[House Hearing, 115 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
A REVIEW OF THE INTERAGENCY TRANSITION
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE NEED FOR
ENHANCED OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
of the
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2017
__________
Serial No. 115-37
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
U.S GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
31-429 WASHINGTON : 2019
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
DAVID P. ROE, Tennessee, Chairman
GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida, Vice- TIM WALZ, Minnesota, Ranking
Chairman Member
MIKE COFFMAN, Colorado MARK TAKANO, California
BRAD R. WENSTRUP, Ohio JULIA BROWNLEY, California
AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, American ANN M. KUSTER, New Hampshire
Samoa BETO O'ROURKE, Texas
MIKE BOST, Illinois KATHLEEN RICE, New York
BRUCE POLIQUIN, Maine J. LUIS CORREA, California
NEAL DUNN, Florida KILILI SABLAN, Northern Mariana
JODEY ARRINGTON, Texas Islands
JOHN RUTHERFORD, Florida ELIZABETH ESTY, Connecticut
CLAY HIGGINS, Louisiana SCOTT PETERS, California
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan
JIM BANKS, Indiana
JENNIFFER GONZALEZ-COLON, Puerto
Rico
Jon Towers, Staff Director
Ray Kelley, Democratic Staff Director
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
JODEY ARRINGTON, Texas, Chairman
GUS BILIRAKIS, Florida BETO O'ROURKE, Texas, Ranking
BRAD WENSTRUP, Ohio Member
JOHN RUTHERFORD, Florida MARK TAKANO, California
JIM BANKS, Indiana LUIS CORREA, California
KATHLEEN RICE, New York
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
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C O N T E N T S
----------
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Page
A Review Of The Interagency Transition Assistance Program And The
Need For Enhanced Outcome Measurements......................... 1
OPENING STATEMENTS
Honorable Jodey Arrington, Chairman.............................. 1
Honorable Beto O'Rourke, Ranking Member.......................... 3
WITNESSES
Ms. Cindy Brown Barnes, Director, Education, Workforce and Income
Security, U.S. Government Accountability Office................ 4
Prepared Statement........................................... 36
Ms. Margarita Devlin, Executive Director, Benefits Assistance
Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Department Of
Veterans Affairs............................................... 6
Prepared Statement........................................... 43
Mr. Ivan E. Denton, Director, Office of National Programs,
Veterans' Employment and Training Service, U.S. Department of
Labor.......................................................... 7
Prepared Statement........................................... 46
Mr. Judd H. Lyons, Director, Defense Personnel and Family Support
Center, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel
and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense...................... 9
Prepared Statement........................................... 52
Brigadier General Robert Bennett, Adjutant General, United States
Army........................................................... 22
Prepared Statement........................................... 59
Rear Admiral Karl O. Thomas, Director, 21st Century Sailor
Office, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, United States
Navy........................................................... 23
Prepared Statement........................................... 62
Brigadier General Kathleen A. Cook, Director, Air Force Services,
Manpower, Personnel and Services, United States Air Force...... 24
Prepared Statement........................................... 67
Brigadier General Kurt W. Stein, Director, Marine and Family
Programs, United States Marine Corps........................... 26
Prepared Statement........................................... 69
STATEMENTS FOR THE RECORD
Acceleron Learning............................................... 71
Veterans Education Success (VES)................................. 72
QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD
U.S. Department of Labor Veterans' Employment and Training
Service........................................................ 73
Questions Full Committee Ranking Member Timothy J. Walz to U.S.
Department of Defense (DoD).................................... 75
Requestors - Full Committee Ranking Member Timothy J. Walz....... 77
GAO Response to Full Committee Ranking Member Timothy J. Walz.... 91
Full Committee Ranking Member Timothy J. Walz to U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs............................................ 92
A REVIEW OF THE INTERAGENCY TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE NEED
FOR ENHANCED OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS
----------
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
U. S. House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:03 p.m., in
Room 334, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Jodey Arrington
[Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Arrington, Wenstrup, Rutherford,
Banks, O'Rourke, Takano, and Correa.
STATEMENT OF JODEY ARRINGTON, CHAIRMAN
Mr. Arrington. Good afternoon, everyone. I want to thank
everybody for being here, joining us at the Subcommittee on
Economic Opportunity's hearing today entitled ``A Review of the
Interagency Transition Assistance Program and the Need for
Enhanced Outcome Measurements.''
As we approach Veterans Day this weekend, today's hearing
is timely, as today, we will discuss the critical period in a
servicemember's career where they go down the path from Active
Duty to civilian. The goals of today's hearing are to discuss
the administration of the Transition Assistance Program, also
known as TAP, as well as transitioning servicemember's ability
and flexibility to attend TAP in an appropriate time prior to
their separation from the military.
TAP is a critically important--rather, is critically
important for today's servicemembers, because if we can get it
right at the outset of a servicemember's transition from Active
Duty, then I believe we can mitigate--I am sorry. I am having
like an allergen reaction here and so I may be calling on
somebody to help me. I will try to make it through this. I am
really not just choked up. I do care a lot about the TAP
program, but I am not getting carried away. We are prone to
theatrics from time to time, but not that good. So bear with
me. I apologize.
TAP is critically important for today's servicemembers. We
have got to get it right. If we do, we mitigate many issues
that have plagued and continue to plague previous generations
of American veterans.
The information on financial management, job search skills,
and veterans' benefits are much improved from what was being
provided to servicemembers under previous versions of TAP,
which many referred to as, quote, death by PowerPoint. And
while TAP's structure and curriculum have been greatly improved
over the years, we can and should do more to prioritize the
successful transition of our servicemen and -women into their
civilian lives.
Before I turn this over to my Ranking Member, I want to
briefly make a few points. The GAO report that is being
released today provides great information on how the Department
of Defense is tracking the participation rate of servicemembers
attending the TAP program. DoD's publicly released data for
fiscal year 2016 shows that 94 percent of National Guard and
Reserve members completed pre-separation counseling and TAP.
However, the real figures reported by GAO found that DoD
was missing data for some of the TAP-eligible national
guardsmen and reservists and that the actual percentage could
be as low as 47 percent. And GAO also found that while DoD
talked about a 97 percent attendance by Active duty members,
that number did not account for all TAP-eligible servicemembers
and, therefore, the percentage could be much lower.
While DoD may say that that is just because forms were
lost, that doesn't mean that servicemembers didn't actually
attend the training. It is important to make sure we track
every servicemember. And in the year of 2017, saying that we
lost data is unacceptable. I want to thank GAO for uncovering
this problem, and I do trust the DoD will work to ensure all
servicemembers are being tracked, regardless of whether or not
they are Active or Reserve component.
I also want to echo the comments from the past three
chairmen of this Subcommittee by saying that I believe DoD is
missing the mark by not placing more emphasis on higher
education and other 2-day tracks that are part of TAP. Several
years ago, Congress made it mandatory for DoD to allow the
participation in this training for those servicemembers who
wish to do so. And I will be honest that in light of this
requirement, I am more puzzled as to why DoD would reject a
recommendation from GAO that they do a better job of tracking
this participation. Why would the Department reject an effort
to track the compliance with the law?
These tracks are critically important because, under the
right circumstances, the post-9/11 GI Bill can provide upwards
of $300,000 in benefits to our veteran. And with the thousands
of schools and training programs clamoring for student
veterans, we must do everything we can to make sure that our
servicemembers are provided with all the information and tools
they need to make an informed choice on the right school and
how to use their educational benefits.
Another issue that I hope to hear more about today is how
the Department of Veterans Affairs, Labor, and Defense are
measuring and tracking performance and the long-term outcomes
of TAP. That is, is it working? Do we know it is working? How
do we know it is working? Where is the data? I have always been
a proponent of the need to measure outcomes for any program.
Without measurable outcomes, it is impossible to know for
certain if the curriculum is working, if the servicemembers are
receiving the adequate resources and training for transition of
Active Duty.
I wanted to take a moment to commend DoD, VA, and DOL for
working together to transform TAP over the past 2 years. I know
it is a challenge to get this right, and I think a lot of
strides have been made. The report, the GAO report stated,
while unemployment rates for veterans continue to remain low,
over half of post-9/11 veterans will face a period of
unemployment upon transition. It is our job to continue to work
together to improve the process and facilitate a smooth
transition to address the unemployment gap.
I look forward to hearing from our panelists, and I
appreciate all of you guys for being here today.
I now yield to the Ranking Member, Mr. O'Rourke, for any
opening remarks he may have.
STATEMENT OF BETO O'ROURKE, RANKING MEMBER
Mr. O'Rourke. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I think we all on this Committee agree that it is
critically important that we get this transition between life
in service to country in our Armed Forces and life as a
civilian as a veteran right and that we don't have it right
today. When we look at access to health care, to housing, the
ability to integrate in the workforce or in higher education,
we are still falling far short of the mark.7
Yesterday, we were able to celebrate passage of a bill that
improves access to mental health care for veterans who have an
other than honorable discharge, improving their likelihood of
successfully transitioning and, frankly, of living, since they
have twice as high a suicide rate as veterans who have a higher
level of discharge.
I want to make sure that we are paying close and careful
attention to the TAP program, that we understand, as the
Chairman has said, what it is that we are investing in it and
how we can measure its performance, the outcomes, the help that
it should be delivering to those servicemembers who are
transitioning into civilian life.
Perhaps the two most important powerful hearings that I
have been in, one I know Dr. Wenstrup was in with us because I
think it was our first term in Congress and on this Committee,
was with family members who had lost a son or daughter to
suicide. And they gave us incredibly powerful, helpful
testimony in how we can improve the transition process from
Active Duty into civilian life, where we had failed before, and
how we could improve upon it.
I especially think of the Somers family, Howard and Jean,
parents of Daniel Somers, who took his life, who have, every
single day since Daniel's passing, been working with me and my
colleagues and the administration, whether it was President
Obama or President Trump, to improve this period of transition,
and have even offered a specific policy idea in a reverse boot
camp that I think merits more study and discussion and perhaps
moving forward on.
The other was one that we had this year with a panel that
was talking about some of the consequences of untreated post-
traumatic stress disorder. And I remember Sebastian Junger, who
Dr. Wenstrup really turned me on to and gave me a copy of his
book, talking about the crisis that transitioning
servicemembers face as they try to integrate into civilian
life, far too often unsuccessfully, unable to get to work, to
transition into academic life, to transition into family life,
and the very real mortal toll that is taking on our population
of veterans in this country as long as we do not figure this
out and have a more effective, seamless transition.
So I am very interested in the answers to the questions
that the Chairman raised and that I am sure other Members of
this Committee are going to raise. I am very much looking
forward to the testimony from GAO, my favorite agency in
government, which keeps us all accountable, Department of
Defense, Department of Labor, Veterans Affairs, and the
different representatives of the service branches.
So grateful to you, Mr. Chairman, for bringing this hearing
together, very much looking forward to the answers we are going
to get today.
Mr. Arrington. Thank you, Ranking Member.
And now let's welcome our first panel to the witness table.
Joining us today, Ms. Cindy Brown Barnes, Director of
Education, Workforce, and Income Security for the U.S.
Government Accountability Office, GAO; Ms. Margarita Devlin,
Executive Director of the Benefits Assistance Services at the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; General Ivan Denton,
Director of the Office of National Programs for the Veterans'
Employment and Training Service at the U.S. Department of
Labor; and Mr. Judd Lyons, Director of the Defense Personnel
and Family Support Center for the Office of Under Secretary of
Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the U.S. Department of
Defense.
Thanks again for your time and insights.
Ms. Brown Barnes, you are now recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF CINDY BROWN BARNES
Ms. Brown Barnes. Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member
O'Rourke, and Members of the Subcommittee, I am pleased to be
here to discuss the report we are issuing today on the
Transition Assistance Program, or TAP.
Since 2015, hundreds of thousands of servicemembers have
left the military and transitioned into civilian life, with
many more to follow. To help them, the VOW to Hire Heroes Act
of 2011 mandates that DoD require all eligible separating
servicemembers participate in TAP to get the support they need
in landing a job, going back to school, starting their own
business, or retiring.
Today, I will cover, one, how DoD publicly reports its TAP
performance goals; two, how many servicemembers went through
TAP; three, how many were deemed to be career-ready; and
finally, four, how well DoD monitors key areas of program
implementation.
In summary, we found that DoD needs to improve performance
reporting and monitoring of TAP requirements. The figure shown
on the monitor is a comparison of DoD's public and internal
reports. We found that DoD's public reporting may have
misstated TAP performance, because DoD did not disclose the
data we[C1][HL2]re missing for 48 percent of National Guard and
Reserves and 12 percent of Active-duty servicemembers in fiscal
year 2016. When DoD publicly reported that it had exceeded its
performance goals, it excluded these individuals, even though
they were eligible for TAP.
However, DoD's internal reports tell a different story. The
top two blue bars show that publicly, DoD reported that over 90
percent of Guard and Reserves attended TAP's required courses
were deemed career-ready or were referred to partner agencies.
Had all eligible Guard and Reserves been included in the
calculation, their percentage could have been as low as about
46 percent instead of 94 percent--this is shown in the two
beige or lighter color bars immediately below--in which case
DoD would not have met its performance goals.
Turning to the third and fourth blue bars, DoD's public
reports show that a higher percentage of Active Duty
servicemembers met the agency's performance goals. But the
percentage is lower, according to DoD's internal reports,
again, because the calculations were not based on the entire
TAP-eligible population.
We recommended that DoD's public reports either be based on
all TAP-eligible servicemembers or else clarify the extent of
the missing data. DoD agreed to include the disclosures for the
missing data in all of its public reports for fiscal year 2018
and beyond.
With regard to participation, DoD met its goal. Eighty-five
percent of Active-duty servicemembers took required TAP
courses, while 3 percent did not. We do not know about the
remaining 12 percent due to missing data.
As far as the additional 2-day classes, we found that fewer
than 15 percent of servicemembers participated and that
assessing higher education was the most frequently taken class.
DoD also met its 85 percent goal for the proportion of
servicemembers who were deemed career-ready, and if they did
not, they were referred to partner agencies for additional
support services as required.
In terms of when TAP should be taken, the law requires
servicemembers to begin the process at least 90 days before
they leave the military. While nearly three-quarters started
TAP on time, TAP staff told us that those who did not may find
it difficult to complete the program or take advantage of
additional transition resources. Similarly, servicemembers are
required to complete TAP no later than 90 days before leaving
the military, but over 53 percent of them did not finish TAP on
time.
In terms of monitoring, we found that DoD does not
currently monitor compliance with three requirements:
Timeliness of TAP participation, whether servicemembers are
able to take additional 2-day classes if they want, and whether
they take the online version of TAP under appropriate
circumstances. We recommended monitoring and reporting for all
three areas and that the reports should be shared with unit
commanders to ensure compliance.
DoD generally agreed with our recommendations, except for
tracking access to the 2-day classes. DoD said these classes
are part of attaining career readiness standards, a measure
which is already being tracked. We continue to believe that DoD
needs to separately track access to the additional classes and
not just attendance to ensure compliance with the relevant law.
Thank you. I would be happy to respond to any questions you
may have.
[The prepared statement of Cindy Brown Barnes appears in
the Appendix]
Mr. Arrington. Thank you, Ms. Barnes.
Ms. Devlin, you are now recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF MARGARITA DEVLIN
Ms. Devlin. Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke,
thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Department of
Veterans Affairs contribution to the Transition Assistance
Program, or TAP.
With Veterans Day rapidly approaching, this is an opportune
time for this hearing to take stock of our efforts to help our
transitioning servicemembers and their families and how VA can
continue to improve these services.
As a result of the VOW Act passed by Congress in 2011, TAP
was redesigned as a cohesive, modular, outcomes-based program
that standardized services to better prepare servicemembers to
achieve their post-military career goals. The VOW Act also
mandated participation in TAP, with a few limited exceptions.
Outcomes from the increased focus and emphasis on education
and career development by both VA and DOL content can be seen
reflected in the dramatic reduction in veteran unemployment,
which has steadily decreased to a low of 2.7 percent in October
2017.
VA's portion of TAP is delivered at over 300 military
installations worldwide, through the support of approximately
300 trained VA benefit advisors, and is also available online
via DoD's Joint Knowledge Online portal.
VA is collaborating with DoD to align TAP offerings within
the military life-cycle framework, which embeds transition
planning and preparation throughout the servicemember's
military career. For example, as part of accession and
onboarding, servicemembers are required to establish a self-
service logon and create an e-Benefits account, which gives
them and their family member's self-service capabilities for VA
and military benefits.
VA benefit advisors deliver the mandatory Benefits I and II
courses, which provide education on VA benefits, such as health
care, education, vocational rehabilitation and employment,
disability compensation, life insurance, home loans. They also
assist with capstone events, provide military life-cycle
briefings, and provide individual assistance to transitioning
servicemembers upon their request.
In fiscal year 2017, approximately 95 percent of our
benefits advisors were either veterans themselves or were
spouses of veterans or servicemembers. In fiscal year 2017,
through August, VA provided more than 63,000 events to more
than 500,000 transitioning servicemembers and their families.
VA regularly updates the TAP curriculum to ensure that it
aligns with current laws on eligibility, entitlement, and VA
benefits and services. VA also designed a new curriculum
designed specifically for members of the National Guard and
Reserve, as they have unique needs due to their missions and
mobilizations, and eligibility for VA programs is often more
complex to adjudicate.
VA consistently receives high evaluations from
servicemembers who attend Benefits I and II briefings. We
average satisfaction rates of 96 percent on information
learned, 96 percent also on effectiveness of the facilitators,
and 94 percent on confidence gained from the material.
Despite high satisfaction rates, anecdotal information from
stakeholders and veterans suggests that a more holistic view,
including the psychosocial aspects of the transition to the
civilian life, would give VA's TAP program more real-life
relevance and would increase the quality of the overall
experience. To address this, VA is currently redesigning our
TAP curriculum into a more interactive course that addresses
the overall transition journey.
VA is leveraging instructional design, based on adult
learning principles, to focus on transition decisions and
actions that transitioning servicemembers need to consider with
respect to their available VA services and benefits. VA also
plans to include classroom time for facilitated enrollment and
submission of applications for health care and other benefits.
VA is scheduled to pilot the new curriculum in January of
2018[C3], with worldwide deployment planned for later this
spring of 2018.
To further understand the needs of transitioning
servicemembers, VA is working with interagency partners to
collect feedback on post-separation outcomes. In 2017, VA
awarded a contract to develop a post-separation survey
protocol, which will be submitted to the Office of Management
and Budget for review in 2018. VA is also collaborating with
our VSO partners, veteran peer groups, and other thought
leaders to obtain outside input based on the feedback they hear
from transitioning servicemembers.
VA is strongly committed to working with DoD and
interagency partners to improve TAP by strengthening the
curriculum, fully integrating TAP objectives into the military
life cycle, and analyzing post-transition survey data. Through
these efforts, VA is poised to have greater access to all those
in uniform, both Active Duty and National Guard and Reserve,
and dramatically reduce the stress of transition.
Thank you for allowing me to address the Committee. Mr.
Chairman, this concludes my statement, and I welcome any
questions.
[The prepared statement of Margarita Devlin appears in the
Appendix]
Mr. Arrington. Thank you, Ms. Devlin.
General Denton, you are now recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF IVAN E. DENTON
Mr. Denton. Thank you.
Good afternoon, Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member
O'Rourke, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. Thank
you for the opportunity to participate in today's hearing so
that Department of Labor can discuss how we are working with
both DoD and VA to improve TAP.
As the director of the Office of National Programs in the
Veterans' Employment Training Service, my office is responsible
for managing the Employment Workshop and the Career Technical
Training Track, which we now commonly refer to as CTTT.
Prior to discussing TAP employment-related improvements, I
would like to highlight three relevant points to this
testimony. First, the American economy is improving. As of
October, veteran unemployment rate is down 2.7. Additionally,
unemployment compensation claims and participant numbers have
dropped to a third of what they were 5 years ago. While there
are still approximately 280,000 veterans without jobs that are
unemployed, there are 6.1 million job openings. Transitioning
servicemembers and veterans can help fill these jobs, and
employers are eager to hire them.
Second, the Department proudly served over 1 million
veterans, guardsmen and reservists last year. DOL provides
funds to the States to operate over 2,400 American Job Centers,
which provided employment, training, and support services to
over 13 million Americans last year. Over 850,000 of those
Americans were veterans, guardsmen, or reservists.
Additionally, the Department, of course, provided the
employment workshop to over 180,000 last year, which includes,
of course, the Guard and Reserve.
Third, Secretary Acosta recently stated four employment
goals to assist our veterans, which include: Creating clear
career pathways; second, eliminating barriers to employment;
third, enabling and promoting apprenticeship opportunities that
lead to meaningful careers, as also emphasized in the
President's executive order, which is titled ``Expanding
Apprenticeships in America''; and then finally, increasing the
portability of licenses and credentials for both those
transitioning, to include spouses.
As it relates to employment improvements that align with
the TAP GAO report, I would like to highlight four goals:
First, the Department is working with the interagency partners
to improve TAP timeliness rates. We assess, in line with both
the law and DoD's policy, a transitioning servicemember should
begin TAP as early as possible. This allows the servicemember
adequate time to participate in one or more of the transition
tracks and to include a DoD Skill Bridge, which is growing in
its popularity.
Second, the Department continues to improve the Employment
Workshop. While the Employment Workshop has consistently
received high marks from the participants, we recognize the
need for continuous improvement. This is why we have been
collaborating over the last year with employers, HR
professionals, Veteran Service Organizations, and others to
refine their curriculum as part of a regular, deliberate TAP
curriculum working group review process.
Major revisions to the DOL EW include: Shifting from a job
search approach to a career search approach; and second,
highlighting the importance of the three supplemental career
tracks and how each can positively impact long-term wage
outcomes.
Third, the Department will improve the training available
to individuals interested in the apprenticeship and technical
careers, and will work with our interagency partners to
increase the CTTT participation rates.
In April 2017, DOL assumed responsibility for what we call
CTTT, the Career Technical Training Track, which is one of the
three tracks. CTTT focuses on apprenticeships and industry
recognized credentials. The Department is currently conducting
a comprehensive review and will have a revised curriculum out
in 2018.
Fourth and finally, the Department will leverage the
Veterans' Data Exchange Initiative to improve employment
outcomes. In November 2016, the Department began a data
transfer process from the Defense Manpower Data Center. This
initiative allows us to gain a better understanding for
characteristics of transitioning servicemembers and proactively
reach out to them via email to connect them with employment
training resources. We are also partnering with our Chief
Evaluation Office within DOL to do this.
In conclusion, our long-term TAP strategic goal is for the
Nation as a whole to recognize military service as a path to a
high-quality civilian career. The future of our country's all-
volunteer force depends upon this recognition, and the
Department is proud to support this national effort and looks
forward to working with the Subcommittee.
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, thank you for allowing me to
be here today, and look forward to questions.
[The prepared statement of Ivan Denton appears in the
Appendix]
Mr. Arrington. Thank you, General Denton.
Finally, Mr. Lyons, you are recognized also for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF JUDD H. LYONS
Mr. Lyons. Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke,
distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to appear before you this afternoon.
As director of the Defense Personnel and Family Support
Center, I am responsible for policy and program oversight of
the Transition Assistance Program, or TAP. In that capacity, I
work with a group of professionals who develop effective and
clear policy for the Department to issue to the military
services for their execution. We also believe that the TAP
interagency collaboration is effective, responsive, and
committed to advancing the ongoing implementation, assessment,
and enhancement of TAP.
Since 2015, we have improved several areas of TAP, and I
would like to address a few. We have updated the TAP evaluation
plan twice, with both enhancements approved by the Office of
Management and Budget, and we have annually updated our
curriculum.
To improve accountability, we have charged the military
departments to have their service inspectors general conduct
inspections of TAP. Their first report is due in 2018.
Last November, the Department deployed a new TAP IT
Enterprise System and electronic form, which further
streamlined our data collection processes. This system
precludes commanders from signing partially completed forms,
thus increasing the completeness of servicemember
documentation.
Finally, the Department has energized our private and
public engagements. Our collaboration raises awareness of the
value transitioning of servicemembers and veterans. Since
August 2016, we have completed over 200 public and private
engagements. In addition to these actions since 2015, we are
committed to continuously improving the program to the benefit
of the servicemember.
The Department greatly appreciates the importance placed on
TAP by Congress and the GAO. We view the recent GAO study on
TAP as an opportunity to receive external feedback to further
advance this important program.
Generally, we concur with GAO's recommendations. We
acknowledge that in 2016, our performance measures provided via
public reporting did not provide a clear explanation of the
extent of missing data. We have since made adjustments to
address this, and will work even harder with the services to
reduce the extent of missing data, particularly for our Reserve
component servicemembers.
The Department agrees with GAO's recommendation to monitor
and report timeliness of TAP participation, and we will work
with the services to identify and implement the best solutions
to improve in this area. We appreciate GAO's recommendation
that DoD monitor and report which servicemembers request
attendance to supplementary 2-day tracks and are able to attend
the training. We will continue to actively promote and
encourage participation in these tracks and research potential
barriers to servicemembers accessing them.
