the Spouse Employment Assistance Program.
Coast Guard Transition Assistance Program seminars have been
developed in coordination with DoD, Department of Labor (DOL), and
Department of Veterans Affairs. These seminars provide instruction on
skills identification, resume preparation, interview techniques, and
veteran entitlements, and are typically five days in length. The first
three days include the core curriculum focused on the job search
process, which is provided by DOL, or is based on the DOL curriculum.
The other two days feature presentations on Veterans' benefits
including healthcare services and enrollment and educational
opportunities. The Coast Guard transitions approximately 3,000 active
duty and reserve members annually. Over the past several years, about
1,600 - or just over half of these members - have elected to attend a
transition seminar to obtain information on resources for employment,
educational and Veterans' benefits.
To comply with the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 by the required
date of November 21, 2012, the Coast Guard is developing plans to
increase the number of scheduled seminars we offer. Currently, the
number of participants who attend Coast Guard seminars can range from
50 participants in some locations to as few as 15. Moving forward, it
will be critical for us to ensure all transitioning members have access
to the information presented at these seminars. However, the dispersed
location of Coast Guard units presents unique challenges for the Coast
Guard. To address these challenges, the Coast Guard is exploring
alternative delivery methods for members that cannot physically attend
a seminar. These options will ensure that the information from
Transition Assistance Program seminars can be provided using other
methods, such as members receiving direct counseling with the
Transition and Relocation Manager through a ``virtual'' environment, or
through other electronic media. The Coast Guard is currently working
with DoD, DOL and the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a
comprehensive virtual solution for members who, for whatever reason,
cannot attend an actual seminar in person.
The goal of the Coast Guard's Transition Assistance Program is to
assist servicemembers and their families in making an informed and
effective transition from military service to civilian life. An
integral aspect in this vital effort is to ensure separating members
are made aware of, and have access to, the numerous programs and
services available to assist them in the transition process. In an
effort to continually improve our Transition Assistance Program and
meet the needs of our transitioning members, we look forward to
continuing the positive working relationship with DoD, DOL and the
Department of Veterans Affairs in sharing new ideas and tools.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. I will
be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Questions For The Record
Inquiry from Honorable Marlin A. Stutzman, Chairman, Subcommittee
on Economic Opportunity to VA Office of Congressional and Legislative
Affairs
Question: Can VA provide a report on how it monitors the
contracting process, most notably with CBOCs, for example, are bids
vetted against VAOIG findings in an effort to weed out bad actors?
Response from VA Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs
Response: Prior to award of any lease contract, including Community
Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) or Outpatient Clinic (OPC) leases, the
proposed awardee is vetted by the contracting officer through a variety
of pre-award clearances, including a search of the government-wide
System for Award Management (SAM). SAM requires all contractors doing
business with the government to be registered and maintain information
about their company in the database, to include their online
representations and certifications (ie. are they a small business
concern, etc). All contractors who are debarred from doing business
with the government are also listed on the system, which ensures that
VA does business only with vendors who have not been debarred. In
addition to SAM, VA verifies the financial capability of the proposed
awardee in two ways. First, as part of the solicitation for offers, VA
requests detailed information about and points of contact for the
proposed lending institution that will finance the project. VA reaches
out and verifies the accuracy of the information provided. Also, VA
obtains a report from Dun and Bradstreet Inc. to review the financial
viability of the proposed awardee. If this report highlights any
concerns, additional due diligence is undertaken to ensure that the
proposed awardee will be able to perform following award. Lastly, for
contracts over a certain dollar threshold, VA formally contacts the
Department of Labor to ensure the contractor has operated in compliance
with all Equal Opportunity Employment laws and regulations.