The Department agrees with GAO's recommendation that DoD
needs to monitor and report which servicemembers participated
in TAP in a classroom setting or online. Based on availability
of resources, we anticipate having the ability to accomplish
this task, and we appreciate GAO's recommendation highlighting
the need for commanders to access additional data on TAP. The
services currently have procedures in place to make this new
suggested information available to commanders. We will
strengthen our efforts, working with the services, so the
commanders will have access to this information.
Finally, the Department supports GAO's recommendation to
minimize subjectivity involved with some of the career
readiness standards, such as the quality of a resume. We will
work with the services and Department of Labor to identify ways
to mitigate such subjectivity by the end of fiscal year 2018.
Again, let me thank GAO for their comprehensive and
insightful report and their recommendations to further advance
TAP for the Nation. The Department recognizes that preparing
servicemembers throughout their military life cycle to be
career-ready upon transition is essential to the sustainment of
the all-volunteer force. We cannot do this alone. We need the
continued strong collaboration with our interagency partners,
the support and hard work of our military services, especially
at the installation level, and continued engagement with
external stakeholders.
In closing, Mr. Chairman, I thank you, the Ranking Member,
and the Members of this Subcommittee, for your outstanding and
continuing support of the men and women who proudly wear the
uniform in defense of our great Nation. As we pause to
celebrate Veterans Day this weekend, let us never forget to all
honor Americans who served in the Armed Forces, both in times
of war and peace, and I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Judd Lyons appears in the
Appendix]
Mr. Arrington. Thank you, Mr. Lyons.
I will now yield myself 5 minutes for questions.
I don't imagine that there is anybody on the panel or here
on the dais that would not think it would be a good idea to
help our servicemembers transition from Active Duty to civilian
life in the smoothest, most effective manner. Can I get a head
nod that we all agree that is a good thing?
So now what we have to do is make sure our actions line up
with our agreement that this is a good endeavor, and then we
have to have data to know whether or not what we have decided
as a program to do that is actually working or not. Otherwise,
it is just a bunch of words from here and from you.
And so what are we doing to determine whether or not the
programs that are offered are the right programs, that the
folks that go through the programs, the tracks, are actually
benefiting, and that long term, they are getting better and
quicker employment rates, and engaging in education and
training opportunities?
And I would like everybody to answer that, but I will start
with you, Ms. Devlin.
Ms. Devlin. Thank you for the question. We do measure
outcomes. We can't always attribute all of the outcomes
directly to participation in the Transition Assistance Program.
But I think the biggest effort that we are undertaking, which
will give us I think what you are looking for, is that post-
transition survey. Because what I hear sometimes is, when you
are going through the Transition Assistance Program, you don't
know what you don't know yet until you actually become a
civilian and start that actual transition on the other side.
Getting the survey data from veterans who have recently
transitioned at the 6-month, 12-month, and 18-month mark will
give us data that is from their voices themselves about how the
program influenced their ability to successfully transition and
what they are going through in their life at those stages post-
transition.
Mr. Arrington. So you said you have some outcome data. What
is the outcome data that you have today that we can link back
to these programs and whether or not they are successful?
Ms. Devlin. Again, we can't always attribute these outcomes
directly to participation in TAP, but, we through the senior
steering group and executive committee, we track outcomes, such
as graduation rates, unemployment rates.
Mr. Arrington. That could have little, a lot, or nothing to
do with these programs--
Ms. Devlin. Correct.
Mr. Arrington [correct].--that we spend, what is it,
hundreds of millions of dollars. So that is frustrating to me
because, all too often, we don't have this sort of data. It is
just activity. You report activity. I heard a lot of activity.
We are doing this, we are doing that. Then we have timeframes,
and sometimes they are followed. And we have requirements for
reporting. Sometimes it is followed. Sometimes people don't
care to follow that, even though that is part of the law.
But what we need more than anything is, are these programs
working, so we can tell the taxpayers, your investment is
actually supporting our veterans or not, and we can look the
veterans in the eyes and say, this is a meaningful program for
you.
So you mentioned this post-transition survey. Is that in
the works? Are we going to implement that? Is that something
that you guys are planning on implementing, and when are you
going to implement it?
Ms. Devlin. Yes, we are. We are in the drafting process for
the survey questions with our contractor. The interagency group
is working on this together, although VA awarded the contract
for the development. And we should be sending it to--we will
definitely be implementing in 2018. And as soon as the draft is
ready for submission to OMB, we will submit it for that review
process so that we can start fielding the survey.
Mr. Arrington. Sure. How long has this program been going--
in existence, I should say?
Ms. Devlin. It is a brand-new effort.
Mr. Arrington. No, I mean this program, the TAP program, as
administered by the VA, your component of it.
Ms. Devlin. The TAP program, in its current state, it was
post-VOW Act. The VA started administering the program in its
current state in 2013.
Mr. Arrington. Okay. At least 4 years without knowing
whether or not it is working.
What about you, General Denton, where are your outcome
measures, and how do you know your part of the program is
working?
Mr. Denton. First of all, that is a great question. Having
just transitioned last year myself--I know you don't want to
hear anecdotally--I think it works.
Mr. Arrington. I think that is valuable.
Mr. Denton. But I will tell you, actually, Judd and I went
through TAP together last year and it was very helpful. And I
will tell you, whether you are a sergeant or whether you are a
general, that challenging question of ``what are you going to
do for your second career'' is not an easy one. So I will tell
you that my personal passion for this program has to do with--I
left last December and was fortunate to get a job with Labor.
But to answer your first question, we are blessed at the
Department of Labor to have an office called the Chief
Evaluation Office. And it is led by a brilliant doctor who is
an expert on long-term impact studies, which when I was in DoD,
I didn't even know what that word meant. But I will tell you
that we are about to do a contract to do a 36-month study on
the long-term impacts, and I can get you the exact language of
that. But we think it is going to be pretty landmark in nature,
and we are going to be able to prove to you and the taxpayers
that it is in the interests of TSMs and the American taxpayer
for this program to continue.
Mr. Arrington. My time has expired. I will have more
questions in follow-up to your comments. I appreciate that.
And so, Mr. Ranking Member, I am going to turn it over to
you for 5 minutes.
Mr. O'Rourke. Mr. Lyons, what is the total cost of TAP,
annually?
Mr. Lyons. Congressman, for fiscal year 2016, the
Department executed approximately $117 million for TAP. That
includes our headquarters and the services across the spectrum.
We are collating the fiscal year 2017 data from the
comptroller, from OSD. So I would like to take that for the
record and come back to you with that. That data is not
available yet. But for fiscal year 2016, it was about $117
million.
Mr. O'Rourke. So for the last year, we have data. It is,
you said, 2016, 117, all in?
Mr. Lyons. That includes the elements of the program
execution, along with the civilian pay associated with
administering and executing the program.
Mr. O'Rourke. And to the Chairman's line of questioning,
can you give me a succinct answer on how we can get better
measurable outcomes, not so much who attended class and when
they attended it and whether they attended it online or in
person, although those could be important measures, but what
the value of that attendance was, but for participating in a
TAP program they would not have achieved X, Y, or Z?
Mr. Lyons. Thank you, Congressman. I would offer that our
output measures for the Department of Defense center around VOW
compliance, career readiness standard attainment, but we are
constantly looking at data points that help us improve the
program. So we have a series of assessments, participant
assessments that a servicemember going through TAP takes, and
that gives us some valuable feedback in terms of customer
satisfaction and the impact that TAP had on the transitioning
servicemember.
So, for example, in fiscal year 2017, in quarter three, the
last quarter we have data for, 91 percent of our participants
that went through TAP said that they gained valuable
information and skills to plan their transition. An additional
91 percent said that the training they received in TAP enhanced
their confidence in their transition planning, and 91 percent
said that they would use what they know--
Mr. O'Rourke. Sorry to interrupt you. Are those boxes you
can check or are those things that people took the time to
write out?
Mr. Lyons. So it is a combination. The participant
assessment is both, you know, selections to questions as well
as free data input.
Mr. O'Rourke. Got you. Here is what I am trying to get at.
It is not clear to me how seriously we take TAP, you know, all
of us included. We have the oversight responsibility. You all
have responsibility for execution. You are supposed to complete
that program before you reach the 90-day point, before you are
90 days away from separation. Fifty-three percent of those
participating are doing it with less than 90 days. We have
reports in this GAO study that officers are asking that the
members of their unit not have to go to class and be able to do
this online. We hear anecdotally from separating servicemembers
and veterans that it was just something they had to go through,
get out of the way. They want to get on with their civilian
life, whatever they are doing next.
I don't know that we have a compelling articulation of the
value of TAP, what we can tell that separating servicemember
that they are going to find in this that is going to help them
in their lives, beyond the fact that they have to do this or
they are supposed to do this. Same for the officer. Same for
the Member of Congress. Same for the taxpayer who fronts the
$117 million annually.
Without that measure, this is not going to get better, and
I agree with the Chairman on this. The fact that you all
couldn't report on a majority or near majority of Guard and
Reserve servicemembers because it was recorded in paper and you
didn't transition adequately to digital, I mean, that just to
me sounds like it is not something that we take very seriously.
So maybe I am able to identify some of the symptoms of the
problems. I would really like to work together with you and
with the Chairman on how we get some defined measurable
outcomes that demonstrate the value of this, because I think
all of us get the concept. We want it to work. It is not clear
that it is or that we are getting a return for the investment
or that this is valuable for the participating servicemember.
And one question that I have perhaps for the next panel,
and I would love either in this panel or offline with Dr.
Wenstrup and Mr. Banks, I would love to know if there is some
way to have the leaders of those units, the officers, have some
level of accountability through separation and post separation.
I know anecdotally, there are officers who come up to me
and say, hey, a guy who was in my unit, veteran now, one of
your constituents, Beto, can't get a mental health care
appointment, and it really bothers me and I feel accountable
and responsible for that, I want you to do something about it.
Is there some way to give those commanders more control or
power or accountability or responsibility to help these
servicemembers see through this transition in a more effective
way?
Anyhow, more questions that I think are going to take a
while to answer, but I appreciate it, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Arrington. Thank you, Ranking Member. A great line of
questions.
I now want to recognize our colleague Mr. Banks for 5
minutes.
Mr. Banks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Brown Barnes, during GAO's assessment of TAP, did it
seem as if the servicemembers were being encouraged and allowed
to attend the additional optional tracks if they wanted to?
Ms. Brown Barnes. They were, from the people that we talked
to, they were allowed to. In terms of being encouraged,
sometimes the timing didn't allow for them to do it, but
usually they had some opportunities to do that.
Mr. Banks. So anecdotally, you believe that they were--
Ms. Brown Barnes. Yes.
Mr. Banks [continued].--encouraged to if there was time to
do so?
Ms. Brown Barnes. If there was time to do so. I mean, we
had also heard different things about sometimes they weren't or
mission type activities took priority, so we did hear some of
that as well.
Mr. Banks. Okay. Thank you.
Mr. Lyons and General Denton, how are the Departments
tracking whether a servicemember who doesn't meet the career
readiness standards for employment, how do we know that they
are receiving that, quote, warm handover? And is this warm
handover effective and truly what the servicemember needs to be
career-ready? Mr. Lyons?
Mr. Lyons. Congressman, thank you. So in 2016, the
Department issued two memorandums, one that specifically
focused in on an at-risk population of veterans for
homelessness. And we issued guidance to the services to ensure
that commanders understand their responsibility to ensure that
warm handover happens to the appropriate agency. It could be
Veterans Affairs, it could be Department of Labor. It could be
both, in the case of homelessness.
We did the same thing for those that separate for an Other
Than Honorable Discharge, recognizing that that population
could also be at risk, and the need to have a warm handover.
So we continue to engage with our interagency partners to
provide input. With the deployment of our electronic form this
last year, we are actually getting servicemember-level data on
when they opt in to receive follow-on services from a partner
agency. And we provide that data then to Department of Labor or
Veterans Affairs so that we can more accurately track and
deliver those services. So I defer to my colleagues for further
on that.
Mr. Banks. Colonel?
Mr. Denton. That is a great question. Thanks, Judd.
The employment warm handoff process is working. We have a
process in place. We don't nationally track it and monitor it.
In the last 6 months, the Army has asked us to do that with
them. So we think with BDI and the e-Form, we eventually may be
able to look at that macro number on employment and be able to
see if we are making a mark.
So we are definitely looking forward to working with DoD on
that, especially since the Army has reached out and said, we
would like your help on this.
Mr. Banks. I am not sure why I called you a colonel, but I
apologize, General, for that.
With that, I yield back.
Mr. Arrington. Thank you, Mr. Banks.
And I now want to recognize Mr. Takano for 5 minutes.
Mr. Takano. Ms. Brown--thank you, Mr. Chairman--you know, I
was a high school teacher for over two decades and a community
college trustee for about the same amount of time, and I saw
many students struggle with their transition into postsecondary
education because they needed remedial education, developmental
education. And while I know this wasn't the focus of this
report, I am curious to know if we have any data on
servicemembers' educational background before they entered
military service.
Ms. Brown Barnes. Yeah. That was outside of what we did for
this review. We could submit that for the record, but I don't
have any--
Mr. Takano. I don't know if you collect that data. I mean,
I have always wondered whether or not we knew about our
servicemembers' educational background, because that has a lot
to do with whether or not they are going to be able to utilize
their post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, right? I mean, we recruit
them on the basis of these benefits. And I believe the
military, because we do recruit them on that basis, has some
responsibility to making sure that these benefits are not
hollow. And they are hollow if we don't do anything to help
these servicemembers attain the ability to attend the higher
education during their time in the military.
So I would be curious to see that data, but you really
can't tell me much about that data now.
Ms. Brown `. No.
Mr. Takano. I will have more questions once you do submit
it.
Ms. Brown Barnes. Okay.
Mr. Takano. Mr. Secretary, the GAO study found very low
rates of attendance for the supplemental TAP courses on
accessing higher education, career and technical training, and
entrepreneurship. While, obviously, not every one of these
supplemental classes will be applicable to servicemembers,
chances are one of them will be relevant to whatever post-
service path a servicemember has planned. And as these classes
have a direct impact on how veterans use their benefits, such
as the GI Bill, and have the potential to help servicemembers
take their core TAP program and turn it into actual job
opportunities after separation, the low participation rate
seems to indicate, to me, missed opportunities to help
servicemembers successfully transition.
So how has OSD thought about--well, I want to know, has OSD
thought about mandating that servicemembers attend at least one
of these currently supplemental programs?
Mr. Lyons. Thank you, Congressman. We have approached, with
our revamped TAP enterprise, an adoption of career readiness
standards. How career-ready is the transitioning servicemember
to transition to a civilian career? And we have adopted, as
part of that, an engagement earlier in their military life
cycle on topics such as this, higher education being one.
So we deployed a higher education prep module that is a
virtual module that actually explores a transitioning
servicemember earlier in their career. What are their goals;
what are the education requirements to help them achieve those
goals; and what resources are available to them, such as
tuition assistance. So we are interested in the aspirations of
the servicemember and providing resources to them.
With respect to the additional tracks, one of the reasons
we developed those additional 2-day tracks and designed them to
be delivered both in a brick-and-mortar classroom environment
and online was to make them available to whatever servicemember
has that particular career goal in mind. And we think we have
been successful in that. We found that servicemembers that
attend a brick-and-mortar classroom may revisit a particular
topic online, such as the higher education prep module.
Mr. Takano. Okay. But are you looking at mandating that
they take one of those supplemental courses?
Mr. Lyons. I think, Congressman that adopting a one-size-
fits-all approach of mandating attendance at the 2-day track
may not apply to a servicemember that doesn't have that
particular goal in mind. So we are going to continue. If they
espouse that desire for higher education, we are going to
actively and constantly promote attendance at those 2-day--
Mr. Takano. I am glad that you all are taking an interest
in the educational and career goals of the servicemember. That
is really good to hear. But are they assessed? Is there any
point--when do you assess them, if they are assessed, for, you
know, their educational goals? I mean, how appropriately?
Mr. Lyons. So, again, back to the military life cycle, we
engage with them earlier in their career, beginning at their
first duty station and at certain touch points throughout their
career--promotions, reenlistments--and revisit their individual
development plan that they have put together.
Mr. Takano. But are they assessed?
Mr. Lyons. When it comes time to transition, during pre-
separation counseling, they will sit down with a TAP counselor,
who will review their individual development plan and change it
into an individual transition plan. At that point, as they sit
down and have that conversation, the counselor will encourage
and promote the attendance at the appropriate 2-day track with
the servicemember.
Mr. Takano. My point is that the military does not assess
the servicemember earlier, at the point of, you know, induction
or any earlier point. There is no way for you to help guide and
hold accountable that servicemember for the goals they set
without that assessment as a baseline.
Mr. Lyons. Yeah. I think that in a servicemember's life
cycle, you know, things change over the course of their life
cycle. So, again, our objective is to, in their capstone event,
prior to actually separating, assess whether they are career-
ready to transition.
Mr. Takano. You assess them at the end of when they are
ready to leave, but not toward the beginning. And there is no
way for you to intervene if that servicemember is really
unprepared to pursue a certain educational path or career path.
Anyway, my time is up. I am sorry.
Mr. Arrington. Mr. Wenstrup.
Mr. Wenstrup. Thank you.
Thank you all for being here. I appreciate the
conversation, and I think we are headed in the right direction,
but I think there is a lot more we can do.
And so let me just start with you, Mr. Lyons. Per troop,
what is mission complete for the DoD when it comes to the
Transition Assistance Program? When do you say like we have
done our job? What does that look like?
Mr. Lyons. I think, Congressman, you know, first and
foremost, I don't think we are ever mission complete. I don't
think we can ever rest on, you know, 100 percent of completion
in terms of transition assistance. I think it is an evolving
program. The nature of--
Mr. Wenstrup. I am talking about--excuse me, I am sorry to
interrupt. But I am talking about like per troop. Is it mission
complete when you say, look, this troop knows where he is
going? He/she is going to school. They know what they want to
major in. They have got it mapped out. That to me, before they
take their uniform off, if they know what they are doing, they
are enrolled in school, to me that would be mission complete.
That is a success. We have done our job, you know.
Because I think in the big picture, you know, the big
aerial picture of what it means to join the military, we are
going to do a whole lot better if the military is seen as a
place where any young American can enter and it is a path to
success.
And so I agree with Mr. Takano's comment like, when do we
start engaging that troop? You know, from day one do you say,
is military your career, is that what you have in mind, do you
want to do something afterwards? Because let's face it, you
start at 18, you got plenty of time for another career after
that, right? So get them thinking in that way. Are we asking
those questions early on?
Because to me, for VA--and it is good that you are all
here, because you all have a role to play in this. And to me,
success means that before you take that uniform off, you know
where you are going. You think of the college graduate that
gets their diploma, and they already know where they are going
to be working in 2 weeks. That is a whole lot better day than
one who walks up, gets that degree, and has no idea what lies
ahead. And I think we will recruit better and the military will
be transformed in so many ways. You say like, that is the path
to success in America, if you choose that, you serve your
country, and they are going to make sure that you are on a path
to success.
So to me, we have to engage early. Because for the VA, for
example, the VA then is strapped with being reactive too often.
Because if you think about some of the problems that we face
with suicide and depression and stress, listen, when you come
out and you don't feel necessary when you have felt necessary
for a long time being in uniform, that is when it spirals
downward.
So I am going to propose, and I think you probably all
would agree, and I know that my friends here that are both on
Armed Services and on this Committee, we need to come together
on this. I don't think this should just be VA committee-driven.
I think we need to reach back and go back a little bit further,
and I think we can do a whole lot better. But let's define what
success really looks like and in this program. And to me, it
would be when you leave here, you know exactly where you are
going. And that our success in what we do should be based on
how many people actually know where they are going and what
they are doing and have a plan and leave with confidence.
So anyone can engage in that conversation with me, but I
hope that is where we are headed, and I think we are at the
beginnings of that.
Mr. Lyons. Congressman, thank you. And just real quickly
here. I would offer that, again, we are engaging with
servicemembers earlier in the process to talk about those
issues that you have described. So I talked about that
individual development plan that begins at their first duty
station, where, again, we have a discussion about their goals.
What is the training and education requirements? We talk about
apprenticeship information, resume prep information, financial
preparedness information. This is early on. So that, again, our
culture changes across the Department so that the first time
they are thinking about transition is not their last action
leaving the service.
And so we think that military life-cycle culture that we
are undergoing through early engagement and at critical points
in a servicemember's career will help us to get there, but I
acknowledge your comments.
Mr. Wenstrup. I appreciate it. We can keep talking about
that. If anyone else cares to--
Mr. Denton. Sir, we have looked at that hard at Labor.
Having gone through the Employment Workshop last year, I will
tell you that we have kind of taken a look at what is our end
state. We think it should be meaningful career. That is in line
with earlier documents of why TAP was started. We think for a
TSM to get that meaningful career, our Secretary has talked
about the pathways. We really think that higher Ed, career
technical training, and entrepreneur provides for those three
paths. So that is why we are really looking forward to working
with our interagency partners toward helping those TSMs get
into that path, which now we call track. Whether we call it a
track or a path that is really what we are talking about. Thank
you.
Mr. Banks. [Presiding.] Mr. Correa?
Mr. Correa. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just wanted to follow up with what Dr. Wenstrup said and
Mr. Takano. I am looking at this data and this information and,
again, issues with the supplemental TAP, 15 percent
participation; those that left the military with less than an
honorable discharge, 5 percent participation. And to me, it
kind of signals in my mind that maybe the value given by our
men and women in uniform is not that high. If you come back and
your participation is 15 percent, it tells me that there is a
disconnect between what they really are looking for and what
they are really getting.
And I think we can mandate these men and women in uniform
to do these supplemental--this TAP program, but yet when they
come back and use it at such a low rate, it is telling me
something about the value. And I guess if I went back and
talked to those folks that are leaving the military and asked
them, what do you want to do before you leave, and probably
most of them would say, I just want to get home. And so you try
to force feed some of these folks this information. I am not
sure what the value is.
I think this is good information, but I am trying to figure
out if this is more of an issue you try to catch up with these
folks, not only before they leave, but after they leave. I
mean, one of the issues we have been looking at is deported
veterans, veterans that are residents that should have become
citizens before they left the military. Those are some of the
things that I think would really add value, if you, you know,
you said, you know, you guys got to become U.S. citizens before
you leave.
The other area, of course, is, you know, I hate to bring it
up, but, you know, this tragedy in Texas. You have an
individual that had serious mental issues. There were
indicators there and there was no follow-up. There was no--
somewhere it didn't--all the dots were not aligned, were not
connected.
And, you know, again, you have an evolving program. You
have investments, aspirations of service officers. I am trying
to figure out in my mind where we go with this program that
could be a tremendous value. But to me, in my mind, I have got
to figure let's go back and ask these men and women in uniform,
where is it that we can help you the most? Maybe we come back
and talk to them 6 months after, a year to the discharge, and
see how they are doing. How you doing? Are we having issues at
home? Did you get the jobs you were looking for? Were you able
to connect with that apprentice program that is paying $60,000
a year to start, or are you not there yet?
I have a lot of questions. Open it up for statements or
comments from the panel.
Mr. Lyons. Congressman, thank you. You know, I think that
in terms of pulsing the needs of our members, both Active
component and Reserve component, again I harken back to our
participant assessments where they can give us direct feedback
on these issues, and--
Mr. Correa. Let me interrupt you. I don't have much time. I
have a minute and a half. But that was the other point I had,
which is having somebody fill out a questionnaire or a form
saying was this good or bad versus coming back to them in a
year and saying was this good or bad I think will give you a
different outcome. You know, it is like when I get asked did I
do a good service or not, I usually give people the five, the
best, but, you know, it is just a number.
So, again, I think we have got to come back and look at
that data, kick it around to try to figure out another way to
look at the data.
And finally, in terms of the--you know, we are looking at
academics here, other things that will make you successful in
life. I would say we have to come back and look at the veterans
as a holistic, you know, psychological, family, career,
everything to make sure that we get these men and women that
gave so much for our country, that they are actually on the
right path to be successful citizens.
I would say I got 30 seconds, if you would like to comment.
Mr. Lyons. I think that assessing effectiveness after the
servicemember has already left the service is a challenge. We
do have existing surveys and research studies that we use. We
annually survey, through a status of forces survey, both Active
and Reserve component members about their perceptions of TAP,
their needs within TAP. We also have recently commissioned a
RAND study on the needs assessment of Reserve component member
transitions. We are looking forward to the results of that to
help us inform our program to deliver in the most efficient and
effective manner these services to them.
So I think assessments, surveys, research studies are
helpful to us. Getting to servicemembers after they have
transitioned to get that feedback is perhaps a challenge.
Mr. Correa. Mr. Chair, before I give up my time here, I
just want to say it is good you are doing the RAND studies. I
would rather you invest that money, not only in the RAND
studies, but going out to ask the veterans directly what is it
that they need.
Mr. Chair, I yield.
Mr. Banks. [Presiding.] Mr. Rutherford.
Mr. Rutherford. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you,
panel.
Mr. Lyons, if you could, one of the most common complaints
the Subcommittee receives from servicemembers about TAP is
their local commanders and senior noncommissioned officers are
somewhat less enthusiastic than they would hope in allowing
them in working toward them attending the classes. If that is
true, what portion of that do you think might be related to the
fact that these senior members don't believe TAPs is providing
what they really should provide and it is not, quote, ``worth
the time''?
Mr. Lyons. Thank you, Congressman. You know, I would offer
that, in terms of servicemembers and their commander support
for them to attend TAP, you know, I acknowledge the discussions
that GAO had at the various post camps and stations that they
visited where that was relayed, and we are taking that onboard.
We want to explore and remove, if there are barriers to a
servicemember attending TAP, we want to remove those barriers.
We have very clear and effective policy to the services on
implementing TAP and the importance of TAP and continuing to
reinforce, as commanders go through their life cycle of
professional military education, of reinforcing that message
with them about the importance of TAP.
It is interesting to note, in our last participant
assessment, that 88 percent of our servicemembers that
participated in TAP reported that their leaders, their most
immediate leaders were supportive of their transition to
civilian life, and that 88 percent of them reported that the
leaders provided them time to attend and participate in TAP.
Mr. Rutherford. Exactly, which is why they were there.
Mr. Lyons. Correct.
Mr. Rutherford. And why they were counted in your numbers.
Mr. Lyons. Right.
Mr. Rutherford. But it makes me then beg the question, why
do you believe that missing data shouldn't be taken into
account when assessing TAP performance? Because those folks
aren't there for some reason, and don't you think we should get
to the bottom of that?
Mr. Lyons. Congressman, we do feel that it is important, as
we assess data, that it is based on known and complete data. So
we view that in the old legacy system that we had as a
completed paper form for completion of TAP, and we can assess
then whether that servicemember has met the requirements and is
career-ready. With the deployment of our electronic form and
our TAP IT Enterprise, we think that we have significantly
improved our capability to collect that data and assess those
data points.
We are going to continue to pursue removal of any barriers
to attendance at TAP and increase the perception of the value
of TAP, and we are going work with our service partners to do
that.
Mr. Rutherford. And, Ms. Devlin, isn't there an effort
under way now to go back and talk to some of those individuals
that did not attend and find out why?
Ms. Devlin. We are actually in the process of creating a
post-transition survey that will go out to servicemembers who
became veterans at the 6-month, 12-month, and 18-month point
post discharge. That will give us an opportunity to ask them,
did you attend TAP? If so, now that you are actually a civilian
and you are a veteran, do you feel now that you know what you
didn't know back then, that it met your needs? And if not, how
could we improve it?
Mr. Rutherford. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield
back.
Mr. Banks. Thank you, Mr. Rutherford.
At this point, we would like to thank each of you for being
here today and answering our questions. You are now excused.
Mr. Banks. Our second and final panel will include General
Robert Bennett, the Adjutant General of the United States Army;
Admiral Karl Thomas, director of the 21st Century Sailor Office
of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for the United
States Navy; General Kathleen Cook, director of Air Force
Services, Manpower, Personnel, and Services for the United
States Air Force; and General Kurt Stein, director of Marine
and Family Programs for the United States Marine Corps.
Thank you to each of you for being here today. We will give
you a moment to get seated before we will start.
With that, General Bennett, you are now recognized for 5
minutes.
STATEMENT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL ROBERT BENNETT
General Bennett. Thank you.
Chairman Arrington, Representative O'Rourke, Members of the
Committee, I would like to thank and express my appreciation
for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Army's
Soldier for Life-Transition Assistance Program, or SFL-TAP.
SFL-TAP is, first and foremost, a commander's program. SFL-
TAP mandates several courses based on the VOW Act, and also
includes other required courses or career readiness standards,
or CRS, that helps prepare soldiers for their transition from
Active Duty.
In fall of 2017, the Government Accountability Office, or
GAO, provided a draft review of the transitioning veterans: DoD
needs to improve performance reporting and monitoring for the
Transition Assistance Program. Army concurs with all six
recommendations found in the draft report.
While the Army is proud of being a part of the myriad of
major enhancements to TAP since the passing of the VOW Act,
along with our DoD sister service and interagency partners, the
Army believes that there is one important area in which TAP
could and should continue to evolve. The Army would appreciate
the ability to receive key post-transition outcome data from
our interagency partners, which is vital to the future
improvements.
The Army strongly feels that receiving feedback from our
interagency partners on both the type of assistance provided as
well as the outcome and results of such assistance is critical
to our ability to accurately gauge and assess the overall long-
term efficiency of our efforts. The Army will closely
collaborate with our partners on developing a strategy to
enable us to receive this key data in the future.
In addition to DoD TAP's reporting system, the Army uses a
TAP-XXI, which is the key Army system of record, in order to
provide commanders at the lowest level information and reports
to fulfill their responsibilities under SFL-TAP policy and law.
TAP-XXI reporting consolidates key transition data from several
Army HR systems of record, which allows company commanders to
correctly identify soldiers required to complete the TAP
curriculum. These reports help ensure the soldier is career-
ready and prepared for the civilian transition. The Army closed
out fiscal year 2016 with the lowest amount of unemployment
compensation for ex-servicemembers in 13 years, $172.8 million,
according to the Department of Labor.
Soldier for Life-TAP has several initiatives to further
support soldiers in their transition, including a transition
pilot program to evaluate tailored transition assistance for
the soldiers, the career skills program, which offers soldiers
the opportunity to participate in the employment skills
training, and the virtual center, which is the only virtual
online platform to complete transition services.
To conclude, I thank you for your continued support.
Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, I thank you again for
the opportunity to appear before you, and I look forward to
your questions. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of General Robert Bennett appears
in the Appendix]
Mr. Banks. Thank you.
Admiral Thomas.
STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL KARL O. THOMAS
Admiral Thomas. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Ranking
Member O'Rourke, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear today to update you on
the Navy's Transition Assistance Program.
As the director of the Navy's 21st Century Sailor Office, I
am responsible for sailor and family support and resilience
programs. The Navy concurs with the recommendations of the
General Accountability Office report on transitioning veterans.
The Navy testified in 2015 that we were developing a transition
information system to give commanders better visibility into
compliance. We now have that system in place and have seen
significant improvement in our metrics.
We have put many other process improvements in place, to
include unit level compliance reports linking transition
compliance to our prestigious Golden Anchor retention award,
adding transition compliance to our Navy Inspector General's
checklist, and our Chief of Naval Operations Tone of the Force
Report. Our network of Navy career counselors continue to
stress that transition should be planned throughout a sailor's
career to ensure sailors document skills, certifications, and
qualifications, and thus, commence preparation early for their
eventual transition.
We remain committed to providing in-person instructor-led
training as the primary means of delivery, and are working to
drive earlier completion of transition requirements. We also
have an ongoing Naval audit service study to assist us in our
compliance efforts.
Beyond preparing our sailors for employment and advising
them on the veteran benefits that they have earned, we
recognize the importance of returning sailors to society so
they continue to serve our country as solid productive citizens
who are examples and recruiters for our all-volunteer force.
We recognize there is more to be done, and look forward to
participating in further refining the transition process and
cooperation with Congress and this Committee in particular, as
well as our DoD and interagency partners. Our sailors deserve
our steadfast commitment to provide them the most effective
tools to position them for long-term success as they transition
to serve our Nation as honored and distinguished veterans. It
is vital to the all-volunteer force that our successful
veterans encourage the youth use of our Nation to serve in our
Nation's Armed Forces.
On behalf of the Chief of Naval Operations, I thank you for
your unwavering support for the men and the women of the United
States Navy, and I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of General Karl Thomas appears in
the Appendix]
Mr. Banks. Thank you, Admiral.
General Cook, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL KATHLEEN A. COOK
General Cook. Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke,
distinguished Members of this Subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to testify before you today regarding the
transition assistance our Air Force provides to our total force
airmen and their families.
Before I begin, let me state up front, I fully acknowledge
our VOW compliance is not 100 percent, and there is more work
to be done refining our processes to ensure not only by-law
compliance, but a strong continuum of care, especially within
our Guard and Reserve components.
We recognize how critically important being prepared to
successfully transition out of the military is to the welfare
of our airmen and their families. From senior Air Force
leadership to our installation commanders, supervisors, and
transition experts, we remain resolute in executing
requirements of the VOW Act.
What I would like you to take away from my testimony today
is twofold. First, we value our collaborative partnerships with
the Departments of Defense, our sister services, Veterans
Affairs, Labor and Education, and the Small Business
Administration, recognizing that successfully transitioning
servicemembers requires the support and information of the
collective.
Second, my goal is to leave you with confidence in our
commitment to generate a cultural shift to viewing transition
preparation as a military life-cycle experience. It is
important to note unique service characteristics that influence
the development of our airmen and affect transition readiness.
Based on our mission requirements, our airmen have more
technical skills. Fifty-two percent of our NCOs and 92 percent
of our senior NCO's have at least an associate's degree. We are
the only service with a technical associate degree program, our
Community College of the Air Force, which translates education,
training, and experience into accredited college credits.
Since 1972, nearly 500,000 degrees have been awarded. In
fiscal year 2017 alone, the Community College of the Air Force
awarded over 2 million semester hours of collegiate credit to
over 268,000 students. The Air Force Military Tuition
Assistance program totaled $154 million, and our Air Force
certification program provided 397 unique and transferable
certifications for career fields such as cyber systems
operations and civil engineering.
I reference this to illustrate that our airmen, generally
speaking, have the opportunity to get a jump-start on
transition. That said, deliberately embracing a culture of
transition readiness throughout the military life cycle is
consistent with and would strengthen our wingman culture.
As we work to implement 2017 GAO recommendations, we are
currently performing comprehensive upgrades to our TAP
processes based on our challenges with VOW compliance. From
providing exception to policies so our Guard and Reserve
members complete pre-separation counseling only once every 5
years or attend VA briefings once every 3 years, if activated
under the same authority, to annual training sessions for all
readiness NCOs, to working with DMDC to validate eligibility,
data, and data-based accuracy, and seeking IT solutions to add
a flag notification to the system, all the way to changing out
processing checklists, messaging our Active Duty and Guard
Reserve force support squadrons, briefing commanders for
sergeants and chiefs at our professional military education
leadership courses, and mandating airmen and family readiness
center directors brief incoming commanders on VOW compliance
within 30 days, or even adding text to airmen monthly leave and
earning pay statements, to highlight TAP requirements.
Our total force commanders are inspected for compliance,
and we have updated our Air Force instruction to stress
commander responsibility and accountability. And specifically
to the Reserve component, should all this still result in
someone missing the opportunity to complete TAP, Air Force
Reserve Command is tracking every member and will bring them
back on active status to complete the process. Across the
board, we are focused on attaining 100 percent compliance.
I just highlighted what we are doing today to fine tune the
current process, but I am even more optimistic about the
future. Given the synergy available to us when we proactively
align our TAP military life cycle touch points with our blended
retirement financial literacy training touch points, much like
an individual development plan, financial planning requires
continual evaluation. Merging the two programs touch point
requirements over the course of one's career, however long or
short, allows the member to take full advantage of the
capabilities provided.
General Goldfein, our Chief of Staff, is keenly focused on
revitalizing squadrons. He believes squadrons are the heartbeat
of the Air Force, and we succeed or fail in our mission based
on that squadron experience. Translated, the well-being,
resiliency, and readiness of our airmen and their families is
directly tied to the squadron and its leadership. Successfully
transitioning our airmen also depends on the informed and
engaged leadership.
In my opinion, there are two overarching components to
improving VOW compliance. First, ensuring all airmen are fully
educated on the requirement for TAP, and second, ensuring
commanders understand their critical role, and that they are
held accountable for their airmen being transition-ready.
Mr. Chairman, I thank you for the opportunity to testify
today, and I look forward to answering your questions.
[The prepared statement of General Kathleen Cook appears in
the Appendix]
Mr. Banks. Thank you.
And finally, General Stein, you are recognized for 5
minutes.
STATEMENT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL KURT W. STEIN
General Stein. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member O'Rourke, and
distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, it is my privilege
to appear before you today to discuss the transition readiness
of your Marines.
Marines are the foundation of our Corps. They are the
Corps' most critical resource, and they always will be. Most of
your Marines, by design, are young fighters who plan to
separate after one or two tours. Everything we do in the Marine
Corps must contribute to their readiness, including their
transition readiness.
To this end, our transition readiness program begins very
early in a Marine's career. Our framework, the Marine for Life
Cycle, includes several major action points beginning right
after boot camp and completing within months before separation
with the capstone event. In this way, our Marines are learning
and thinking early and often about their eventual transition to
civilian life.
Our transition readiness program has evolved significantly
over time, and we continuously seek ways to improve it. We
recently implemented the DoD TAP e-Form Enterprise database,
and believe that it will help us better capture and manage our
transition data and increase compliance. We are also
incorporating transition readiness into our inspector general
evaluation programs, which we believe will help increase
timeliness.
The draft GAO report identified some gaps in our current
program, especially in regard to VOW compliance and timeliness,
and particularly within the Reserves. We appreciate their
findings and recommendations and believe they will help us
further improve our programs.
An overarching theme for the Marine Corps as an institution
has always been that we make Marines, we win battles, and we
return those Marines back to civilian capacity as better
citizens.
I look forward to answering your questions. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of General Kurt Stein appears in
the Appendix]
Mr. Banks. Thank you to each of you.
With that, I will reserve the 5 minutes of time, if I can,
for the Chairman when he returns, and will yield to my friend
and Ranking Member O'Rourke for his 5 minutes.
Mr. O'Rourke. Thank you.
I will start with General Bennett. I am trying to figure
out the best way to phrase this question, but I am trying to
get from fulfilling a PE credit before you graduate or checking
a box, or I have heard the phrase ``compliance'' come up very
often, to getting to the spirit of the VOW Act and what we want
to do for those transitioning servicemembers. And I wonder if
the onus is not on us in Congress to improve that legislation
to explicitly define success measurements that we have been
looking for on this Committee.
If you are fulfilling the requirement to get that soldier
in the seat and, hopefully, to do a better job of having that
happen before they hit the 90-day mark, and perhaps encouraging
more of them to take the 2-day supplemental course so that they
are better prepared for that transition, you may have fulfilled
the requirements of the VOW Act and you are in compliance.
I don't know if this is for me to ask you and for you to
answer, but can you suggest ways that we can improve the
legislation to get at what, hopefully, we have been able to
articulate in terms of measurable outcomes that show us whether
or not this is a value beyond the compliance?
General Bennett. Yes, sir. We invest the Army vast amounts
of resources, $80 million a year, to take care of our soldiers.
And my personal goal is I do not want to have a battle of warm
handover to a Department of Labor-VA. I want to take care of
the Army family here within the Army. And I agree in the
discussion earlier. We discussed about outputs as it relates to
career readiness standards. We are doing pretty good in outputs
and measuring did they get the job done. Yes, we need to work
on timeliness, and that is the next stage of getting after
ensuring the soldiers are properly taken care of at the
appropriate time.
But the outcomes, did they get a job, that is where we do
need some help, because I see them from the time they receive a
214, but I don't know what happens after that soldier departs
my organization. And I need to know, the Army needs to know, so
that then I can, if need be, with that feedback, I can adjust
my program so that it is a better program for the soldiers that
are following those after their departure so we can get it
right.
So where I could use some help from the Army is a warm
handover follow-up from the Department of Labor and VA, data
from the Department of Labor and VA on success of transitioning
soldiers after they leave Soldier for Life-TAP, and then the
flexibility to tailor Soldier for Life-TAP to the needs of the
individual soldier; i.e., a 20-year soldier who is getting
ready to retire, probably you want to tailor the program
differently from someone who is in the service for 4 years and
getting ready to depart. It is usually an 18- to 24-year old.
Some of them are probably high risk when it means to
unemployment. From the Army's perspective, that was where I
would ask for your help.
Mr. O'Rourke. Yes. And I really liked the way General
Denton on the previous panel put it in terms of one of the
goals being to see military service as the best possible path
to a high-quality career afterwards.
If that is the goal, which I can't argue with, we need to
measure that. So how much are you earning? How fulfilled are
you in the work or career that you have following military
service? Got to be way to do that, but again, maybe that is on
us to legislate that, require that, not on you to add more
compliance measures that Congress hasn't mandated.
Mr. Chairman, I see some of our friends in the audience who
have been here for conversations about the post-9/11 GI Bill,
and I feel like we have had a very similar conversation where
we are measuring seats in chairs and attendance and graduation,
but not the success that those veterans have in their careers
or, you know, in their life. And that really has to be, I
think, the measure that we are able to describe and define, and
then I think everyone is going to see more value in the
program.
Those commanders right now who are grudgingly allowing
their servicemembers to attend the classes are trying to get
them out of it by asking for an online course. We are going to
see more servicemembers availing themselves of the 2-day
supplemental course. We are going to be better stewards of the
taxpayer dollar. I wonder if this Committee can't work on--just
a thought--what some of those additional measures are, and
maybe amend the legislation to include those going forward and
give these service branches something to perform to.
So that is just a suggestion to work on going forward, and
I will yield back to you.
Thank you for your answers, General Bennett.
Mr. Arrington. [Presiding.] Thank you, Mr. Ranking Member,
and I agree with you, I think--if I may yield myself 5 minutes,
and I apologize for having to step out. And I won't take all 5
minutes, Mr. Rutherford. I will option the ball to you here.
But to me, that is the heart of my concerns and the crux of
the matter on programs like this and any other program that,
you know, philosophically and in theory is an excellent
objective. But in practice, we don't know if it is working, and
we don't know how to make the changes to make it better, until
we are constantly measuring not just the input or output, the
outcomes. So, you know, really that is about the sum of my
thoughts and comments, and I agree with the Ranking Member.
I heard a couple of the panelists prior to you guys talk
about doing a survey or trying to come up with some instrument
to do what we are talking about. I think--I think we need to
get a group together, and it should be driven by the
stakeholders. You guys ought to know what your customers need,
want, and what are the right questions to get at whether this
is working. And we ought to have you guys present that to us.
We can be involved in some way. We ought to do it in short
order, because I understood a couple of the folks--I can't
remember who it was--were already working on this.
The other thing that concerns me, is when you have too many
agencies, too many hands involved, I worry that it gets
convoluted and more complicated. And if too many people are
responsible, nobody is responsible sort of thing.
So--and I recognize you have different agency jurisdiction
and all that, but, you know, if there was a way to consolidate
the contract, for example, or--I don't know the answer, but I
would like your feedback on having too many cooks in the
kitchen on this and that making things more complicated.
And then the other piece is just making sure it is a
priority at DoD, because it does not sound like it is a
priority when they are not measuring. This was a point the
Ranking Member made in the last panel. If you are not measuring
outcomes and if you are not actually making sure that everybody
is complying with that 90-day prior to the 90-day law, then
that just tells me that something is broken at DoD in terms of
ensuring it is being done.
And is this a priority in the Department of Defense? Do you
think it is? I know you guys are responsible within the
bureaucracy of the Pentagon. Tell me, do you think it is a
priority? Do you think the DoD believes it is a priority?
I will just go down the line. I mean, do you really think
it is a priority for them?
General Bennett. Sir, absolutely. I wholeheartedly agree in
that we teach this, we preach this at the first sergeant
course, the commander's course, at the pre-command course for
our battalion and brigade commanders. It is a requirement. And
it is funny that you mention about consolidating contracts. We
are looking at that in the Army right now. I have seven
different contracts within my TAP. I am trying to have one
bellybutton, that is what we are working on right now, and we
are trying to get there, and we are actually on our third
meeting right now.
But, sir, totally agree with you. And I know dealing with
the governors committee, they are onboard as well, but this
will help in getting one step further where we need to be.
Mr. Arrington. Thank you.
Other comments?
Admiral Thomas. Mr. Chairman, I would also agree that is a
priority in the Navy. We have really taken onboard the military
life-cycle concept where we bring in the concept of
transitioning early on in the career development boards. We
train up our career counselors so that they can start talking
and preparing our sailors early. And we really have taken
onboard the idea of getting credentialing and trying to give
sailors items that will translate to the civil sector.
I like Representative Rutherford's comments that the
measure of, you know, having that letter that says you are
accepted to a college, that is fairly easy, and I have seen it
myself when I have been in command. The job one is a little bit
more challenging in ensuring that person has that job offer
before they leave. But if we can get to that point, that is a
great measure of success.
Mr. Arrington. Let me just assume everybody thinks it is a
good deal. Let's demonstrate that you believe that to the
taxpayers are paying $500 million for these programs because
they love their men and women in service, and our veterans as
you do, as well, and I know you do. Let's demonstrate it by
coming back with a plan to consolidate things for
accountability and clarity in terms of roles, and make it less
complicated and convoluted. And let's come back with a plan on
how to measure the outcomes. And let's apply that across the
board, and let's find out if it is working and how we need to
improve it. Because everybody fundamentally knows this is a
good thing. And so let's put our money where our mouth is and
let's go invest the time and resources to get this thing done.
You guys can tell us--and I don't want to pass a law if we
don't have to pass a law. Sometimes, you know--my last--my
first bill made it through the House floor, and I was honored
to do this legislative reform with my colleague from Texas and
friend, but I have to say, you know, moving this disabled
home--I mean, home adaptation for disabled veterans from one
part of the VA bureaucracy to another where they actually have
the core competency, where this group didn't--I mean, it is
actually called specially adapted housing over here. Over here
it is about vocational rehab. And, I mean, I am having to tell
my newspaper, look, I am just going to be honest with you. This
should be done without Congress having to act.
Will it help the veteran? Yes. Will it help the disabled
community? Yes. Will it save taxpayer money? I believe it will.
But my goodness, please help us help our veterans and come up
with these ideas and make presentations. And then if you need
the law to change, I guarantee you, you will have the support
of this Committee.
I have gone way over my time.
Mr. Takano, I yield the balance of my 10 minutes that I
took. I recognize you for 5 minutes.
Mr. Takano. Now you are overstating things here. Thank you,
Mr. Chairman.
Let me say that I was very pleased to hear from the Office
of the Under Secretary, the director, Mr. Lyons, indicate that
the military was interested in engaging with the servicemember
much earlier in the servicemember's life cycle. But my sense
was, was that even though the military is engaging the
servicemembers in establishing career and educational goals
early, and counseling, that there really wasn't assessment
happening and determining whether that servicemember had all
the skills and knowledge, or whether there was any need to
remediate their skills so that servicemembers are ready before
they leave.
So let me just state what I believe simply ought to be
happening. What ought to be happening is that on day one of
their induction in the military, there should be an assessment
of the servicemember and a determination, initially, of what
their goals are career-wise and education-wise, knowing that
that 18-year-old is not necessarily going to exactly know who
they are at that moment, and we can expect those goals to
change. But we should at least know whether or not that
servicemember needs to be doing some work to improve their math
skills, their communication skills, their English skills. And I
believe the military should be holding them accountable for
that, because they were recruited on the basis of GI Bill
benefits. And the taxpayer has an interest in making sure that
those benefits aren't wasted, that they are not squandered,
that they are not put into debt after they spend down those
benefits and so forth and so on.
I would like to see also, is there a sense--given that
context I have laid out to you, I believe it is in the best
interest of our country that we see a strategic use of tuition
assistance while they are in the military for those young
people to be acquiring whatever remediation they need and/or
gaining course credit so that they can transfer into a degree
program rather seamlessly.
Can you give me some background idea of how well you think
tuition assistance is being used in each branch, each of the
branches of the military, how well your--you know, how well
spent is that tuition assistance money, and how well do you
help our servicemembers use that opportunity?
General Bennett. Tuition assistance is one of the many
areas that I do own, and it is quite popular with the senior
leaders of the Army, and we are finding many different ways of
getting after ensuring from a strategic message that--
Mr. Takano. You said the senior leaders, the senior leaders
of the--
General Bennett. Of the Army, sir.
Mr. Takano. Yes.
General Bennett. Yes, sir. I mean, this has special
attention of the Sergeant Major of the Army, who is getting
after tuition assistance and getting after credentialing with
the soldiers, the career skills program. All this is
encompassing under, maybe not the tuition assistance pot of
money, but we are getting after ensuring that, you are correct,
sir, way before the transitioning process starts from the
active Army, that they are educated and they are prepared for
the civilian sector.
So it is quite popular, and I am actually going for the POM
cycle requesting for additional money for next year, and it is
getting bigger and better and growing steam as it relates to
the soldiers acquiring tuition assistance.
Mr. Takano. Thank you. Thank you.
Anyone else care to comment?
Admiral Thomas. Yes, sir. We had 46,000 sailors in 2016 use
the tuition assistance program and take over 131,000 classes,
and we bring instructors out to our ships so they can take them
even when they are deployed. So it is a very popular program
and utilized by many of our sailors.
Mr. Takano. And is it used by not just the senior officers?
Admiral Thomas. It actually tends to be used more by the
junior people.
Mr. Takano. More by junior. Yes, great. Thanks.
General Cook. Sir, thank you. I would like to also mention
that as I mentioned in my opening remarks, tuition assistance
for the Air Force is extremely important. In fiscal year 2017,
we expended $154 million in tuition assistance leading to the
percentages of 52 percent of our NCOs and 92 percent of our
senior NCOs obtaining at least a 2-year degree. So we begin to
discuss this path forward with our young enlisted at about the
4- to 6- to 8-year mark after they have finished their
technical skill training. So from day one, we are having a
conversation with them.
And if I could, I would also like to address your earlier
question about assessing individuals.
Mr. Takano. Oh, thank you.
General Cook. Yes, sir. So for the Air Force specifically,
and I know for the other services there is an entry exam that
indicates where they are successful, efficient, and then
deficient as well. So the initial exam, we take a look at and
then it is followed through with our basic training. We have
constant assessment through basic training, followed through
our technical skills, and all along the way, if there is
remedial work required, we will ensure that they reach that.
And then after all of the technical training, once they get to
their first base location in our, what we call First-Term
Airmen's program, we also have conversations about the
financial, educational programs available to them. So we get
them from the very beginning and consistently through.
And in my opening remarks, as I mentioned, with the
military life cycle of combining the touch points for our
financial literacy, as well as our TAP programs, this creates
touch points consistently throughout in the high points of an
airmen's career. Career change, promotion, family, childbirth,
et cetera. So we absolutely believe that education is
important, and we are hitting it from beginning to end.
Mr. Takano. Might I continue with the question, Mr.
Chairman?
Mr. Arrington. Sure.
Mr. Takano. So you are talking about from the lowest rank
of airmen all the way up, this is a--what you apply the
assessments.
General Cook. Yes, sir. So for our enlisted, they will come
in and they get their test at the beginning and they go to
technical school, and then we push them toward our Community
College of the Air Force beginning about their 4-year mark. For
our officers, obviously, they come in with a degree in order to
become an officer, so they are already assessed at a certain
level.
And then what I would also like to offer is, even in our
feedbacks, which happen when you report to a unit that first
feedback, the initial, we discuss the financial and educational
assessments. Then 6 months later, it is in our feedback. And in
our annual assessment, we also have those conversations for
both enlisted and officers.
Mr. Takano. Mr. Chairman, could the Marines answer the same
question?
Mr. Arrington. Yes.
General Stein. Yes, Congressman, we have the same model
that the Air Force has, specifically as far as assessing the
individual Marine prior to assessing the tuition assistance
program. Our TA program is really focused and geared towards
the junior enlisted Marines with a high school diploma
basically. And when they--prior to being given the tuition
assistance dollars, they take an assessment, a test, to
identify any deficiencies academically in any certain vertical
of academia, whether it is mathematics or whatever, and then
they are given remedial education in that space prior to going
on and spending taxpayer dollars, Marine Corps dollars for
tuition assistance for undergraduate credits under a
credentialed institution.
Mr. Takano. Well, I certainly learned something new, and I
want to know more about what you are doing.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Mr. Arrington. Thank you, Mr. Takano.
Mr. Rutherford, I recognize you for 5 minutes.
Mr. Rutherford. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you,
panel, for your lengthy testimony and for your service to our
country.
You know, there is an old adage, don't beat a dead horse,
but after we say that, we always beat a dead horse, so that is
what I want to do very briefly. So I will keep this short.
There was something very interesting that General Stein and
General Bennett mentioned.
General Bennett, you talked about TAP-XXI and how in that
follow-up, one of the matrices that you actually looked at was
low unemployment payouts. I thought that is incredible. It
makes me beg the question, what other matrixes do you have that
you are looking at? And then General Stein mentioned that they
have similar assessments with the Air Force, and makes me
wonder, do you also have similar outcome matrices for all four
services? General?
General Bennett. So, yes. As I alluded to earlier, we do
measure, and I know unemployment compensation will change every
year, but that is one of our biggest measurement that we use
right now. And again, we are below the $200 million mark first
time in 13 years, 172.8, and that you will see--
Mr. Rutherford. That is excellent. Yes.
General Bennett. Yes, sir. And you will see that, this
year, once the report comes out, I think we do even better. At
the end of third quarter, fiscal year 2017, we are at $101
million. So I think we are on the mark.
What I am finding out within the Reserve component, if we
want to delineate between the components, Reserve--when I say
Reserve, that is National Guard and the Army Reserve that is 12
percent. Twelve percent is the unemployment compensation rate.
And for regular Army Active Duty, 34 percent. So we are on the
road to improvement, but again, where I could use the help, as
you alluded to, sir, on measurements, that is, once a soldier
departs the Active Duty, the outcome piece, did they get a job?
That is what I need to know to better piece is my program doing
what it is supposed to do?
Mr. Rutherford. Right. And so the other--the other
branches, can you comment? Do you have such a matrices as that
or no?
Admiral Thomas. Sir, the Navy does have unemployment
numbers as well, and we are down at the lowest that we have
been since 2011. We are at 67 million. So the right trajectory.
Mr. Rutherford. Very good.
General Cook. So I am certain the Air Force does have the
numbers, but I don't have them with me, so I would be happy to
get those back to you.
Mr. Rutherford. General?
General Stein. Yes, sir. We know that our trend line is
decreasing in the unemployment numbers. I don't have the
specific data, though, before me, but I can get back to you on
that.
Mr. Rutherford. What other matrices do you have on the
outcomes, besides unemployment? Is there actually a list? Does
anybody share outcomes or--
General Stein. Admiral Thomas and I, you know, being with
the Department of the Navy, there is a lot of programs that he
and I work together on, suicide prevention, sexual assault,
behavioral health issues, things like that. So the being able
to track them and, you know, finding metrics is kind of
difficult.
So in this scenario, a measurement of performance would be
how many people do we get into the classroom for the transition
readiness seminar and complete the capstone event with a
counselor? But the measurement of effectiveness is the second
part of the story that, once they separate from the service, we
really don't have situational awareness on them. Even their
willingness to sign up with the VA during separation is
optional. So it is a tough--it is a tough landscape to be able
to actually get measurements of effectiveness on, well, how did
that translate into how well you did academically, how well you
did as a young entrepreneur in that space, the Boots to
Business program, for example.
We do know there are certain programs that we have, like
the Skill Bridge program, which is a great new story for all of
the services, where there is one partner that we work with that
has a 94 percent placement after they are done with the
program, and they still do that while they are on Active-duty.
And that is a command--the commanders allow them to participate
in that program without it negatively affecting the operational
readiness of the unit.
Mr. Rutherford. Right. We have a community-based program in
northeast Florida, Operation New Uniform, which we are now
going to try to replicate across the country, which has a
tremendous placement rate after graduation from their program.
And so I thank all of you.
And I think, Mr. Chairman that may be an area that we can
actually assist through some of the interagency relationships
to try to get some of that information available for you for
those evaluations of effectiveness, which we currently lack.
Thank you. And I yield back, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Arrington. Thank you, Mr. Rutherford.
And we will just conclude with one question for each
service represented on the panel.
Sir, what would the one thing you would do, if you were
king of this program and in control of the program from start
to finish, what is the one thing you would do to make it work
better for our veterans?
General Bennett. We alluded to this many times, sir, Mr.
Rutherford, you just talked about it, the outcome piece, once
they depart.
Mr. Arrington. Okay. Sir?
Admiral Thomas. I would agree, and I think that we are
doing a great job of bringing folks, hiring fairs, bringing
those outreach. There is a sea of goodwill out there that
people want to help us, and getting them to the bases to have
those fairs be fruitful and getting the word out. I think the
American public wants to hire veterans, which is a good thing.
The landscape is rich. We just have to take advantage of it.
Mr. Arrington. And I think the question is--I agree, I
think people want to hire veterans. The question is, how does
this program help them achieve that? Because you have got the
demand side, and as we supply the material of folks
transitioning from active to civilian, are we better preparing
them to make that a higher achievement, a higher rate of
achievement?
I will just keep going. One thing, one thing.
General Cook. I believe continued partnership with the
inter-agencies as we try to more accurately define, for
example, certifications. And Department of Labor is doing some
excellent work in defining for us what are the key
certifications that a member would need to get a job in cyber
or get a job in civil engineering, because there are so many
certifications out there. So we find great value in the
partnerships with our inter-agencies.
Mr. Arrington. Sir?
General Stein. Yes. Mr. Chairman, I concur with my fellow
panel Members here. I think it is connecting the dots and
having a conduit with the audience. The demand signal is there.
They want to hire veterans. A lot of times they don't know what
door to open up. They don't know how to access in the process
and the line of effort, if you will, to make that happen and
make it a more mature program, if you will, as connecting the
dots with the interagency, with the VSOs, with all the
partnerships and, for example, the Marine Corps League in my
case, the VFW, the Chamber of Commerce, all those entities that
are out there. The demand signal is high. They want to help. It
is just a matter of us cracking the code on how to allow those
conduits to open up.
Mr. Arrington. Thank you guys for your time. Thank you for
your service to our country and for your help in this process
to improve this important program.
What I would like to do, Mr. Rutherford, is ask, in
relatively short order, Ms. Devlin, are you still here?
I would like Ms. Devlin from the VA, and I know there are
lots of components to this, but to get the stakeholders
together from that interagency working group, that mean
somebody from VA, somebody from Labor, somebody from DoD, and I
want these folks here on the panel that are front line with
this program and the customers of the program to be a part of
that. And I would like for you guys to come back by the end of
the year and define what success is. That is, what are the
desired outcomes. Real clear. What are the success metrics? How
do we measure that we are achieving those desired outcomes? And
then lastly, any other recommendations for operational
efficiency like Mr. Bennett said about taking--consolidating
seven contracts into one. Other ways recommendations to make
this program run more effectively, efficiently, and with
greater accountability.
That is for the next close to 60 days the charge that I
give you on behalf of this Committee, because I think you guys
have the answers. And then if we can help through law writing,
we will do that. If we don't need that, then let's just fix the
problem and do right by our veterans and our taxpayers. God
bless you guys.
I now ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5
legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material. Without objection, so ordered.
We are adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 3:54 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
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Prepared Statement of Cindy S. Brown Barnes
TRANSITIONING VETERANS
Improvements Needed in DOD's Performance Reporting and Monitoring of
the Transition Assistance Program
Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke, and Members of the
Subcommittee:
I am pleased to be here to discuss the report we are issuing today
on the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Over the past several
years, hundreds of thousands of servicemembers have left the military
with nearly as many more soon to follow. Some of these new veterans may
face significant challenges as they transition to civilian life, such
as finding and maintaining employment. To help them, the VOW to Hire
Heroes Act of 2011 (VOW Act) mandates the Department of Defense (DOD)
to require that all eligible separating servicemembers participate in
TAP to receive counseling, employment assistance, and information on
federal veteran benefits, among other supports. \1\ Concurrently with
implementing the VOW Act, an interagency task force led a redesign of
TAP which, among other things, (1) developed a new, standardized TAP
curriculum, (2) established an interagency governance structure, and
(3) established Career Readiness Standards (CRS) and associated tasks
to demonstrate servicemembers' readiness for civilian life.
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\1\ VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, Pub. L. No. 112-56, Title II,
125 Stat. 711, 713-733.
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My statement summarizes the findings from the report we issued
today, which addresses: (1) the extent to which DOD is transparent in
its public performance reporting, (2) how many servicemembers
participated in TAP and what factors affected participation, (3) how
many servicemembers met CRS or received referrals to partner agencies
for additional services, and (4) the extent to which DOD monitors key
areas of TAP implementation and how well TAP's performance measures
inform these monitoring efforts. \2\ In summary, we found:
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\2\ GAO, Transitioning Veterans: DOD Needs to Improve Performance
Reporting and Monitoring for the Transition Assistance Program.GAO 18
23 (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 8, 2017).With respect to DOD's public
reporting on TAP performance, DOD is required by federal law to prepare
(1) strategic plans with long-term, outcome-oriented agency priority
goals and objectives, (2) annual performance plans with goals linked to
achieving the long-term priority goals in the strategic plan and
indicators to measure performance against the goals, and (3) annual
reports on the results achieved toward the goals in the performance
plan. In fiscal year 2014, DOD named one of its six agency priority
goals the Transition to Veterans. Since that time, DOD has monitored
TAP performance indicators and reported them in each of its annual
performance plans. These requirements stem from the Government
Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) which was significantly
enhanced by the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA).
DOD lacked data on nearly half of National Guard and
Reserve Members and its public reporting may have misstated TAP
performance;
At least 85 percent of servicemembers participated in
required courses but not always on time, and several factors were
reported to affect participation;
While most servicemembers were deemed career ready or
referred for additional services, just over half may not have completed
this process on time; and
While DOD monitors many areas of TAP implementation, it
does not monitor several important requirements.
We made six recommendations. DOD agreed with three of our
recommendations, partially agreed to two others, and did not agree with
our recommendation on access to additional 2-day classes. GAO believes
this recommendation is still valid as discussed in the report.
For our report, we surveyed 181 DOD installations that conduct TAP
full time and achieved a 100 percent response rate; analyzed DOD
participation data for fiscal year 2016; reviewed TAP data reports and
performance measures; interviewed officials from DOD and its partner
agencies; and reviewed relevant federal laws, regulations, and
policies. We also visited 7 installations (2 each for the Army, Navy,
Air Force, and 1 for the Marine Corps) from July through December,
2016. We found DOD data on TAP participation and CRS attainment to be
reliable for regular active duty servicemembers, but not for National
Guard and Reserve members due to the high percentage of missing data.
\3\ A more detailed explanation of our methodology is available in our
November 2017 report. The work upon which this statement is based was
conducted in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards.
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\3\ In GAO 18 23 and the referenced analysis, we included the
number and percentage of National Guard and Reserve members DOD
reported to have participated in TAP to illustrate the extent to which
DOD is missing data for this population, but we excluded these
populations from our participant-level analyses. Consequently, the
scope of this testimony is generally relevant to active-duty
servicemembers who are not members of the National Guard and Reserve,
unless otherwise noted.
DOD Lacked Data on Nearly Half of National Guard and Reserve Members
and Its Public Reporting May Have Misstated TAP Performance,
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Particularly for the National Guard and Reserve
DOD lacked TAP data for 48 percent of eligible National Guard and
Reserve members and 12 percent of servicemembers who were not members
of the National Guard and Reserve, based upon our analysis of DOD data
for fiscal year 2016. According to DOD officials, DOD launched the TAP-
IT Enterprise System in November 2016 to standardize data collection
across the Services and improve data completeness and accuracy. DOD
officials anticipate the system's reporting capabilities will be fully
operational by October 2018.
In fiscal year 2016, DOD's public reporting on the four performance
measures under its Transition to Veterans agency priority goal may have
misstated the extent to which underlying TAP requirements were met for
National Guard and Reserve members and all other TAP- eligible
servicemembers. \4\ According to federal internal control standards,
management should use quality information to achieve the entity's
objectives and to communicate quality information to external parties.
\5\ However, DOD's public reporting of TAP's performance did not
disclose that the method it used to calculate the measures excluded the
percent of TAP-eligible servicemembers for whom it was missing data.
For example, DOD publicly reported that 94 percent of National Guard
and Reserve members attended pre-separation counseling and the three
required courses of TAP's core curriculum (mandatory elements). Had the
reported measure included all TAP-eligible members of the National
Guard and Reserve for whom data were missing, the percentage might have
been substantially lower-possibly as low as 47 percent-and DOD might
not have met its performance goal of 85 percent. \6\ Similarly, DOD
publicly reported that nearly 97 percent of active duty servicemembers
attended the mandatory elements of TAP. However, had that measure
included all TAP-eligible active duty servicemembers, the percentage
may have been as low as about 87 percent. \7\ In contrast, DOD's
internal reports to monitor TAP performance are more complete and
transparent than its public reports since the internal reports include
data for the entire TAP-eligible population and also quantify the
extent of missing data (see fig. 1).
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\4\ Though federal law mandates that DOD require eligible
servicemembers to participate in TAP, with some exceptions, DOD set
performance goals below 100 percent participation among the population
of servicemembers required to participate. 10 U.S.C. 1144(c).
DOD officials told us they assess performance goals each year and
establish attainable but challenging performance goals.
\5\ GAO, Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government,
GAO 14 704G (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 2014).
\6\ The exact participation rate cannot be determined due to
missing data. If none of the members of the National Guard and Reserve
for whom data were missing completed TAP, the participation rate would
be 47 percent. If the participation of members of the National Guard
and Reserve with missing data mirrored the rate for members with
available data, the rate would be 94 percent. If every member of the
National Guard and Reserve with missing data completed TAP, the actual
rate would be even higher-97 percent.
\7\ The exact rate cannot be determined due to missing data.
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
(a) Attended (a) pre-separation counseling, (b) a Department of
Labor Employment Workshop, and (c) Veterans Affairs Benefits Briefings
prior to separation. In its internal reports, DOD refers to this as
``VOW Compliance.''(b) DOD's definition notes that the calculation
is in accordance with statutory requirements that allowed exemptions
determined by the Secretary of Defense in consultation with Department
of Homeland Security, Department of Veterans' Affairs, and Department
of Labor.
(c) DOD's internal reports present rates of VOW compliance and CRS
attainment separately for members of the National Guard and Reserve. To
make it easier to compare DOD's two methods for calculating performance
outcomes, GAO used DOD's reported numbers and methodology to calculate
a combined measure that includes members of both the National Guard and
Reserve.
(d) Actual participation rates may have differed from what
available records show because DOD lacked participation data for 12
percent of eligible servicemembers and 48 percent of eligible members
of the National Guard and Reserve. If the proportion of servicemembers
or members of the National Guard or Reserve for whom data were missing
completed TAP at the same rate as those for whom data were available,
the percentage reported internally would likely parallel the percentage
publicly reported. DOD officials said it is not accurate to calculate
participation rates for servicemembers for whom data were missing
because it is unknown whether those servicemembers met the performance
criteria. However, we report this number to illustrate the discrepancy
between what is known about performance for the entire TAP-eligible
population and what DOD publicly reported.
(e) This rate differs slightly from the rate GAO calculated using
the participant level data provided by DOD, as shown in figure 1. DOD
officials explained that GAO's calculation differs from the published
rates because additional data were entered after the official
performance measure calculation was completed.
We recommended that the Secretary of Defense publicly report DOD's
performance regarding participation and CRS attainment for all TAP-
eligible servicemembers and members of the National Guard and Reserve
rather than exclude those for whom data are missing, or DOD should
clarify the extent of missing data. DOD partially concurred with this
recommendation, saying that compliance should be computed based only on
known data, but said that in fiscal year 2018 all reports will describe
the extent of missing data and DOD will continue working to reduce the
extent of missing data.
At Least 85 Percent of Servicemembers Participated in Required Courses
but Not Always on Time, and Several Factors Were Reported to Affect
Participation
At least 85 percent of servicemembers participated in TAP's
required courses-the Employment Workshop and VA Benefits I and II-
according to our analysis of DOD data for fiscal year 2016 (see fig.
2).
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Note: The participation rate is a measure of all servicemembers who
met the following requirements: 1) either completed the employment
workshop or were exempt from the requirement to participate in that
course, and 2) completed VA Benefits I and II courses. Thus, our
participation rate differs slightly from DOD's VOW compliance rate,
which also included mandatory pre-separation counseling. Because GAO
determined participation data were reliable for servicemembers but not
for National Guard and Reserve members, this figure does not include
the latter. Actual participation rates may have differed from what
available records show because DOD lacked participation data for 12
percent of eligible servicemembers. Percentages are rounded to the
nearest whole number.
Therefore, DOD achieved its 85 percent performance goal for
servicemember participation in mandatory portions of TAP. \8\ However,
fewer than 15 percent of servicemembers participated in one or more of
TAP's additional 2-day classes, which DOD does not consider mandatory
unless the servicemember needs to attend to meet CRS. Those who
participated in these additional 2-day classes primarily participated
in the one on Accessing Higher Education.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ More specifically, this performance goal's underlying
performance indicator measures all servicemembers who met all three of
the following requirements: 1) participated in pre-separation
counseling, 2) either completed the employment workshop or were exempt
from the requirement to participate in that course, and 3) completed VA
Benefits I and II courses. Our analysis of DOD data also showed that 85
percent of eligible servicemembers met all three of these requirements.
Actual participation rates may have differed from what available
records showed because DOD lacked participation data for 12 percent of
eligible servicemembers. Federal law requires the Secretary of Defense
and the Secretary of Homeland Security to require participation in TAP
for members eligible for assistance, with some exceptions. 10 U.S.C.
1144. DOD's GPRAMA priority goal performance goal for fiscal
years 2016 and 2017 is set at 85 percent. The goal includes both
servicemembers and members of the National Guard and Reserve. This
performance goal is not a statutory requirement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our analysis found that most servicemembers started TAP on time-90
days or more before their date of separation (see fig. 3). \9\
Specifically, we found that in fiscal year 2016, 74 percent of
servicemembers started TAP on time. However, according to TAP staff at
five of the seven installations we visited, servicemembers who start
TAP less than 90 days before separating may face challenges completing
TAP requirements or accessing additional transition resources.
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\9\ See 10 U.S.C. 1142(a)(3). In cases of unanticipated
separations or retirements when there are 90 days or fewer before
discharge or release from active duty, servicemembers are required to
begin as soon as possible within the remaining period of service.
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Notes: Because GAO determined timeliness data were reliable for
servicemembers but not National Guard and Reserve members, this figure
does not include members of the National Guard or Reserve. Actual
timeliness rates may have differed from what available records show
because DOD lacked data on the timeliness of beginning TAP for 10.1
percent of eligible servicemembers. Percentages do not add to 100 due
to the missing data. The 90-day statutory timeliness threshold does not
apply when servicemembers undergo unanticipated, rapid separations.
Therefore, in some cases timeliness standards may have been met
although the servicemember started TAP less than 90 days before
separating.
Several factors affected servicemember participation in TAP,
according to our survey. The two most frequently cited factors were
servicemembers going through rapid separations or starting the
transition process too late to attend TAP. Other often-cited factors
were servicemembers believing they could not leave their duties to
attend training, or not being released from duties due to mission
critical skills. To a lesser degree, lack of support from direct
supervisors and unit commanders was a factor that reportedly affected
participation.
Despite such challenges, we generally heard positive feedback. TAP
staff at all of the installations we visited said the redesigned
program offered critical information and guidance and mandating
participation had improved the program, such as by expanding awareness
about the importance of transition preparation. Servicemembers also
praised course facilitators and TAP staff, noting they were
knowledgeable, dedicated, and supportive. Nonetheless, many
servicemembers said attending TAP was like ``trying to drink from a
firehose'' because of the volume of information presented in a short
period of time. \10\
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\10\ DOD officials noted that an ongoing DOD initiative to
incorporate transition preparation throughout servicemembers careers-
called the Military Lifecycle Transition Model-should help address this
concern.
While Most Servicemembers Were Deemed Career Ready or Referred for
Additional Services, Just over Half May Not Have Completed This
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Process on Time
DOD met its career readiness performance goal in fiscal year 2016
by ensuring at least 85 percent of servicemembers met their Career
Readiness Standards (CRS) or were referred for services to an
appropriate interagency partner or another appropriate resource-a
process known as the ``warm handover.'' \11\ In particular, about 81
percent of all active duty servicemembers met their CRS according to
our analysis of DOD data. DOD ensured that another 4 percent of
servicemembers received a warm handover because their CRS had not been
met. Relatively few servicemembers-another 3 percent-did not meet CRS
or receive a warm handover as required by regulations. Due to missing
data, it is unknown whether DOD ensured the remaining 12 percent of
servicemembers met CRS (see fig. 4).
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\11\ For fiscal years 2016 and 2017, DOD set an 85 percent target
for this agency priority goal.
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Note: Commanders or their designees are required to ensure that
servicemembers who do not meet one or more Career Readiness Standards
or who need further assistance are referred to an appropriate
interagency partner or another appropriate resource-a process known as
a ``warm handover.'' Because GAO determined participation data were
reliable for servicemembers but not for National Guard and Reserve
members, this figure does not include members of the National Guard or
Reserves. Actual participation rates may have differed from what
available records show because DOD lacked participation data for 12
percent of eligible servicemembers. Percentages are rounded to the
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nearest whole number.
However, our analysis of DOD data showed more than 53 percent of
servicemembers completed Capstone-the event that finalizes TAP
completion by verifying attainment of CRS providing a referral-fewer
than 90 days before their scheduled separation date. DOD regulations
state that, preceding an anticipated separation, servicemembers must
complete Capstone no later than 90 days before their date of
anticipated separation, with some exceptions (see fig. 5). \12\
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\12\ The 90-day regulatory timeliness threshold does not apply when
servicemembers undergo unanticipated, rapid separations. Therefore, in
some cases timeliness standards may have been met although the
servicemember completed TAP less than 90 days before separating.
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Note: Because GAO determined career readiness standard data were
reliable for servicemembers but not National Guard and Reserve members,
this figure does not include members of the National Guard or Reserve.
Actual Career Readiness Standards attainment rates may have differed
from what available records show because DOD lacked career readiness
data for 16 percent of eligible servicemembers. Percentages do not add
to 100 due to the missing data. The 90- day timeliness threshold does
not apply when servicemembers undergo unanticipated, rapid separations.
Therefore, in some cases timeliness standards may have been met
although the servicemember started TAP less than 90 days before
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separating.
While DOD Monitors Many Areas of TAP Implementation, It Does Not
Monitor Several Important Requirements
DOD does not currently monitor the timeliness of TAP participation,
although DOD regulations establish a time frame for completing TAP
requirements. We recommended that the Secretary of Defense monitor and
report on the extent to which servicemembers participate in TAP within
prescribed time frames. DOD concurred with this recommendation and said
it will begin implementing it once DOD establishes system requirements
and identifies associated costs of data collection; DOD anticipates
starting data collection in fiscal year 2019 at the earliest.
DOD also does not monitor and report on the extent to which
servicemembers wanted to attend one of the additional 2-day classes,
but were not able to participate, although federal law requires that
DOD ensure that servicemembers who elect to participate in these
classes are able to receive the training. We recommended that the
Secretary of Defense monitor and report on the extent to which
servicemembers who elect to take additional 2-day classes are able to
do so. DOD disagreed with our recommendation saying that it ensures
access by offering 2-day classes both in classrooms and online.
Moreover, it stated that the purpose of 2-day classes is to help
servicemembers achieve Career Readiness standards. However, GAO does
not believe this is sufficient for DOD to know whether it is ensuring
compliance with this particular law. We continue to believe that DOD
needs to track whether those who elect to take these classes are able
to receive the training.
In addition, agency officials told us that DOD does not
systematically monitor and report on the prevalence of online TAP
participation, although DOD regulations state that DOD and the military
services must generally ensure servicemembers participate in TAP in a
classroom setting, with some exceptions. \13\ We recommended that the
Secretary of Defense monitor and report on the extent to which
servicemembers attend TAP in a classroom setting unless allowed by
regulation to participate online. DOD agreed to address this
recommendation once it has identified system requirements and
associated costs for collecting the data. DOD anticipates the earliest
it will be able to monitor and report such data will be fiscal year
2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ According to DOD regulations, those eligible servicemembers
who can use the virtual curricula include (1) those whose duty
locations are in remote or isolated geographic areas, and (2) those
undergoing short-notice separation who cannot access brick-and-mortar
curricula in a timely manner. 32 C.F.R. pt. 88 app. G. Isolated
geographic areas are defined as being 50 or more miles away from the
installation to which the servicemember is assigned.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moreover, DOD currently lacks a mechanism to generate performance
data at the installation and unit command level related to the
timeliness of TAP participation, access to additional 2-day classes,
and method of course delivery. We recommended that once DOD monitors
and reports data in these three areas, the Secretary of Defense should
enable unit and higher-level commanders to access this information to
help ensure their specific units are TAP compliant. DOD partially
concurred with our recommendation in that it agreed to make data
available to commanders with regard to timeliness and online
participation-but not access to the 2-day classes-once it had the data
collection and reporting capability.
Finally, we found that DOD's performance measures related to CRS
attainment lack objectivity. \14\ GAO criteria state that subjective
considerations or judgments should not greatly affect a measure's
outcome. However, we found that assessing some of the CRS-the
individual transition plan and resume portion of the job application
package-requires professional judgment in determining whether a
servicemember has met the particular standard, and DOD has not
developed guidance or quality standards that could minimize the
subjectivity of such \15\decisions \16\. We recommended that the
Secretary of Defense seek ways to minimize the subjectivity involved in
making career readiness determinations. DOD concurred with this
recommendation and said that by the end of fiscal year 2018, it will
collaborate with the military departments and the Department Labor
(DOL) to examine and implement ways, as appropriate, to minimize the
subjectivity in assessing individual CRS. DOD noted that installations
have personnel trained in resume writing and career planning, who can
assist servicemembers, and that installations can also call upon their
local DOL partners for further support.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ Previous GAO reports provide established criteria for
assessing performance measurement systems. (For example, see GAO, Tax
Administration: IRS Needs to Further Refine its Tax Filing Season
Performance Measures, GAO 03 143, (Washington D.C. November 2002.)
Specifically, for that report, GAO has identified nine key attributes
of successful performance measures: measurable target, linkage,
clarity, objectivity, reliability, limited overlap, balance,
government-wide priorities, and core program activities. For more
information, see GAO 18 23.
\15\ Other Career Readiness Standards-such as whether
servicemembers documented requirements and eligibility for licensure,
certification, and apprenticeship-do not require subjective judgments.
\16\ To meet Career Readiness Standards, servicemembers must
demonstrate they have a viable individual transition plan and have
completed a job application package, which include a resume.
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Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke, and Members of the
Subcommittee, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be happy to
answer any questions you may have.
GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments
If you or your staff have any questions about this testimony,
please contact me at (202) 512-7215 or [email protected]. Contact
points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs
may be found on the last page of this statement. GAO staff who made key
contributions to this testimony include Meeta Engle, Amy MacDonald, and
David Forgosh. Additional assistance was provided by James Bennett,
Holly Dye, Ted Leslie, Shelia McCoy, Jean McSween, Benjamin Sinoff and
Almeta Spencer.
This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to
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if you wish to reproduce this material separately.
Prepared Statement of Margarita Devlin
Introduction
Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke, and other members of
this Subcommittee - thank you for the opportunity to discuss the
Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) contribution to the Transition
Assistance Program (TAP). With Veterans Day rapidly approaching, this
hearing is a timely opportunity to take stock of our efforts to support
transitioning Servicemembers, Veterans, and their families and
caregivers, as well as explore how VA can continue to improve and
evolve transition services.
VA is proud of the successes we have achieved in collaboration with
our Federal agency partners. We are excited to tell you about our
ongoing efforts to make TAP more holistic, relevant, and beneficial.
Background
In 2011, faced with increasing Veteran unemployment rates and a
nationwide need for more skilled workers and entrepreneurs, the
President signed the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes
Act of 2011 (VOW Act), which mandated that the Department of Labor
(DOL) assess the skills that Servicemembers acquire in the military and
improve the translation of those skills into civilian-sector
certifications. The act also authorized VA to extend eligibility for
the Montgomery GI Bill and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
benefits for one year, and expand the Special Incentive Program to
encourage employers to hire and provide on-the-job training to eligible
Veterans. By the same token, in November 2011, Congress passed, and the
President signed, the VOW Act, which included steps to improve TAP for
Servicemembers. Representing a major shift from prior TAP execution,
the VOW Act mandated participation in TAP by all transitioning
Servicemembers, with a few limited exceptions, and focused training on
employment and education. As a result of the VOW Act, TAP was
redesigned as a cohesive, modular, outcomes-based program that
standardized transition opportunities, services, and training to better
prepare our Servicemembers to achieve their post-military career goals.
Achieving a successful transition from military to civilian life is
a collaborative effort between Federal entities and external
stakeholders. Under the auspices of a memorandum of understanding (MOU)
executed in 2014, and updated in 2016, the Department of Defense (DoD),
DOL, VA, Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security,
Office of Personnel Management, and the Small Business Administration
are coordinating the execution of the redesigned TAP to provide
comprehensive transition benefits and services counseling, help
strengthen and expand information, and facilitate support for
transitioning Servicemembers. The MOU stipulates each agency's roles
and responsibilities, puts forth the criteria for a comprehensive
Transition Assistance Program to be implemented throughout the Military
Life Cycle (MLC), and outlines collaboration expectations, including
governance and continuous improvement of the program.
Overview of VA's Portion of TAP
VA strongly believes that Congress and the responsible executive
branch agencies, through the passage of the VOW Act and TAP execution,
have dramatically improved Servicemembers' preparation for their
military to civilian transition. We continue to see improvements in
employment opportunities for Veterans. The Veteran unemployment rate,
which reached a high of 9.9 percent in 2011, has been reduced to 3.0
percent as of September 2017. That said, we recognize that there is
much more to be done to facilitate transitioning Servicemembers' access
to available VA benefits and health care.
VA's portion of TAP is delivered at over 300 military installations
(including United States Coast Guard) worldwide through the support of
approximately 300 trained VA Benefits Advisors (BA). Approximately 75
percent are in the contiguous United States (CONUS). TAP courses are
also available online via Joint Knowledge Online, an online portal
maintained by DoD. BA responsibilities include delivering the mandatory
VA Benefits Briefings, Capstone and MLC events and briefings, and
providing individual assistance to transitioning Servicemembers upon
request. The VA Benefits I and II briefings educate transitioning
Servicemembers on the wide array of VA benefits including (but not
limited to) health care, education, Vocational Rehabilitation &
Employment, compensation, life insurance, home loans, as well as an
orientation to online benefits portals such as eBenefits and
MyHealtheVet. In Fiscal year 2017, BAs also conducted over 50,000
military installation engagements in support of Servicemembers and
their families. In fiscal year (FY) 2017, approximately 95 percent of
BAs were either Veterans themselves or Veteran/Servicemember spouses.
To continue improving the support VA offers to transitioning
Servicemembers throughout their transition journey, we have regularly
updated the TAP curriculum to ensure it aligns with current laws on VA
eligibility, entitlement, and available benefits and services. The
curriculum also takes evolving preferences for delivery of information
into account. We are collaborating with DoD to align TAP offerings with
the current MLC framework, which embeds transition planning and
preparation for meeting career-readiness standards throughout a
Servicemember's military career. For example, as part of accession and
onboarding, Servicemembers are required to establish a DoD self-service
(DS) logon and create an eBenefits account. The joint VA/DoD eBenefits
web portal provides resources and self-service capabilities to
Servicemembers, Veterans, their families, and caregivers to apply,
research, access, and manage their VA and military benefits. This
provides an early connection to VA at a key MLC touchpoint.
Success to Date Since VOW Act
VA BAs began conducting VA Benefits I and II Briefings, VA's core
component of TAP, in FY 2013. In FY 2014, VA TAP modules became fully
operational at all installations, alongside implementation of the
Career Technical Training Track (CTTT), Capstone events, and one-on-one
assistance.
From FY 2013 to FY 2016, VA conducted more than 172,000 events
(including Benefits Briefings I and II, CTTT, one-on-one assistance,
and Capstone sessions), serving more than 1.8 million Servicemembers
and family members as part of TAP. Outcomes from the increased focus on
education and career development by both VA and DOL TAP content can be
seen reflected in the dramatic reductions in Veteran unemployment,
which has steadily decreased to a low of 3.0 percent in September 2017.
During FY 2016, VA also designed a new curriculum specific to
members of the National Guard and Reserve. The National Guard and
Reserve components have unique needs due to their missions and
mobilizations, and eligibility for VA programs is often more complex to
adjudicate. The new curriculum module contains information and
resources tailored to the specific needs and special circumstances of
National Guard and Reserve members.
In FY 2017 (through August 2017), VA provided more than 63,000
events (including Benefits Briefings I and II, CTTT, Individual
Assistance, and Capstone sessions) to more than 500,000 transitioning
Servicemembers and family members as a part of TAP. VA conducted over
400 CTTT sessions in FY 2017 before moving the execution responsibility
to DOL in March 2017.
DoD collects feedback from transitioning Servicemembers through the
interagency Transition Goals, Plans, Success (GPS) participant
assessment and shares this data with VA quarterly. This assessment
collects demographic data and includes questions to assess the quality
of the course curriculum, course materials, facilitators, and
facilities. Participants also answer questions for VA to gauge their
intent to use the information learned, confidence derived from the
modules/tracks, and self-assessed knowledge gain. As of third quarter
of FY 2017, VA received 95,000 responses to the Transition GPS
assessment for Benefits Briefings I and II. VA consistently receives
high evaluations from Servicemembers who attend Benefits Briefings I
and II, averaging 96-percent satisfaction on information learned, 96
percent on effectiveness of the facilitators, and 94 percent on
confidence gained from the material.
VA Curriculum Redesign - Goals and Schedule
VA's curriculum seeks to frame transition information that reflects
the overarching nature of the transition experience. Interagency TAP
partners collaborate on a 2-year continuous review cycle, which
includes a content deep dive followed by technical reviews.
As VA approached the scheduled FY 2017deep dive (an extensive
analysis of the existing curriculum), VA made a strategic decision to
do a complete redesign of our curriculum, exceeding the standard review
requirement. Despite the high satisfaction ratings received by
Servicemembers who participated in Benefits Briefings I and II,
anecdotal information received from stakeholders and Veterans suggested
that a more holistic view, including the psychosocial aspects of the
transition to civilian life, would enable the VA's TAP program to have
more real-life relevance and increase the quality of the overall
experience. For example, instead of simply providing information on the
suite of benefits and services offered for eligible veterans, VA is
considering ways to facilitate a more interactive course that addresses
the overall transition journey. VA is leveraging instructional design
based on adult learning principles to focus the curriculum on
transition decisions and actions that transitioning Servicemembers need
to consider with respect to available VA services and benefits, such as
health care, housing, education, and career preparation. Additionally,
VA plans to include classroom time for Servicemembers to complete
applications for health care and other benefits.
To successfully execute this innovative change in approach,
Benefits Assistance Service (BAS) - the executive agent for TAP within
VA - conducted a comprehensive review with business lines throughout
the Department to ensure the VA TAP Benefits I and II curriculum was
inclusive of all relevant programs and services. Program-level subject
matter experts from across VA were integrated into planning and
development efforts to ensure optimal curriculum content and key
messages would be delivered to TAP participants. In addition, VA
engaged Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) and other Veteran-facing
organizations to incorporate their input into the curriculum redesign.
Through this process, VA identified targeted areas of focus that
have a particular importance to the transitioning Servicemember
population, including (but not limited to) whole health, gender-
specific health, mental health, suicide prevention, trauma/crisis
support, career preparation, education, vocational rehabilitation,
housing, homeless support, and disability benefits.
By understanding the scope of services most important to
transitioning Servicemembers and their families, VA can build a more
holistic and targeted approach to curriculum offerings. In consultation
with the interagency partners, the revised VA curriculum will be
piloted in January 2018, with planned deployment in late spring 2018
across installations worldwide. Subsequent to brick and mortar
deployment, VA will develop an online module that aligns with the
revised curriculum.
VA continues to integrate VA TAP content into the MLC. A module
explaining how to access education benefits is in development, and we
plan to deploy in FY 2018. VA continues to work with the interagency
partners on the development of additional modules to incorporate into
the MLC.
VA is excited to see how integration into the existing MLC model
will serve as a positive introduction to VA benefits and services to
strengthen the connection between VA and transitioning Servicemembers.
Vision for Future TAP Involvement
VA has a clear vision for our future involvement in the military to
civilian transition, which begins upon accession and continues
throughout a Servicemember's military career. We are currently
transitioning to a new contract vehicle, which will build on earlier
successes and support development of a more robust, data-driven TAP
with a holistic approach to meeting current and future needs of
transitioning Servicemembers.
During the initial phase of piloting the redesigned curriculum in
January 2018, VA will deliver the revised curriculum to groups of
transitioning Servicemembers at multiple military installations to
gather specific participant feedback. VA, in collaboration with our
interagency partners, will collect necessary feedback from this pilot
to make any additional enhancements to improve the curriculum. More
broadly, VA will continue to look for opportunities to further
strengthen TAP for transitioning Servicemembers, their families, and
caregivers to ensure VA is adequately meeting their needs.
VA will continue to strengthen the connection with transitioning
Servicemembers through our integration into the MLC model. VA will
inform, equip, and provide support at critical touchpoints throughout
their careers, from first duty assignment, during major life events
throughout transition (retirement/separation), and post-transition as
transitioning Servicemembers integrate into their communities as
civilians. The TAP-MLC integration will serve as a positive
introduction to VA benefits and services.
To further understand the needs of transitioning Servicemembers and
to strengthen TAP, VA and our interagency partners will implement a
post-separation assessment in order to collect reliable and valid
feedback on post-separation outcomes. In FY 2017, VA awarded a contract
to design, develop, and test the post-separation assessment protocol.
Final submission of the survey to the Office of Management and Budget
is expected to occur in FY 2018. Additionally, VA will continue work
with our TAP interagency partners to identify and develop data
collection approaches for long-term outcome measures that build on
current indicators. The goal is to be able to share data that provides
evidence of the effectiveness of TAP and help with evaluating the
overall long-term impact of interagency transition services.
VA is working closely with DoD to enhance our joint efforts to
prevent suicide among Servicemembers. Each instance of suicide is a
tragedy, and VA is hopeful that this increased collaboration will help
us identify new policy solutions that may give added relief to those
who are struggling.
VA knows that we cannot solve every problem and that solutions
should be inclusive of both Federal resources and the immense network
of support available in local communities across our country. VA is
eager to collaborate, and we are vested in connecting with community
organizations that can effectively support the transition experience.
To ensure VA has a full picture of the experiences and goals of those
in transition, VA is working with our VSO partners, Veterans peer
groups, and other thought leaders to obtain outside input based on the
feedback they hear from transitioning Servicemembers.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report
GAO recently assessed TAP data and surveyed DoD installations and
has developed a final report summarizing their findings. VA is strongly
committed to working with DoD and other Federal agencies to improve TAP
by strengthening the curriculum, fully integrating TAP objectives into
the MLC, and analyzing post-transition survey data.
Conclusion
VA is pleased to work alongside the Federal agency TAP partners to
support transitioning Servicemembers, Veterans, their families, and
caregivers throughout their transition journey. The partners are proud
of the progress made in recent years and are excited to continue
improving TAP in the years ahead.
Through our curriculum redesign and the expansion of our reach to
transitioning Servicemembers through MLC, VA is poised to have greater
access to all those in uniform - both Active Duty and National Guard/
Reserve - and dramatically reduce the stress of transition and being
overwhelmed with information about benefits and services that many
transitioning Servicemembers have experienced. VA is focused on working
more closely with VSOs and other stakeholders to improve the
transitioning Servicemember experience throughout their transition
journey. The concept is to build a more tailored experience that
results in greater awareness of and ability to support the unique needs
of those in transition and improve the health, employment, and
education outcomes for our Servicemembers returning to civilian life.
Thank you for allowing me to address the Committee today. Mr.
Chairman, this concludes my statement. I would be pleased to answer any
questions you or other Members of the Committee may have.
Prepared Statement of Ivan Denton
Introduction
Good Afternoon Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke, and
distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to participate in today's hearing. Although the Department
of Labor (DOL or Department) was not a focus of the most recent
Government Accountability Office engagement on transitioning service
members and the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), we appreciate the
opportunity to discuss the Department's work with the Departments of
Defense (DoD), Veterans Affairs (VA), and other agency partners, to
administer and improve TAP. As the Director of the Office of National
Programs in the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) at
DOL, my office is responsible for managing DOL's Employment Workshop
(EW or Workshop) and Career Technical Training Track courses. As a
recently retired (December 2016) soldier with a 35 year military
career, I personally understand the importance of the transition
process and TAP. Career transition is an important and stressful time
for the transitioning service member, as well as the entire family.
More broadly speaking, successful career transition is important to
attracting an All-Volunteer Force, and to building the American
economy. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss DOL's efforts to work
with DoD and VA to administer TAP to transitioning service members and
improvements that can be made to assist service members with their
employment preparation as they transition to civilian life.
Secretary Acosta stands firmly behind our country's service members
and veterans. He has set several clear goals that will assist our
veterans in finding and retaining good jobs: (1) creating clear career
pathways; (2) eliminating barriers to employment; (3) enabling and
promoting apprenticeship opportunities that lead to meaningful careers;
and (4) increasing the portability of licensing and credentials for
military service members and their spouses.
Before the passage of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act in 2011, the
veteran unemployment rate reached a high of 9.9 percent in January
2011, and Unemployment Compensation for Ex-service members (UCX)
payments for the year totaled over $728 million to nearly 90,000
individuals; with an average duration of UCX benefits payments of over
21 weeks. So far in 2017, veteran unemployment has averaged 3.7
percent, including a low of 3.0 percent in September 2017.
Additionally, UCX payments and participants for the 12 months ending in
August 2017 have dropped to approximately one-third of what they were
in 2011, and the average number of weeks that transitioning service
members receive UCX benefits has also decreased to 18.9 weeks for the
29,000 recipients who received benefits from September through August.
That is good news for all transitioning service members.
While there are still approximately 300,000 veterans who are
unemployed, there are 6.1 million job openings. Transitioning service
members and veterans can help to fill these jobs, and employers are
eager to hire them. DOL will soon publish final regulations to
implement the HIRE Vets Medallion program. This program will recognize
companies that are successful in hiring and retaining our nation's
veterans.
DOL helps employers build effective hiring and apprenticeship
programs by overseeing a workforce system that connects transitioning
service members and veterans to job opportunities and training, and we
assist by providing the DOL Workshops to approximately 200,000
transitioning service members each year. The Workshops provide
attendees with the information, knowledge, and tools needed to bridge
the divide between a military and a civilian career.
Transition Assistance Program Employment Workshops
TAP, as codified under 10 U.S.C. 1144, is a collaborative effort of
the Departments of Labor, Veterans Affairs, Defense, Education, and
Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of Personnel Management, and the
Small Business Administration. TAP provides separating service members
and their spouses with the training and support they need to transition
successfully to the civilian workforce. Through TAP, DOL uses its
extensive expertise in employment services to provide a comprehensive
three-day Workshop at U.S. military installations around the world.
Since the Department began providing the Workshop over 25 years
ago, the number of workshops, participants, and locations has grown
considerably. In 2003, TAP was expanded to overseas military
installations, and, in 2005, courses were offered to returning members
of the Reserve and National Guard via the 30, 60, and 90-day Yellow
Ribbon Reintegration programs. In 2011, the VOW Act was passed, which
among other things, made participation in the DOL EW mandatory for most
transitioning service members, including those demobilizing from the
National Guard and Reserve Components.
Last year, DOL conducted more than 6,400 Workshops for over 180,000
participants at 187 sites worldwide. Of the over 180,000 participants,
more than 7,000 were National Guard and Reserve. The 3-day DOL EW is
standardized so that all attending service members and their spouses
receive the same high level of instruction. The course consists of
three days of classroom instruction that is tightly focused on four
core competencies:
Developing and executing a job search plan that's career
focused;
Planning for success in the civilian work environment;
Creating resumes, cover letters, and other self-marketing
materials; and
Engaging in successful interviews and networking
conversations.
In compliance with the VOW Act, the Department initiated a
significant redesign of the DOL EW to make it more engaging and
relevant in light of the unique challenges facing transitioning service
members. This was an extensive process that involved numerous pilots,
evaluations, and feedback from reviewers and agency partners. In
addition, the VOW Act required that DOL use contract facilitators to
ensure a standardized, high-quality professional cadre of facilitators.
DOL monitors the performance of the facilitators through the review of
Transition GPS Participant Assessment results, regular site assessments
by DOL federal field staff, and input from DoD and military services
stakeholders.
In FY 2017, the interagency partners collected and analyzed
assessment results regarding participants' satisfaction with the TAP
curriculum and delivery methods. Assessment results indicated that 96
percent of participants reported that they would use what they had
learned in their own transition planning. The data suggests that the
DOL EW is meeting the expectations of its participants. But we
recognize that isn't enough, so we work with our partners, and with
industry experts, to continually refine the curriculum, the methods of
delivery, and the electronic resources available to give transitioning
service members the best opportunity for a successful career
transition.
VETS completed the implementation of the revised DOL EW curriculum
in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. This revision incorporated extensive input
from TAP stakeholders, including military transition services
personnel, transitioning service members, private sector employers, and
Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs). The result is an employment
workshop focused on the four competencies noted above. Additionally, in
FY 2016, VETS conducted a technical review of the curriculum in
accordance with the TAP Curriculum Working Group's two-year review
cycle. The purpose of the technical review was to ensure that the
content, data, and web sites used in the curriculum were accurate and
up-to-date.
DOL has awarded a contract for an independent evaluation of the TAP
program. The evaluation will include a quasi-experimental design to
analyze the impacts of the TAP DOL EW on employment-related outcomes
for separating military service members. It will also involve a small
pilot to evaluate differential impacts of behavioral intervention
approaches for connecting separating service members to American Job
Centers (AJCs).
The interagency performance management working group is also
reviewing long-term outcome measures that may be used to assess the
impact of TAP. These include a variety of unemployment and labor force
statistics. Many of these measures will require data sharing efforts,
or possibly legislative changes, to allow access to information across
agencies.
Based on a data agreement between Defense Manpower Data Center
(DMDC) and DOL, at this time last year, we began to receive E-form
(i.e., DD Form 2648) data from DMDC on transitioning service members.
Transitioning service members are given the opportunity to opt into
receiving information from DOL. Since that time DOL has sent
approximately 150,000 emails to transitioning service members to
connect them with employment and training resources. DOL will continue
to analyze the data and to work with stakeholders to leverage Veterans'
Data Exchange Initiative in a manner that can positively impact
employment outcomes.
Veterans Employment Initiative Task Force for a Career-Ready Military
In 2011, the Veterans Employment Initiative (VEI) Task Force was
established to ensure the career readiness of transitioning service
members. The Task Force consists of joint representation from DOL, DoD,
VA, DHS (U.S. Coast Guard), the Department of Education, the Small
Business Administration, and the Office of Personnel Management. The
Task Force designed a plan to strengthen and build upon the existing
TAP curriculum, which is now known as Transition GPS (Goals, Plans,
Success). To continue this important collaboration, the TAP Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) provides an interagency governance framework.
There are five interagency working groups (transition assistance,
curriculum, IT/data sharing, performance management, and strategic
communications) that report to the Senior Steering Group (SSG). The SSG
meets monthly to ensure the program is operating as intended by
statute. The SSG reports to the Executive Council (EC), which meets
quarterly. The EC, SSG, and all of the working groups are represented
by each interagency partner. The Office of the Secretary of Defense
(OSD), DOL, and VA serve as co-chairs of each of the groups-with the
lead chair rotating annually. In FY 2018, DOL is the host.
Transition GPS: Under the current interagency MOU, the supporting
agencies have a greater sense of their roles and responsibilities in
support of Transition GPS, which now includes four basic components to
help service members prepare for separation and meet their career
readiness standards: (1) Pre-Separation/ Transition Counseling; (2)
Transition GPS Core Curriculum; (3) additional Career Specific training
tracks; and (4) Capstone.
Pre-Separation/ Transition Counseling: Through the current
transition program, transitioning service members receive individual
counseling to discuss their career goals and start their transition
process. Each service member is introduced to the programs and services
available to them during their transition and begins to develop an
Individual Transition Plan (ITP) that documents his or her personal
transition, as well as the deliverables he or she must attain to meet
the new transition program's Career Readiness Standards.
Transition GPS Core Curriculum: The Transition GPS Core Curriculum
includes a financial planning seminar, VA Benefits Briefings, the DOL
Employment Workshop, and other modules. Transitioning service members
also use a Military Occupational Code Crosswalk to translate their
military skills, training, and experience into civilian occupations,
credentials, and employment.
Additional Career-Specific Training Tracks: Service members also
have the opportunity to participate in a series of two-day tailored
tracks within the Transition GPS curriculum: (1) an Accessing High
Education Track (provided by DoD), for those pursuing a higher
education degree; (2) a Career Technical Training Track (CTTT)
(provided by DOL), for those interested in obtaining job-ready skills
through apprenticeship or other industry-recognized credentials; and
(3) the ``Boots to Business'' Entrepreneurship Track (provided by SBA),
for those wanting to start a business.
In April 2017, the Department assumed responsibility for the TAP
CTTT. This is aligned with the Secretary's emphasis on apprenticeship,
and the President's recent Executive Order 13801, Expanding
Apprenticeships in America. CTTT is an additional two-day workshop
focused on apprenticeships and industry-recognized credentials for
transitioning service members and their spouses. The CTTT provides
these service members with an opportunity to identify their relevant
skills, increase their awareness of training and apprenticeship
programs that can lead to industry-recognized credentials and
meaningful careers, and develop an action plan to achieve their career
goals. The Department is also undertaking a comprehensive review of the
CTTT curriculum, and has reached out to employers, industry
associations, and other stakeholders, asking for participation in the
examination of both the DOL EW and the CTTT offerings. Their valuable
input will help to ensure the curricula are up-to-date and relevant to
the dynamic employer and industry standards. As with the TAP EW, DOL
has sought input from a range of industry experts and expects to
implement a revised CTTT curriculum in early 2018.
Capstone: Before their separation from the military, service
members participate in a Capstone event, which requires that the
transitioning service member's chain-of-command verify that he or she
has completed the VOW Act requirements and achieved Career Readiness
Standards. Service members who require additional assistance will be
referred to supplemental training opportunities. In addition, through
the Capstone event, service members will be offered, as needed, a
``warm handover'' to appropriate federal, state, and local government
agencies, such as the AJCs.
SkillBridge: The Department also works with our partners at DoD to
support their SkillBridge initiative, which works to offer civilian job
training to transitioning service members. Service members who meet
certain qualifications can participate in civilian job and employment
training, including pre-apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and
internships in their last 180 days of active duty. Secretary Acosta is
interested in increasing employer access to transitioning service
members through SkillBridge and other employer sponsored programs. We
will work with DoD and employers to increase these opportunities.
Tremendous potential exists for service members, companies, trade
unions, and others to leverage this DoD authority and facilitate a
smooth transition from active duty to civilian employment.
DOL Support for Non-Optimal Transition
When a service member is assessed as not meeting Career Readiness
Standards during their Capstone event, their commander facilitates a
``warm handover'' of the service member to the public workforce system
for a review of the employment services available through AJCs and to
facilitate access to individualized career services. This warm handover
can be accomplished by introducing the service member to a local AJC
staff member (on or near the military base), connecting them to the AJC
nearest their eventual destination, or through a facilitated call from
the service member to the DOL Toll-Free Help Line (1-877-US2-JOBS or 1-
877-872-5627). Service members that do not meet career readiness
standards are allowed to receive services from a Disabled Veterans'
Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists at the AJCs, regardless of
disability status or other significant barriers to employment. DVOP
specialists, authorized under 38 U.S.C. 4103A, are funded throughout 54
states and territories through DOL's Jobs for Veterans State Grant
(JVSG) program and provide intensive services to eligible veterans and
eligible spouses. JVSG also provides funding for Local Veterans'
Employment Representatives staff members who provide a wide range of
services on behalf of our veterans specifically related to outreach to
the employer community and facilitation within the state's employment
service delivery system.
American Job Centers: Most of the Department's employment programs
and services are available through the nationwide network of nearly
2,400 AJCs. The AJCs serve as the cornerstone for the Nation's
workforce investment system and provide a range of services locally,
including counseling, resume writing workshops, job skills assessments,
occupational training, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, and job
placement services. Last year, more than 13 million Americans,
including almost one million veterans (including National Guard and
Reserve), received employment assistance through AJCs. Additionally,
Section 2 of the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, as codified at 38
U.S.C. 4215, established ``Priority of Service'' for veterans, which
allows veterans and their eligible spouses to receive priority access
to workforce training programs directly funded, in whole or in part, by
DOL. The Department is committed to providing Priority of Service for
veterans and eligible spouses.
Unemployment Compensation for Ex-service Members: The Department
also oversees the UCX program, which provides benefits for eligible ex-
military personnel. The program is administered by the States as agents
of the Federal government. To qualify for UCX, an individual must have
been on active duty with a branch of the U.S. military and discharged
under honorable conditions. There is no payroll deduction from service
members' wages for unemployment insurance protection. Benefits are paid
for by the various branches of the military, or the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. The law of the State (under which the
claim is filed) determines benefit amounts, number of weeks benefits
can be paid, and other eligibility conditions. Transitioning service
members that receive UCX are eligible to be enrolled in state
Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) programs to
assist them in gaining employment.
To further support UCX beneficiaries during their transition to
civilian employment, the Department has leveraged the RESEA grant
program. RESEA grants provide states with additional funding for in-
person reemployment services at AJCs, such as career and labor market
information, development or update of an individual reemployment plan,
orientation to AJC services, referrals to additional resources, and a
review of each participant's continued UCX or Unemployment Insurance
(UI) eligibility. RESEA is an evidenced-based strategy targeted to
individuals identified as likely to exhaust UI benefits. Since 2015,
the Department has directed participating states to provide RESEA
services to UCX beneficiaries to the greatest extent feasible. The 2018
Budget includes a proposal that would expand RESEA to serve 50 percent
of all UI beneficiaries most likely to exhaust benefits, as well as all
UCX beneficiaries.
Priorities Moving Forward:
DOL EW Participation Timeline and Curriculum Update: VETS has been
working with our partners on the TAP SSG to better address
transitioning service members' needs. For the past several years, the
focus of the TAP SSG has been the requirements of the VOW Act. The TAP
SSG has also begun focusing on the timing of the delivery of TAP.
Although many transitioning service members are attending TAP within 90
days of separation, and as early as two years out for retirees, we
believe, in line with DoD's policy, that to the greatest extent
possible, transitioning service members should attend TAP much earlier.
In our view, TAP should be delivered as much as one year prior to
scheduled separation for transitioning service members, and as early as
two years prior to separations for retirees to allow for participation
in supplemental courses, financial planning, resume development,
networking, career research and access to other opportunities like
DoD's SkillBridge.
During FY 2017, the TAP Interagency Curriculum Working Group
conducted an in-depth review of all the curricula modules, including
the DOL EW and CTTT. As part of the in-depth review process, DOL
distributed the DOL EW and CTTT curricula materials to over 40 internal
and external stakeholders providing them an opportunity to review the
material and respond with input. The stakeholder group included the TAP
Interagency partners, employers, VSOs, the US Chamber of Commerce,
Society of Human Resource Managers, and the National Association of
State Workforce Agencies. Based on feedback received, DOL is updating
the DOL EW curriculum to improve organization, remove some outdated
practices, improve the LinkedIn Profile section, and to emphasize the
importance of taking advantage of the additional Transition GPS tracks
- Accessing Higher Education, Entrepreneurship track, and CTTT. The
Department's intent is to highlight how it is in the interest of the
transitioning service member to take a career approach by obtaining a
degree, industry recognized credential(s), or an apprenticeship.
CTTT Participation Increase and Curriculum Update: As the
responsible agency for CTTT, the Department will work with interagency
partners to increase CTTT participation. In addition, VETS, with the
assistance of the Department's Employment and Training Administration's
Office of Apprenticeship, is significantly revising the CTTT
curriculum. The new curriculum will place increased emphasis on
apprenticeships as a path to sustainable, high paying careers. The
revised CTTT curriculum will cover four themes: (1) Personal Assessment
using three assessment tools; (2) Research into specific career fields
of interest; (3) Understanding training requirements and identifying
training opportunities; and (4) Establishing goals and develop a
detailed plan to achieve those goals.
Veterans' Data Exchange Initiative, the TAP Mobile Application, and
Evaluations: In November 2016, VETS began the data transfer process
from the Defense Manpower Data Center for the Veterans' Data Exchange
Initiative (VDEI). The overall intent of this initiative is to allow
the Department to gain a better understanding of transitioning service
members, which will allow VETS to better prepare the Department's
services for individuals transitioning out of the military. VETS is
tracking data elements such as race/ ethnicity, gender, military
occupation, and other demographic information for approximately 200,000
transitioning service members each year. Partnering with DOL's Chief
Evaluation Office, VETS is examining the VDEI data to determine how the
data can be used to analyze employment outcomes for transitioning
service members and improve our service delivery. Currently, based on
E-form data sent to DOL from DMDC, VETS sends emails to transitioning
service members to highlight the importance of participating in the DOL
EW as early as possible to provide employment tools that support the
transition process.
The Department has initiated development of a TAP mobile
application (app). The purpose of this app is to provide online tools
for transitioning service members in a format that is accessible from a
smartphone. The app will provide access to a full suite of the
CareerOneStop mobile tools, and will include DOL TAP course materials.
Additionally, the app will provide transition checklists and automated
notifications.
Conclusion
In conclusion, our long-term goal continues to be for the nation as
a whole to recognize military service as a path to high-quality
civilian careers. The future of the country's All-Volunteer Force
depends upon this recognition, as does our economy. The Department
recognizes employment as possibly the most important element of a
successful transition to civilian life. The Department thanks the
Congress for addressing TAP participation through the VOW Act, and for
your continued partnership in removing barriers to employment.
Today, the Department remains committed to working with our
interagency partners to continuously review and improve TAP curricula,
including the DOL EW and CTTT, through our regular review cycle that
incorporates input from employers and best practices across the nation.
Moving ahead, we look forward to preparing transitioning service
members and their spouses even more effectively by improving the
timeliness of DOL EW participation and increasing participation rates
in the supplementary career-related tracks.
The Department looks forward to working with the Subcommittee to
ensure that our separating service members have the resources and
training they need to successfully transition to the civilian
workforce. The improving employment situation for veterans is a
resounding testament to the nationwide response from stakeholders, both
public and private, at the national level and even within the local
communities. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, distinguished Members of the
Subcommittee, this concludes my written statement. Thank you for the
opportunity to be a part of this hearing. I welcome your questions.
Prepared Statement of Judd H. Lyons
Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke, distinguished members
of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you
this afternoon to discuss the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and
the findings and recommendations of the U.S. Government Accountability
Office's (GAO) recent report entitled, ``Transitioning Veterans - DoD
Needs to Improve Performance Reporting and Monitoring for the
Transition Assistance Program.''
On December 15, 2015, the Department testified before the Senate
Veterans Affairs Committee on the TAP in response to the question ``Is
transition assistance on track?'' Our response, then and now, is yes.
In addition, TAP is an adaptive, evidence-based program. Accordingly,
the Department is continuously improving the program to meet the needs
our transitioning Service members.
The Department reported, in our December 2015 witness statement, we
have achieved the four core TAP redesign objectives identified in 2012.
These four core objectives are: (1) Adopting ``career readiness''
standards (CRS) for transitioning Service members; (2) Implementing a
revamped TAP curriculum with learning outcomes; (3) Implementing a
Capstone event; and (4) Implementing a ``Military Life Cycle'' (MLC)
transition model. In the 23 months since then, the TAP has continued to
mature and align with a changing military environment and population. I
will highlight some of the improvements we have made to the TAP since
2015, building upon the original four core objectives, as well as
additional efforts currently underway. Specifically, I will address
improvements and work underway to program evaluation, curriculum
revisions and other enhancements across the MLC, the Capstone event and
assisting at-risk Service members, and private and public engagement to
enhance Service members' military-to-civilian transition. I will also
specifically address the recommendations made by the GAO for TAP
improvements.
PROGRAM EVALUATION
TAP Interagency Evaluation Plan
The first core objective achieved of the original TAP redesign was
to adopt CRS for transitioning Service members for successful
transition preparation. Building on the CRS as a key underlying
foundation, the TAP interagency governance has been focused on TAP as a
data-driven program. This is shaped by the interagency TAP Evaluation
Plan, which presents a systematic and singular interagency approach to
evaluating the performance of Service member transition assistance
services. Both the FY2015-2016 and FY2017-2018 TAP Evaluation Plans
were reviewed and approved by Office of Management and Budget. The
interagency TAP Evaluation Plan supports three overarching goals: 1)
provide accountability to ensure the program is effectively and
efficiently executed in accordance with law, policy, and leadership
intent; 2) measure and improve customer satisfaction; and 3) measure
and improve program effectiveness. As part of this plan, methods and
tools were developed to assess the processes for TAP delivery,
immediate results of program delivery (e.g., whether separations comply
with statute and policy), and the desired systemic impacts of the
program (e.g., veterans successfully obtain employment, start new
businesses, and/or seek additional education).
Site Visits and Transition GPS Participant Assessment
The Service Inspectors General provide accountability that the
program is delivered on military installations in accordance with law,
policy, and leadership intent. We developed the web-based Transition
GPS Participant Assessment to assess and improve customer satisfaction
with the Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, Success) curriculum and the TAP.
This assessment is used to gather voluntary feedback from transitioning
Service members who participated in the TAP. Questions are designed to
assess the quality of the course content and materials, facilitators,
and facilities. Participants are asked about each module or track
individually, as well as the overall TAP. Results consistently
demonstrate that Service members perceive the TAP as valuable and high
quality. For example, during Quarter 3 of FY2017: 91 percent of
respondents said they gained valuable information and skills to plan
their transition, 91 percent said the training enhanced their
confidence in transition planning, 91 percent indicated that they
intended to use what they learned, and 93 percent knew how to access
appropriate resources to answer questions about transition. The TAP
interagency governance consistently uses feedback from this assessment
to inform future changes to policy, curriculum, facilitator training,
and other program elements.
Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act and CRS Attainment
The TAP governance monitors and examines a host of output measures
and outcome indicators to gauge the effectiveness of the program, such
as CRS compliance, veteran unemployment rate, new business formation
rate, and education persistence/graduation rate for those using their
GI Bill benefits. To measure initial TAP effectiveness, we rely on VOW
Act and CRS compliance. The Department made the VOW Act and CRS
compliance of Service members transitioning to civilian life an Agency
Priority Goal (APG) in FY2014. The Department took this charge
seriously and has refined the ways in which data is collected,
examined, and reported. For example, at the beginning of FY2014, VOW
Act compliance was tracked using only attendance data, and our APG
combined the Active and Reserve Component into a single performance
measure. In FY2015, DoD began relying on the DD Form 2958 to track both
VOW Act and CRS compliance. The DD Form 2958 verified from the Service
member's commander (or designee) that all VOW Act and CRS requirements
were met prior to the Service member's separation, retirement, or
release from active duty. At that time, the compliance rates also
reflected only the known eligible Service members (i.e., those for whom
a complete (or partially completed) DD Form 2958 was received by the
Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC)). In FY2015, separate performance
measures were also created for the Active and the Reserve Component for
both VOW Act and CRS compliance to allow more accurate and transparent
tracking of the APG. The Department continues to work towards improving
the quality of data on VOW Act and CRS compliance. On November 7, 2016,
the Department deployed a new TAP-IT Enterprise System and electronic
form (DD Form 2648), which further streamlined the data collection
processes and precluded commanders (or their designees) from signing
partially completed forms, increasing the completeness of information
documented on each Service member.
With more involved command and senior leadership support, improved
data tracking, and accountability using known verified DD Form data
received by DMDC, VOW Act and CRS compliance was more than 85% for both
known eligible Active and Reserve Component Service members by the end
of FY2015 and more than 90% by the end of FY2016. Even as data tracking
methods have become more precise and sophisticated with the electronic
form (i.e., the DD Form 2648), the verified DD Form data received by
DMDC shows more than 90 percent for both known eligible Active and
Reserve Component Service members continued VOW Act and CRS compliance
for FY 2017. That is good news, but we have much work to do to improve
our data capture of the electronic form, particularly for our Reserve
Component Service members. As of August FY 2017 data indicates, 12.8%
of Active Component Service members and 54.1% of Reserve Component
service members have compliance information that remains unknown - that
is, these Service members do not have a completed DD Form 2648
documented in the TAP-IT Enterprise System. The Department continues
collaboration with the Services and DMDC to identify and resolve any
gaps in data collection and transmission to reduce the number of
separations with `unknown' compliance and ensure data completeness and
accuracy regarding compliance reporting. This is a key area of focus in
FY2018.
The TAP interagency governance is also better able to support
Service members with the new TAP-IT Enterprise System and electronic
form. With the launch of this new electronic form in November 2016, the
TAP interagency partners are able to receive individual-level data on
transitioning Service members who have `opted in' to be contacted for
follow-on transition support. The Department of Labor (DOL) and
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) currently receive this `opt in'
data from the DoD and are exploring ways to best utilize this data to
enhance support. Additionally, data sharing among the Department and
the TAP interagency partners will address the question of what
additional services our transitioning Service members receive if they
are provided a warm handover (e.g., due to failing to meet CRS), as
well as the outcomes of these services.
Enhanced Long-Term Outcomes of TAP
The TAP interagency governance is currently discussing planned
enhancements to the TAP Evaluation Plan to capture the systemic, long-
term impacts of the program. Identifying new data collection mechanisms
for these outcomes is challenging. For example, not all desired outcome
data is owned by the TAP partner agencies (e.g., earnings data), and
data must be shared or combined with other data which requires cross-
agency agreements. The TAP interagency governance is committed to
developing a roadmap to enhance the TAP long-term outcomes by the end
of FY2018 to ultimately improve our understanding of the efficacy of
the TAP and where we need to improve.
CURRICULUM AND OTHER ENHANCEMENTS ACROSS THE MLC
The second and fourth core objectives of the original TAP redesign
were to implement a revamped TAP curriculum and implement a MLC
transition model. While both original objectives were achieved, the
Department has continued to make advancements.
The Department and our partners continuously update and improve the
TAP curriculum across the MLC. The TAP interagency governance has
established a regular 2-year battle rhythm for reviewing, assessing,
and updating the curriculum, alternating between an in-depth and
technical review. Both reviews use feedback provided by Service members
through the Transition GPS Participant Assessment, facilitators,
subject matter experts, and other key stakeholders. This systematic
review process is critical to stay ahead of the changing needs of our
transitioning Service members, as well as the evolving global economic
needs to provide qualified skilled talent to the industry and public
sector pipeline.
The TAP interagency governance is currently conducting an in-depth
curriculum review, with revised curriculum to be implemented in CY
2018. The Department identified improvements in all four DoD modules:
Resilient Transitions, Financial Planning for Transition, Military
Occupation Code (MOC) Crosswalk, and the Accessing Higher Education
(AHE) track. Based on Service member feedback, recent legislative
changes, and recent research on challenges transitioning Service
members face in their first 12 months post-separation, more substantial
revisions are planned for the Resilient Transitions and Financial
Planning modules this year. The MOC Crosswalk and AHE curriculum were
substantially revised during the last in-depth review in 2015.
In terms of this year's in-depth review, the improved Resilient
Transitions module will include a new interactive activity to promote
participant discussion on transition challenges and available post-
transition resources, as well as a discussion on key differences
between military and civilian workplace culture. In terms of the
Financial Planning module, this module will be further tailored to
transition in accordance with new financial literacy requirements
specified in the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act. With
financial readiness training occurring across the MLC, Service members
demonstrate a higher level of knowledge regarding financial readiness
when they attend the TAP. As such, this TAP module can spend less time
on basic financial information and more time on transition-specific
information, such as civilian salary equivalency to military
compensation, expectation of changes in tax burden, and understanding
the basics of health insurance.
These proposed DoD revisions were piloted at two military
installations with participants from all Military Services in October
2017, with planned deployment in January 2018 along with the revised
U.S. Small Business Administration Entrepreneurship Track. Likewise,
the DOL and VA planned improvements will be piloted early CY 2018, with
planned deployment in April 2018.
While the TAP interagency governance continues to improve the
curriculum at the final touchpoint - Transition - within a Service
member's MLC, we are also making advances across the MLC as well.
Through implementation of the MLC transition model, Service members are
engaging in career preparation and transition assistance planning much
earlier in their careers - starting at their first permanent duty
station, or home station for the National Guard and Reserves. This
represents a significant, yet critical cultural shift for the
Department. For example, at the first permanent duty station, Service
members develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP) which documents
professional and personal goals, as well as the training,
certifications, and higher education needed to achieve those goals.
Service members are also provided information on apprenticeships,
instruction on resumes and financial preparedness, and they register
for eBenefits. As their career progresses, their IDP is continuously
updated with current certifications, technical training and
documentation of higher education. At significant life events, such as
promotion, military occupational change and/or marriage, Service
members are provided updated information on impacts to financial
readiness and career opportunities, among other key touchpoint
activities. As another example, in October 2015, the Department began
providing a new virtual curriculum earlier in the MLC - the Higher
Education Preparation module. This module is designed to assist Service
members in identifying their career goal, the educational path to
achieve that goal, and utilizing tuition assistance (during military
service) to fund their education. The Department is also currently
collaborating with our TAP interagency partners to identify additional
curriculum and/or other resources to provide Service members at earlier
touchpoints across the MLC. The intent is to ensure thoughtful career
planning and preparation across one's military career.
CAPSTONE EVENT AND ASSISTING AT-RISK SERVICE MEMBERS
The third core objective of the original TAP redesign was to
implement a Capstone event to ensure: Service members complete the VOW
Act requirements; meet the CRS; and have a viable Individual Transition
Plan (ITP), including a post-transition housing and transportation
plan. For Service members who fail to meet one or more of these
criteria, the Military Services provide a warm handover to appropriate
partner agencies and other relevant resources. This core objective was
achieved.
However, while the warm handover process was robust for those
failing to meet VOW/CRS, DoD and our interagency partners identified
areas within the warm handover process in need of improvement. For
example, since 2013, the Services identified transitioning Service
members without a viable post-transition housing plan who are at an
increased risk for homelessness. It was evident after reviewing warm
handover data in late 2015, that more needed to be done to improve the
execution and monitoring of the warm handover. The Department also
recognized Service members separating without an honorable discharge
face increased risks (e.g., for suicide). The Department sought to
strengthen our support to these two vulnerable populations.
Specifically, in April 2016, DoD issued two Memoranda to the Services
to address these concerns. The first Memorandum, entitled ``Warm
Handover Guidance for Transitioning Service Members Without a Post-
Military Housing Plan,'' requested the Services issue immediate
guidance requiring commanders and their designees to ensure a warm
handover to the VA and/or the DOL for those transitioning Service
members without a viable post-military housing plan. The second
Memorandum, entitled ``Warm Handover Guidance for Transitioning Service
Members Who Do Not Separate with an Honorable Discharge,'' requested
the Military Services issue guidance immediately to commanders or their
designees directing them to execute a warm handover to the DOL for
those transitioning Service members that do not separate with an
honorable discharge. The Department continues to place emphasis on
these at-risk populations to ensure they are receiving the additional
support needed. For example, DoD, VA, and DOL are working in
collaboration with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH)
to further prevent homelessness among our veterans.
DoD and VA have also been recently collaborating to begin examining
other `at risk' populations that may be better served during their
military-to-civilian transition in FY 2018. This may have implications
for future changes to the TAP curriculum and/or warm handover
processes. For example, one of our more recent joint efforts is geared
toward suicide prevention of Service members and veterans. Within this
broader joint effort is the establishment of a DoD/VA Transition
Working Group focused on identifying the population at risk for suicide
following a military-to-civilian transition, and ways in which to
better support this high risk population prior to separation. Another
population at higher risk for suicide is women veterans. The Department
and the VA are initiating a new ``Women's Health Initiative'' pilot
study, to be implemented at several Air Force and Army installations.
The pilot focusing on women veterans separating within 12 months, will
provide supplementary information on VA services specifically available
to women and track associated outcomes (e.g., enrollment in VA health
care). Based on the pilot findings this supplementary curriculum may be
implemented more broadly in the future to address needs of
transitioning women Service members and veterans.
Finally, while not an `at risk' population per se, the Department
continues to review whether we are providing the National Guard (Air
and Army National Guard) and the Reserves (Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Marine Corps Reserve) the time, resources, and support unique to those
populations. Specifically, the Department is leveraging the Status of
Forces Survey (SOFS) to pulse Reserve Component (RC) members'
perceptions of the TAP, and how perceptions are changing over time. The
Department also recently commissioned a research study, entitled
``Needs Assessment of Reserve Component Member Transitions,'' to more
comprehensively investigate the needs of transitioning RC members and
provide recommendations regarding updates needed to the TAP. Study
findings are expected in FY 2019. The Department continues to conduct
research, gather feedback from RC members, and consider potential
changes to policy within current law to address unique needs of RC
members.
PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Another area Department has made improvements and continues to
break new ground is through implementation of collaborative and
informative private and public engagements between the Department,
federal interagency partners, the Military Services, transitioning
Service members, employers, and other stakeholders. First, the
Department maintains robust private and public engagement operations to
raise awareness of the value transitioning Service members and veterans
bring to the civilian workforce. In fact, we disseminate to employers
the findings from a recent RAND Corporation study, which enumerates the
non-technical ``essential'' skills (e.g., leadership, decision-making,
team building) our Service members obtain while in uniform. These
essential skills represent the 21st century workforce skills that are
highly sought after by civilian and public-sector employers.
Second, the Department connects with, informs, and strengthens
private and public efforts to better prepare transitioning Service
members to become career-ready as they transition to civilian life.
Since August 2016, the Department completed over 200 private and public
engagements with Federal, State, industry, education, and community
stakeholders. The Department established collaborative relationships
and partnerships through participation in the DOL's Advisory Committee
on Veterans' Employment, Training, and Employer Outreach and through
interactions with over 25 federal Departments/Agencies. Best practices
have been garnered and shared through engagements across the country
with over 30 industries/corporations (e.g., Microsoft, Walmart, Amazon,
J.P. Morgan Chase), over 20 two-year and four-year colleges and
universities (e.g., Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University,
Duke, University of Houston, University of Washington-Tacoma), and
numerous Service member/veteran-focused institution and coalitions
(e.g., the Bush Institute, the Institute for Veterans and Military
Families, the Veterans Jobs Mission Coalition).
Two examples of key private and public engagements include
collaboration with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and our
partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our
Heroes Program. The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol staff are now co-
located on several military installations to connect with interested
and qualified transitioning Service members. In close collaboration
with DoD and the Services, CBP has made significant changes to their
recruitment requirements and business processes to streamline and
reduce the amount of time it takes to process applications for
employment. Another key engagement that has paid great dividends is our
collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our
Heroes Transition Summits. Over the past two years, our partnership has
grown from 17 annual transition summits at military installations
around the world to over 40 transition summits scheduled for CY 2018,
including Germany, Japan, and Korea. Each summit connects employers of
every size and industry with, on average, more than 1,000 talented
transitioning Service members, veterans, and military spouses on
military installations in the U.S. and overseas. Attendees are invited
to participate in a series of town hall-style panel discussions,
networking receptions, employment workshops, and a job fair. Over 90%
of Service member attendees who responded to a post-event survey
identified they felt better prepared for transition after attending
these events.
The Department remains fully committed to collaboration with
Federal, State, industry, education, and community stakeholders to
ensure continuous coordination and information sharing. This ensures
Service members receive access to education, training, and
opportunities that best prepare them for their military-to-civilian
transition. Private and public engagements directly support and enhance
stakeholder commitments that support successful transition of our
Service members.
These are several improvements to the TAP since 2015. The
Department, the Services, our interagency partners, transitioning
Service members and their families recognize the tremendous
enhancements to the TAP over the past two years. In addition, the
Department appreciates the importance placed on the TAP by Congress and
the GAO. We view the recent GAO study on the TAP as an opportunity to
receive external feedback to further advance this important program.
GAO REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
Before addressing the recommendations from the GAO Report on
``Transitioning Veterans - DoD Needs to Improve Performance Reporting
and Monitoring for the Transition Assistance Program,'' DoD would like
to acknowledge GAO's tremendous work in conducting this review of the
TAP. The GAO team leading this effort was professional, thorough, and
supportive of the unique needs of DoD, the Military Services and the
installations they visited. There was a collaborative and cordial
spirit among the GAO team and the various DoD stakeholders that allowed
GAO to conduct their business in a timely and effective manner.
In light of the redesigned TAP, Congress asked GAO to examine
various aspects of the program implementation. This GAO report
addresses four overarching questions: 1) To what extent does DoD
publicly report TAP performance transparency; 2) How many Service
members participated in TAP and what factors affected participation; 3)
How many service members met CRS or received referrals to partner
agencies for additional services; and 4) To what extent does DoD
monitor key areas of the TAP implementation and how well do the TAP
performance measures inform these monitoring efforts?
In order to address these questions, GAO surveyed 181 Military
installations; analyzed DoD participation data for FY 2016; reviewed
and analyzed TAP data reports and performance measures; and interviewed
officials at DoD, the Services, Service members, and our interagency
partners. GAO also visited seven installations (two each from Army,
Navy, and Air Force, and one Marine Corps). The audit was conducted
from February 2016 to September 2017. As a result, GAO states in their
report, ``GAO is making six recommendations, including that DoD improve
transparency in reporting TAP participation and career readiness rates
and monitor certain key areas of TAP implementation, including
timeliness of participation and access to supplemental 2-day classes.''
The Department acknowledges at the outset that, overall, we concur
with GAO recommendations for the TAP. However, there is one
recommendation, and sections of a few other recommendations, that the
Department does not fully support. The Department's position on each
GAO recommendation is as follows:
RECOMMENDATION 1: GAO recommends the Secretary of Defense publicly
report DoD's performance and career readiness attainment for all TAP-
eligible Service members and members of the National Guard and Reserve
rather than exclude those for whom data are missing or clarify the
extent of missing data. (DoD Partially Concur)
DoD acknowledges the FY 2016 Agency Priority Goals (APG)
performance measures provided to the public via performance.gov did not
provide a clear explanation regarding missing data. However, in FY 2017
DoD provided language in reporting the APG performance measures data
that clearly addressed the extent of the missing data for the public.
The following is an extract of DoD's Transition to Veterans Program
Office FY 2017 third quarter ``Separation VOW Compliance Reserve
Component'' performance measure language, as reported through DoD
channels for publication to the public via performance.gov:
``Compliance rate reflects only the known eligible Service members,
that is - those for whom a completed DD Form 2648 (or legacy DD Form
2958) was received by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). Through
May FYTD 2017, DMDC received completed DD Forms for 41.0% (8,953) of
the 21,861 Reserve Component VOW Act eligible separations.'' Similar
language was used in reporting VOW Compliance for active duty service
members.
In addition to the currently reported VOW Act compliance and career
readiness standards attainment for VOW Act eligible Service members,
DoD will provide a more transparent description of the extent of the
missing data along with the currently reported compliance rates to
offer important insight as to the number of Service members for whom
data is unknown. The Department feels strongly that compliance should
only be computed based on data known and should include a description
of the extent of the missing data to offer insight as to the number of
Service members for who compliance data is unknown. This information
will be included in the FY 2018 Q1 reporting and beyond. As stated
above, an explanation of the extent of missing, unknown data has been
included in the DoD Agency Priority Goal: Transition to Veterans
reporting for FY 2017, which was outside the scope of GAO's analysis
for this report. DoD will also continue working to reduce the extent of
missing data, as it is critical to be able to track VOW Act compliance
and CRS attainment of all of our transitioning Service members.
RECOMMENDATION 2: GAO recommends the Secretary of Defense monitor
and report on the extent to which Service members participate in TAP
within prescribed timeframes. (DoD Concur)
The Department acknowledges tracking when Service members
participate in TAP is valuable for effective transition preparation.
DoD currently has the capability to retrieve data documenting when a
Service member begins the TAP process (i.e., with the Pre-Separation/
Transition Counseling signature date) and his/her separation date.
Comparing these dates can determine the extent to which Service members
participate in TAP within prescribed timeframes. Likewise, DoD can
compare the Capstone event completion date to the Service member's
separation date. However, the currently collected data will not allow
for parsing out Service members who are short-notice separations; and,
therefore, could not adhere to the prescribed timeframes. The
capability to parse out such transition cases is critical for proper
interpretation of the data and use of this data for future program
improvements. In order to implement this recommendation, DoD will first
need to identify the IT requirement and associated cost (for example,
what new field(s) may need to be added to the electronic form (DD Form
2648)), as well as any needed TAP staff training, to collect data
denoting short-notice separations. Based on availability of funds for
FY 2019, DoD anticipates the earliest this data can be collected will
be FY 2019, and the earliest for monitoring and accurate reporting of
the data will be FY 2020.
RECOMMENDATION 3: GAO recommends that the Secretary of Defense
monitor and report on the extent to which Service members who elect to
receive supplementary 2-day classes are able to receive training. (DoD
Non-concur)
The Department does not concur with this recommendation. The focus
of the current TAP is for transitioning Service members to meet CRS.
Nine CRS are deemed common and applicable to all Service members.
Moreover, for Service members interested in pursuing higher education
and/or career technical training as part of their ITP, they must also
meet four additional educational-oriented CRS. The 2-day tracks were
developed and made available to help those who need assistance in
meeting these additional CRS. While the additional 2-day tracks are
voluntary, Service members are encouraged to take advantage of these
tracks. All Service members are able to participate in the additional
2-day tracks, as these tracks are available both via classroom setting
and online through Joint Knowledge Online. While DoD does track the
extent to which Service members attend the 2-day tracks, it is
important to note that CRS attainment, not simply course participation,
is the critical variable to monitor and report. DoD will research
barriers to Service members accessing the additional 2-day tracks.
RECOMMENDATION 4: GAO recommends that the Secretary of Defense
monitor and report on the extent to which service members attend TAP in
a classroom settings unless allowed by regulation to participate
online. (DoD Concur)
The Department acknowledges tracking whether Service members
participated in TAP in a classroom setting or online is important. This
is feasible with existing data. However, it is not uncommon for Service
members to take TAP courses both in a classroom and online. DoD only
tracks Service member participation for their most recent TAP courses.
For example, if a Service member completed the Accessing Higher
Education Track in the classroom first and then completed it again
online for a refresher, this would be tracked as online participation.
DoD anticipates the monitoring and reporting of the extent to which
Service members participate in TAP via a classroom setting or online
(using their most recently completed TAP course) will be by FY 2019.
Currently, data collected by DoD does not capture the reason a Service
member completes TAP online. The Department will need to identify
whether this particular data point could be captured (and how). Upon
completion of this research, DoD anticipates having the ability to
determine whether this action will be feasible and its associated
estimated funding requirements in FY 2019.
RECOMMENDATION 5: GAO recommends that once DoD monitors and reports
data on timeliness, 2-day classes, and the use of online TAP, DoD
enable unit commanders and high-level commanders to access this
information to help ensure the specific units they oversee are
compliant with all TAP requirements. (DoD Partially Concur)
The Department concurs once the capability to collect, track, and
report data on TAP participation timeliness and the extent of online
and classroom TAP participation has been accomplished, within 12 months
the data will be provided to commanders when feasible. The intent of
this recommendation should be met at the Service level. Each Service
has transition staff who can make this information available to
commanders. For example, the Air Force Airman and Family Readiness
Centers are responsible for reporting/advising commanders on unit
participation. Army Soldier-For-Life installation staff have the same
capability, as do the other Services' transition staffs.
RECOMMENDATION 6: GAO recommends that the Secretary of Defense seek
ways to minimize the subjectivity involved in career readiness
determinations, particularly when judgements are involved, such as the
quality of the individual transition plan and the resume. This could
include developing guidance on training that provides quality standards
for assessing career readiness materials. (DoD Concur)
The Department will work with the Services and DOL to minimize the
subjectivity in judgments involving determining Service member
attainment of particular CRS, such as the quality of the resume or job
application package. This may include developing guidance on quality
standards for assessing particular career readiness materials. The
Services have personnel at the installation level who are trained in
resume writing/review and career planning, and provide quality of life
guidance to transitioning Service members and families. Installations
may also call upon their local DOL partners for further support. If
questions do arise, for example from a Commander about whether the
quality of the resume is suitable for CRS attainment, Service members
should be referred to their local transition personnel at the Fleet and
Family Support Center, Airman and Family Readiness Center, Soldier-For-
Life Transition Assistance Center, or the Marine Corps Community
Service Center, as well as DOL, for additional evaluation and support.
Finally, Commanders must be allowed the ability to exercise their best
judgement on CRS attainment for their Service members, with the full
knowledge that they have experts available to assist them housed within
their respective centers that provide transition assistance at their
installation. DoD will work with the Services and DOL to examine and
implement ways to minimize subjectivity in judgments involving
determining Service member attainment of particular CRS, by the end of
FY 2018.
CONCLUSION
Career readiness and transition assistance preparation is paramount
if Service members are going to successfully transition to civilian
life. We recognize preparing Service members throughout their MLC to be
career-ready upon transition is essential to sustaining the All-
Volunteer Force. In order for us to continue to attract dedicated, high
quality volunteers to serve in our Armed Forces, the DoD must return
this generation of Service members to the Nation with the ability to
positively contribute to the national workforce and thrive within their
civilian communities.
The Department cannot successfully transition Service members to
civilian careers alone. It must have continued strong collaboration
with our interagency partners, the support and hard work of our
Military Services, especially at the installation level, and
collaboration with other external stakeholders. The TAP interagency
governance is vibrant, effective, responsive, and committed, as
evidenced by the 2016 signing of our updated national Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) regarding the ``Transition Assistance Program for
Service Members Transitioning from Active Duty.'' As stated in the MOU,
``The parties will support and advance the ongoing implementation,
assessment, and enhancement of TAP. This collaboration will serve to
support Service members in pursuing employment, higher education,
skills and career training, credentialing, and entrepreneurship.''
Again, let me thank the GAO for their comprehensive and insightful
report and recommendations to further advance the TAP for the Nation.
In closing, Mr. Chairman, I thank you, the Ranking Member, and the
members of this Subcommittee for your outstanding and continued support
of the men and women who proudly wear the uniform in defense of our
great Nation.
Prepared Statement of Brigadier General Robert Bennett
Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke, members of the
subcommittee, I would like to express my appreciation for the
opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Army's Soldier for Life
- Transition Assistance Program, or SFL-TAP. SFL-TAP is first and
foremost a Commander's Program. SFL-TAP mandates several courses, based
on the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, and also includes other
required courses, or Career Readiness Standards (CRS), that help
prepare Soldiers for their transition from active duty.
Soldier for Life - Transition Assistance Program VOW Requirements
SFL-TAP requires all eligible transitioning Soldiers to complete
the VOW to Hire Heroes Act requirements, which include Pre-separation
Counseling, Department of Labor Employment Workshop, and VA Benefits
Briefings I and II.
In fall 2017, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) provided a
draft review of Transitioning Veterans: DoD Needs to Improve
Performance Reporting and Monitoring for the Transition Assistance
Program. Army concurs with all six recommendations found in the draft
report. Army's SFL-TAP XXI system currently captures most required data
elements needed to implement report recommendation numbers 1 through 5.
We will continue to work very closely with OSD Transition to Veterans
Program Office (TVPO) in order to identify an optimal way ahead for
synergistically leveraging and interfacing the data capturing and
reporting capabilities of the DoD TAP Enterprise System with our own
SFL-TAP XXI system.
While the Army is very proud of the significant role it has played,
along with our DoD, Sister Services, and Interagency Partners, in
developing and implementing the myriad of major enhancements that have
been made to TAP since the passage of the VOW Act (thereby benefiting
hundreds of thousands of transitioning service members), Army believes
that there is one important area in which TAP could and should continue
to evolve, that is, with respect to the timely receipt of key ``post
transition from active duty'' outcome data from our interagency
partners. For example, Soldiers who are deemed by their Commander to
have not met their CRS prior to transition from active duty are given a
``Warm Handover'' to the VA or Department of Labor (DOL) for follow-on
post transition assistance.
Army strongly believes that receiving feedback from our interagency
partners on both the type of assistance provided as well as the outcome
(result) of such assistance is critical to our ability to accurately
gauge and assess the overall long-term efficacy of our efforts. Such
feedback, when timely, would greatly assist us in identifying what is
working effectively as well as any TAP elements or processes in need of
revision or improvement. Army currently does not receive any specific
feedback (data) from our interagency partners on the results of warm
handovers. We continue to closely collaborate with them (both at the
TAP Governance Senior Leader level as well as at the action officer
subject matter expert working group level) on developing a strategy to
facilitate the flow of this key data.
Army utilizes a multifaceted approach in disseminating the
importance of TAP and additional resources throughout a Service
member's military career. Under current Army policy, Soldiers are
required to be counseled by their unit leadership within six months of
arrival at their first permanent duty. This counseling on Army
responsibilities and opportunities includes the requirement to create
an Individual Development Plan. Newly arrived Soldiers are also
referred to installation Army Education Centers where they meet with
counselors and receive information on educational and credentialing
opportunities available to them (e.g., Army COOL).
Soldiers continue to receive other timely transition/career/
opportunity related information at key touchpoints (e.g., promotion)
throughout their military career. The Soldier for Life - Transition
Assistance Program makes both traditional and emerging strategic
communication efforts a priority to communicate efforts to leaders,
Soldiers, Family members, and stakeholders. The program continues to
actively engage media, including frequent articles in Army magazines,
installation papers, and national media outlets. SFL-TAP engages in
other traditional marketing through posters, banners, flyers, Fact
Sheets, Information Papers, briefings to commanders (such as the
Company Commander/First Sergeant Course and the Pre-Command Course),
and promotion of the program throughout the Soldier Life Cycle. Through
a robust social media strategy, which includes Twitter, Facebook,
LinkedIn, LinkedIn Groups, and YouTube, SFL-TAP reaches thousands of
veterans, employers, and transitioning Soldiers every day. SFL-TAP
Centers at the installation level often have active Facebook pages and
other social media platforms as well.
With respect to recommendation number 6, which focuses on seeking
ways to minimize the subjectivity involved in making career readiness
determinations, Army believes it will be essential to implement this
recommendation in such a way so as to preserve the flexibility of TAP.
The career readiness determination needs to be equipped with more
objective standards, yet avoid establishing a ``one size fits all''
solution that is incapable of tailoring to the individual Service
member.
In addition to DoD's TAP reporting systems, the Army utilizes TAP-
XXI, which is the Army's ``system of record,'' in order to provide
commanders at the lowest level, key information and reports to fulfil
their responsibilities under SFL-TAP policy and law. TAP-XXI has two
primary functions, client management and reporting. TAP-XXI reporting
consolidates key transition data from several Army HR systems of record
which allows company commanders to correctly identify Soldiers required
to complete the TAP curriculum. The client management portal of TAP-XXI
allows counselors and Soldiers to schedule attendance and track
completion during the distributed timeline (i.e, over an extended
period). Army strongly encourages Transitioning Soldiers to utilize the
SFL-TAP resources early and often.
These reports help ensure the Soldier is career ready and prepared
for their civilian transition. Those that are successful in transition
become advocates for recruiting future Soldiers. Fine-tuning TAP-XXI
into the most comprehensive TAP management system has allowed Army
civilian counselors to better track individual compliance and
satisfaction with the program.
The first full year of tracking compliance for the VOW Act was in
fiscal year 2013. During that time, the Army received a compliance rate
of 4.5 percent. However, SFL-TAP has seen improvement since then,
reaching an 85 percent compliance rate in fiscal year 2016 (DoDTAP
reported 76% for Army) and an 88 percent compliance rate in fiscal year
2017 (DoDTAP reported 84% for Army). Those who do not meet VOW
requirements are given a warm-handover to the Department of Labor and/
or Veterans Affairs, as appropriate.
As our compliance rate and commander involvement have increased,
the Army has seen a vast reduction in unemployment compensation
expenses.
Army Improves Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service Members (UCX)
The Army closed out fiscal year 2016 with the lowest amount of
Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service members (UCX) in 13 years at
$172.8 million, according to the Department of Labor.
Fiscal year 2016 is the first time UCX has dipped below the $200
million mark since 2003, where it closed out at $152 million. Army UCX
expenditures peaked in 2011 at $515 million and have been decreasing
since that time due to a combination of economic factors and Army
efforts to better prepare Soldiers for the civilian sector.
Integrating Soldiers back into the civilian world successfully
depends on a number of determinants, including civilian industry
knowledge of valuable Veteran skill sets, dispelling myths about
Veterans, as well as local economic conditions.
Army UCX numbers are on-track to break another all-time low in
fiscal year 2017. We expect to receive final Fiscal Year 17 data by
mid-November.
Program Funding
All validated requirements are provided for and funded across the
Future Years Defense Program (FYDP).
In fiscal year 2017, the Army requested $87.7 million for Active
Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve for the transition program.
In fiscal year 2018, the Army has requested $86.3 million. The Army has
received this funding and is using it to provide transition services at
the validated requirements level.
Transition Pilot Program
The SFL-TAP Transition Pilot started in November 2016 at six Army
installations. The pilot is designed to evaluate tailored transition
assistance for Soldiers, based on their assessed ``risk level'' for
drawing unemployment. The objective is to better allocate resources to
those that need additional support during the transition process. The
pilot focuses primarily on transition requirements for eligible non-
retiring enlisted Soldiers.
The goal of the pilot is to correlate the type and amount of
mandated transition assistance services for a Soldier, with their
likelihood of applying for unemployment compensation. Soldiers deemed
to be at greater risk for being unemployed are required to participate
in more mandated services than Soldiers less likely to apply for
unemployment compensation. The ultimate objective of the pilot is to
learn how to better tailor SFL-TAP requirements for all transitioning
Soldiers, based on individual needs. The Army's Transition Pilot will
last approximately two years from the start date and initial data from
the pilot is expected in the spring of 2018. To date, approximately
21,000 Soldiers are involved.
Army Career Skills Program
The Department of Defense Skill Bridge program is implemented by
the Army through the Career Skills Program, or CSP. CSPs include pre-
apprenticeships, on-the-job training, job-shadowing, employment skills
training, and internships that transitioning Soldiers can attend during
their last 180 days prior to transition from active duty. These first-
class programs afford Soldiers the opportunity to obtain industry-
recognized skills and move into high-demand and high-skilled jobs. In
fiscal year 2016, 2,625 Soldiers enrolled in CSPs, with a 95 percent
completion rate, which resulted in the job placement of approximately
2,150 Soldiers. Fiscal year 2017 programs are on-target to exceed these
milestones.
The first Army CSP was established in April 2013 at Joint Base
Lewis-McChord with United Association Veterans in Piping (UAVIP). UAVIP
hosted 22 participants and since that time, the Army has approved over
116 CSPs, hosted at 25 Army installations. The Army's CSP has resulted
in over 4,600 employment opportunities for transitioning Soldiers. The
program continues to grow each year.
The Army works with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, as well
as federal and non-federal entities, to determine potential programs to
add to the Career Skills Program in order to increase civilian
employment opportunities for transitioning Soldiers. The focus of CSP
program offerings include ``no-cost'' opportunities with at least an 85
percent graduation rate and of those graduates, an employment rate of
at least 90 percent.
SFL-TAP Virtual Center
The Army is the only Service that provides a virtual platform with
transition services for Soldiers and other Service members. In addition
to round-the-clock telephonic counseling, a virtual software interface
provides a live forum for synchronous counselor-led transition services
to clients all over the world all day, every day, with the exception of
three holidays a year.
The SFL-TAP Virtual Center is manned and trained to provide a full-
range of transition services. The Virtual Center provides transition
services to deployed Soldiers and Service Members of all branches, as
well as those that are remotely located stateside and unable to attend
classes and counseling at a brick-and-mortar location. Though the
Virtual Center is available to all Service Members, the preferred and
recommended option for Service Members to receive transition services
is through brick-and-mortar locations.
The system provides clients and staff the ability to interact
online through live classes and counseling sessions. The program allows
clients to ask questions via a microphone or typed comments. Counselors
and Soldiers have a full-range of communication and computer
capabilities, including desktop sharing, document uploads/downloads,
videos, webcams, and website links. Additionally, internal SFL-TAP
program needs, such as meetings and training events, can be conducted
inside the Virtual Center, saving both time and money.
In fiscal year 2017, the SFL-TAP Virtual Center telephonically
assisted over 43,000 Soldiers and provided transition counseling to
over 15,000 Soldiers through the Virtual Center software. This is a 38%
increase in the amount of calls received in fiscal year 2016. SFL-TAP
has seen growth each year since the inception of the Virtual Center in
October 2011. A service that originally received only 34 total calls in
its first month, the Virtual Center in fiscal year 2018 is on track to
set records for calls received, as the SFL-TAP Virtual Center has
become a trusted resource for transitioning Soldiers.
Army Hosts Hire a Soldier Campaign
The Army has increased our marketing efforts over the past fiscal
year to include innovative online techniques. In the summer of 2017,
SFL-TAP hosted their first social media campaign to encourage the
hiring of transitioning Soldiers. The five-week campaign was supported
by the Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel Dailey and featured a variety
of events on Facebook and Twitter. The campaign brought together
civilian employers and transitioning Soldiers, giving them the platform
to discuss resume advice, job seeking tips, and transition
opportunities.
The main event of the campaign was a Twitter Chat on resume writing
and job seeking skills. SFL-TAP partnered with Partnership for Youth
Success (PaYS), Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits Administration, Army
Warrior Care and Transition (WCT), National Guard Citizen Soldier for
Life (CSFL), Army Reserve Private Public Partnership (P3), and the
Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Services (DOL
VETS) for the Twitter Chat.
The Twitter Chat used a hashtag (keyword categorization on Twitter)
that the SFL-TAP Program Office created called #HireaSoldier. The
hashtag gained so much interest and use that Twitter made it
``trending'' on the platform, which lists the hashtag on the side of a
user's home page as a popular topic. On the day of the Twitter Chat,
the hashtag reached almost 4 million Twitter users, further spreading
awareness of SFL-TAP and hiring Soldiers.
The Twitter event and Facebook events provided the platform and
conversation for companies to collect resumes from Soldiers that
participated and initial reports showed that the interview process had
started for Soldiers who had networked during the event. SFL-TAP plans
to hold future events like this.
Conclusion
The Army's SFL-TAP is committed to serve transitioning Soldiers
throughout their transition process and help them become better
prepared for the challenges and successes they will face in the
civilian sector. To conclude, I thank you for your continued support.
The Army is dedicated to being the leader of Department of Defense
transition efforts by finding better ways to help our Soldiers and
Veterans. Chairman Arrington, 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 Rear Admiral Karl O. Thomas
Introduction
Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke, and distinguished
members of this subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to testify
about the Navy Transition Assistance Program (TAP), and our efforts to
seamlessly transition Sailors to civilian life, employment, further
education, or entrepreneurship.
In fiscal year 2017, approximately 32,000 Sailors transitioned out
of the Navy, and these numbers are likely to be comparable over the
next several years. Navy is an expeditionary force that routinely
deploys. Our Sailors serve in diverse career fields, among them, Navy
Special Warfare, air traffic control, health care, advanced
electronics, and nuclear power. Civilian employers routinely pursue
Sailors as potential employees because of the world-class training and
skills they obtain in the Navy, even as we offer incentives to retain
these Sailors who possess critical skills needed to ensure fleet
readiness. For both active and reserve component Sailors who separate,
demobilize, or retire from the Navy, we offer a robust TAP to help them
make a seamless transition to life beyond the Navy.
Transition Assistance Program
Navy delivers TAP in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary
of Defense; the Departments of Labor, Education, Veterans Affairs,
Homeland Security; the Small Business Administration and the Office of
Personnel Management. TAP includes the following elements:
1) Career Readiness Standards (CRS) - A set of common, discreet,
and measurable, transition ``readiness'' standards for Sailors to meet
prior to separation. The desired end-state is for each Sailor to meet
CRS for his/her chosen civilian career path and to complete a viable
Individual Transition Plan (ITP) prior to departure from active duty.
These standards are designed to increase each Sailor's abilities to
successfully overcome any challenges they may face in pursuit of
choosing a career path.
2) Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, Success) Core Workshop Curriculum
- A series of training that includes the Department of Labor (DoL)
Employment Workshop (DoLEW), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Benefits Briefings, Financial Education, Military Occupational Code
Crosswalk, Family/Special Issues, and an ITP review. Additionally,
participants may select to attend two-day training tracks in Accessing
Higher Education, Entrepreneurship, or Technical Training.
3) Military Life Cycle - Incorporates preparation for Sailors'
career transition throughout their military service - from accession
through transition from the Navy and reintegration into civilian life.
Today's transitioning Sailors are better prepared to transition to
civilian life because of the continuing integration of this model.
4) Capstone Event - A forum provided for Service members to
validate CRS are met, and to refer members, as needed, for additional
training or assistance prior to separation or retirement.
Navy officials continue to work with representatives from the
Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the other Uniformed Services,
and interagency partners, to evaluate and improve TAP. Sailors are
encouraged to begin the transition process approximately 24-months, but
no later than, 12-months prior to separation. During this period, each
transitioning Sailor participates in mandatory pre-separation
counseling (10 U.S. Code Sec. 1142) that introduces them to the various
programs and services available to assist them.
Navy provides the five-day Transition GPS Workshop at installations
world-wide via our Fleet and Family Support Centers. Transition GPS
Workshops may be tailored to the installation population or
demographics of the class (e.g., retirees, seniority). Additionally,
Fleet and Family Support Centers provide both individual and group
transition counseling, career planning, resume-writing and other
transition-related workshops.
Navy Fleet and Family Support Centers also conduct first-term and
mid-career workshops through the Career Options and Navy Skills
Evaluation Program (CONSEP). This modular two-day course is designed to
assist active duty service members in achieving Navy, and future
civilian, career goals. Training topics provide vital information
across the Military Life Cycle on career-making decisions, upward
mobility, Veterans benefits while on active duty, college and
certification opportunities, apprenticeships, and financial management
and investment strategies, which enhance the Sailor's ability to
achieve personal and professional success.
Navy Transition Assistance Core Workshop Curriculum
The mandatory Navy Transition GPS Core Workshop is a five-day
curriculum. For the typical workshop, on day one, Navy transition staff
covers 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 Code (MOC) Crosswalk: Upon completing the
MOC Crosswalk module, Sailors are provided documentation of 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 goals. The MOC Crosswalk enables Sailors to
develop a clear line-of-sight between their military skills and
training and career fields of their choice.
3) Financial Planning: The financial planning module prepares
Sailors to build an integrated 12-month budget that reflects post-
military employment, education, or training goals. Financial planning
counselors are available for follow-up counseling, if requested by the
Sailor.
Typically, on days two through four, the Department of Labor (DoL)
delivers the approved Employment Workshop, while, on day five, the
Department of Veterans of Affairs (VA) conducts VA Benefits I and II
briefings. Each installation has the discretion to present TAP
briefings in a sequence that best suits transitioning Sailors on their
installation. During the workshop, Sailors also review progress on
their Individual Transition Plans. Navy continues to improve our
classroom delivery experience. We provide Transition GPS computer
software and enhanced WiFi capability, greatly improving the classroom
experience. In fiscal year 2017, Navy began replacing all 2,493
Transition GPS computers with updated models, which run faster and have
extended battery life. Along with the computer refresh, all
information-technology equipment is being updated as needed including
WiFi capacity, routers, scanners, printers, and associated equipment.
This upgrade, which is 90 percent complete, will ensure Sailors have a
real-time resource in the classroom to research job, education, and
other transition-related opportunities.
We continue to expand and adjust our delivery approach to
accommodate Sailors in isolated locations by providing, in
collaboration with VA and DoL, in-person Transition GPS classes at
Naval Support Activity, Souda Bay, Crete; and Naval Fleet Activities,
Chinhae, Korea. For deployed units with limited bandwidth, we recently
received approval to have the Joint Knowledge Online virtual curriculum
available on the Navy eLearning shipboard servers.
Education, Technical Training, and Entrepreneur Workshops
In addition to completing the Transition GPS Core Curriculum,
transitioning Sailors may also participate in a series of two-day
tailored workshops which address three alternative tracks available
within the Transition GPS curriculum:
(1) Accessing Higher Education track, for those pursuing an
advanced education degree;
(2) Technical Training track, for those seeking job-ready skills
and industry-recognized credentials in shorter-term training programs;
and
(3) Entrepreneurship track, for those planning to start a business.
Navy Capstone Event
At least 90 days before separating from the Navy, Sailors are
required to participate in a Navy-hosted Capstone Event, to validate
the process, and verify that they have completed the Transition GPS
curriculum and achieved Career Readiness Standards (CRS). Staff also
reviews potential challenges Sailors may face as veterans, and
available tools and resources transitioning Sailors learned about in
Transition GPS workshops. Sailors requiring additional assistance are
referred to supplemental training opportunities.
Additionally, through the Capstone Event, all Sailors are referred
to appropriate government agencies and organizations that will provide
them with continued benefits, services, and support in their new
capacity as Navy veterans, including completion of CRS, if they are not
fully accomplished prior to separation. While beneficial for all
transitioning Sailors, this is particularly instrumental in supporting
at-risk Sailors, such as those subject to rapid or involuntarily
separation.
Commander Support and Accountability
Using the Navy Retention Monitoring System (NRMS) Analytics, and
the current Career Information Management System (CIMS), commanders can
track and monitor their own transition assistance program compliance.
These systems provide commanders the capability to report and analyze
active and reserve, officer and enlisted, Transition GPS data via ad
hoc and standardized reports down to the unit level. Most importantly,
the fleet has included TAP compliance as a criterion for the annual
``Golden Anchor'' retention award, which recognizes commands with
exceptional Sailor retention programs.
Guidance and Training
Navy leverages an extensive professional network to keep the fleet
informed about new policy changes and Transition GPS implementation
challenges. TAP staff work with fleet engagement teams to coordinate
with, and provide training to, Command Career Counselors worldwide on
procedures, policies, new aspects of Transition GPS, and TAP reporting
requirements, to ensure Sailors are afforded a viable plan for
transition to civilian life. Coordinating efforts with Fleet and Force
Career Counselors, Navy also provides pertinent information to the
fleet through a series of messages and emails, a transition webpage,
and Plain Talk for Sailors bulletins.
Military Life Cycle Transition Model
TAP incorporates career readiness and transition preparation into
the entire continuum of a Sailor's career. In the past, transition and
preparation for the civilian workforce occurred late in a Sailor's
military service - just prior to separation. Under this enhanced
program, these concepts are incorporated earlier to ensure that
counseling, assessments, and access to resources that build skills or
establish credentials, occur earlier in a Sailor's military career.
Navy leverages the Navy Retention and Career Development program,
designed to improve Sailors' ability to achieve their professional
goals, to facilitate the military life cycle. Individual Career
Development Plans are created, based upon Career Roadmaps for each
enlisted rating, with assistance from Navy Command Career Counselors.
Rating Roadmaps include information on skill training, job description,
personal and professional development, Career Development Boards, Navy
qualifications and certifications, civilian occupations, Navy
Credentialing Opportunities On-line (Navy COOL), United Services
Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP), Professional Military
Education (PME), and Voluntary Education.
Navy incorporates aspects of the Transition GPS curriculum into our
Career Development Boards, which are routinely held during key points
in a Sailor's career. Aligning these key activities with pre-determined
``touch points'' facilitates individualized attention, together with
instruction, resources, and services to build the skills necessary for
each Sailor to meet their professional goals throughout their military
career and beyond. Additionally, embedding touch points across the
military lifecycle is particularly helpful in addressing at-risk
Sailors who may require a higher level of support in meeting their
goals. For example, we ensure that Sailors:
(1) are registered for, and know about, eBenefits, a joint VA/
Department of Defense (DoD) web portal that provides resources and
self-service capabilities to veterans, Service members, and their
families; to research, access, and manage their VA military benefits
and personal information;
(2) are informed about VA benefits for which they are eligible
while serving on active duty, as well as after they depart the service
as Navy veterans; and
(3) understand the importance of maintaining their personnel
records, and obtaining credentials and certifications they have earned
for skills obtained while serving in the Navy.
The Career Development Program is a key component of transition.
Essentially, a Sailor's Individual Career Development plan becomes
their Individual Career Transition Plan.
Education and Credentialing Opportunities
While serving on active duty, Sailors are encouraged to take
advantage of programs that acknowledge military training and
experience. Navy COOL supports Navy's career development and transition
programs by helping Sailors gain civilian certifications and licenses
for skills or academic degrees acquired during their service. This
helps translate each Sailor's military training and experience into
concrete documentation that prospective employers can easily recognize,
and which demonstrates that a Sailor's skills are commensurate with, or
exceed, those of their civilian counterparts. At least one
certification is currently available in each of the 81 Navy enlisted
ratings, as well as collateral duty and leadership occupations, with
over 1,900 credentialing opportunities. Since program inception in
October 2007, Navy COOL has provided support on over 165,000
certifications and licenses for over 55,000 Sailors in every enlisted
rating and pay grade. Navy also participates in the USMAP, which is a
formal military training program that provides Sailors the opportunity
to improve their job skills and complete civilian apprenticeship
requirements while on active duty.
In addition to the aforementioned programs, Navy funds educational
opportunities that enhance post-military job-ready skills, and
encourages transitioning Sailors to take full advantage of their GI
Bill, and other education benefits, while serving on active duty. Many
Sailors are enrolled in college, and some have already earned college
degrees. Those interested in pursuing their education goals are
strongly encouraged to attend the specialized Accessing Higher
Education or Career and Technical Training track. Specifically, Sailors
are briefed on these tracks during Transition GPS workshop, and
required Pre-separation Counseling.
Employment Skills Training
Navy encourages commanders, commanding officers and officers-in-
charge, when operational commitments permit, to authorize eligible
Sailors to pursue employment skills training during their final 180
days of active duty service using the DoD SkillBridge initiative. Navy
has 16 programs with eight additional programs in the planning stages
for fiscal year 2018. As of June 2017, 158 Navy personnel have
completed SkillBridge programs with a job placement rate of 65 percent.
Programs such as Onward-to-Opportunity (O2O) provide up to eight
weeks of training for in-demand fields such as cybersecurity and
software engineering. The O2O program is hosted at three Navy locations
(Norfolk, VA; Jacksonville, FL; and San Diego, CA) with plans to
expand. Navy is partnering with Microsoft and Amazon to provide
employment skills training programs for fiscal year 2018, at various
locations throughout the Navy enterprise, such as Gulfport, MS;
Pensacola, FL; and Ventura County, CA.
Veterans-in-piping (VIP) Pre-Apprenticeship at Naval Station,
Norfolk, is considered a best practice program for DoD SkillBridge. The
VIP is designed to fill a critical workforce need for welders in the
Norfolk and Hampton Roads, VA, area and involves 18 continuous weeks of
full-time classroom and on-the-job training sessions.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report
Navy largely concurs with recommendations included in the draft GAO
Report: ``Transitioning Veterans - DoD Needs to Improve Performance
Reporting and Monitoring for the Transition Assistance Program,'' and
already has several programs in place to support them, such as TAP
requirements compliance-reporting at the unit level. With regard to the
specific GAO recommendations:
GAO Recommendation 1: We recommend that the Secretary of Defense
publicly report DoD's performance and career readiness attainment for
all TAP-eligible service members and members of the National Guard and
Reserve rather than exclude those for whom data are missing or clarify
the extent of missing data.
Navy monitors compliance for Sailors with complete transition data
and those with missing data, and continues to work to reduce the
prevalence of missing data. We continue to see improvement in our
Sailors meeting Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes (VOW) Act
requirements compliance. In fiscal year 2017, from October to August,
total VOW Act compliance for Navy active and reserve Sailors was 84
percent. Naval Audit Service is conducting an audit of TAP reporting to
assist us in our compliance efforts.
GAO Recommendation 2: We recommend that the Secretary of Defense
monitor and report on the extent to which service members participate
in TAP within prescribed timeframes.
Navy will work with OSD to monitor and report Sailor completion of
TAP requirements with the goal of driving earlier completion of TAP
requirements and capturing short-notice separation data. Additionally,
with the electronic Pre-Separation Counseling Checklist (DD Form 2648)
and the TAP tracking system that we recently introduced, commanders
have new tools to ensure compliance.
GAO Recommendation 3: We recommend that the Secretary of Defense
monitor and report on the extent to which service members who elect to
receive supplementary 2-day classes are able to receive training.
Navy policy mandates Sailor participation in these 2-day classes if
required for a Sailor to meet his or her specific career readiness
standards.
GAO Recommendation 4: We recommend that the Secretary of Defense
monitor and report on the extent which service members attend TAP in a
classroom setting unless allowed by regulation to participate online.
Navy is committed to providing in-person, instructor-led, training
as the primary means of delivery, as evidenced by the 1,300 classes
attended by over 42,000 Sailors this fiscal year.
GAO Recommendation 5: We recommend that once DoD monitors and
reports data timeliness, 2-day classes, and the use of online TAP,
enable unit commander and high-level commanders to access this
information to help ensure the specific units they oversee and are
compliant with all TAP requirements.
Navy has an information system in place to allow commanders to
monitor TAP requirements compliance, and will continue to enhance this
capability as the means to collect and track any new requirements.
GAO Recommendation 6: We recommend that the Secretary of Defense
seek ways to minimize the subjectivity involved in career readiness
determinations, particularly when judgements are involved, such as the
quality of the individual transition plan and the resume. This could
include developing guidance on training that provides quality standards
for assessing readiness materials.
Navy will work with partner agencies to minimize subjectivity, for
instance, by developing guidance on quality standards. Our Fleet and
Family Support Center staff is trained in career readiness standard
items, such as resume-writing, and hosts the Capstone event to review
career readiness standards. Agency partners also are available to
assist Sailors and commanders.
We recognize that there is more to be done, and look forward to
working with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the other
Uniformed Services, and partner agencies, to refine and improve the DoD
transition process.
Conclusion
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss Navy TAP and our
continuous efforts to improve support for transitioning Navy veterans,
in close cooperation with interagency partners. Each Sailor who
selflessly serves our Nation in the all-volunteer force has earned our
unwavering commitment to ensuring they possess the tools that position
them for success as they transition, and as they continue serving our
Nation as honored and distinguished veterans.
We appreciate your steadfast support for all Navy men and women -
active, reserve and veteran - and for the programs you authorize that
sustain them, and their families, during and following their
distinguished careers of voluntary service to the Navy and our Nation.
Prepared Statement of Brigadier General Kathleen A. Cook
For the past 70 years, the Total Force Airmen of America's Air
Force have been breaking barriers as members of the finest joint
warfighting team in the world. America's Airmen are highly trained and
ready to fly, fight and win our nation's wars; however, these
remarkable warriors and their families are feeling the strain
associated with 26 years of ongoing overseas contingency operations,
disaster relief missions, and funding constraints. As we look to the
future, we continue to focus on our primary goal of supporting Air
Force and Joint missions, as well as preparing our Airmen for a
successful civilian life after transitioning from military service. Air
Force leadership remain fully engaged and firmly committed to
accomplishing these aims.
Since the Air Force last appeared before Congress to discuss the
Program in 2015, we have steadfastly focused on continuously improving
support to our transitioning Airmen and their families in accordance
with the Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act of 2011. Our
redesigned curriculum directs completion of mandated TAP activities for
all eligible service members. Compliance requires completion of a pre-
separation counseling that for retiring members can be scheduled 24
months before retiring, and for separating Airmen can attend up to 12
months beforehand. Additional mandated activities include the
Department of Labor Employment Workshop, Veterans Administration
Benefits Briefings I and II, and the commander or designee approved
Capstone review that verifies Career Readiness Standards have been met.
Furthermore, we instituted a waiver for National Guard and Reserve
Airmen to relieve repeated Program attendance requirements following
each 180-day tour of active duty if they are immediately returning to
active duty (i.e. subsequent 180-day tour) or are guaranteed follow-on
civilian employment. These actions illustrate our commitment to the
readiness of our Airmen, as well as to continuously improving and
refining our Transition Assistance Program.
The 2017 Government Accountability Office study identified six
recommendations to improve transparency in reporting Program
participation rates and monitoring participation timeliness and access
to supplemental 2-day tracks, among other items. We concur or partially
concur with five of the six recommendations.
Specifically, we did not concur with the recommendation for the
Department to monitor and report on the extent to which Service Members
who elect to participate in supplementary 2-day tracks are able to
receive training. The Air Force focuses on ensuring transitioning
Airmen meet Career Readiness Standards, and the additive 2-day tracks
were developed and made available on a voluntary basis to assist Airmen
and supplement the Standards.. The additional 2-day tracks are
electives available for all Airmen via a classroom setting and online
through Joint Knowledge Online. While the Department does track the 2-
day class attendance, we would like to highlight that Standards
attainment is the overarching goal. That said, we will work with our
partners to identify whether access or availability barriers exist to
Airmen who desire to attend the optional 2-day tracks.
Additionally, we partially-concurred with the study's
recommendation that the Department publicly report performance and
career readiness attainment for all Program-eligible Total Force Airmen
rather than exclude those for whom data are missing, or clarify the
extent of the missing data. We acknowledge our participation rate
information collection system lacked the fidelity to account for all
Program-related data, resulting in missing data on some Airmen who may
or may not have completed requirements. Specifically, our FY16 Agency
Priority Goals performance measures provided to the public did not
provide a clear explanation regarding the exclusion of the missing
separation data from the reported performance totals. It was never our
intent to misrepresent the Act's reported performance measures.
Therefore, in FY17, we addressed the missing and unknown information
concern by submitting language with the Office of Secretary of
Defense's Agency Priority Goals performance measures data. Our intent
is to ensure a clear description of the extent of the missing and
unknown data is included along with the reported compliance rates for
appropriate context. We are also working to reduce the occurrence of
missing and unknown information and to improve our ability to track
critical data required to validate the Act's compliance for all
transitioning Airmen.
Lastly, we partially concurred with Government Accountability
Office's recommendation that the Department provide commanders access
to timeliness, 2-day tracks, and the use of online Transition
Assistance Program data. We partially concurred because we agree this
is useful information for installation command leadership; however, it
is already provided to commanders regularly through our Airman and
Family Readiness Centers.
As we continue to look for every opportunity to improve transition
assistance for our Total Force Airmen and their families, we
acknowledge tracking participation in the Program is valuable for
ensuring Airmen receive effective transition assistance. The Air Force
currently has the ability to retrieve data documenting when an Airman
begins the Program process (via the Pre-Separation/Transition
Counseling signature date) and his or her separation date to validate
timeframe compliance. However, currently collected information will not
allow for parsing out Airmen with short-notice separations (i.e.,
medical evaluation board decisions, disciplinary reasons, etc.) who
could not adhere to the prescribed timeframes. The capability to
extract such information is critical for proper interpretation of the
data and use of this data for future Program improvements. We will
research the information technology requirements and associated costs
to procure this capability as we continue to work to improve our
Program compliance.
In addition to improved data reporting, the Air Force continues to
change its Transition Assistance Program culture by embracing a ``begin
with the end in mind'' framework. We recognize some Airmen will
transition to civilian life before retirement eligibility and we
prepare our Airmen for civilian life from the start of their military
careers. We do this by leveraging our existing professional development
programs as touchpoints in the Military Life Cycle Transition model
along with encouraging greater cooperation between the various offices
collaborating on transition initiatives. For example, for years,
enlisted Airmen have been required to attend the First Term Airmen's
Center program at their first permanent duty station. During this
multi-day program, Airmen are introduced to many topics--including
professional development opportunities and a four-hour financial
readiness lesson, which includes developing a personal budget to help
foster financial success, and ultimately mission readiness. Airmen are
also introduced to the Military Life Cycle, which showcases how
transition assistance information will be addressed throughout their
career. Our Transition Assistance Program's Military Life Cycle
touchpoints also include reenlistment, deployment, and permanent change
of station counselings as well as off-duty education briefings and
professional development information sessions. All aspects are designed
to help prepare Airmen for success in the civilian sector after
transitioning from military service.
CONCLUSION
Airmen and their families serve, dedicated to answering our
nation's call, making sacrifices for the good of the mission. We do
everything we can to foster their success while in uniform, as well as
during their transition from the military. Investments in them are
inextricably linked to the Air Force's ability to recruit, train,
develop, support and retain a world-class, all-volunteer Force. The Air
Force remains committed to ensuring Airmen are ready for the challenges
and opportunities of civilian life and we extend a great deal of
gratitude to our private sector partners in supporting the ease of
transition. With continued Congressional backing and the collective
commitment of our interagency partners and Air Force leadership, we
will ensure America's Total Force Airmen are ready when they transition
to the private sector.
Prepared Statement of Brigadier General Kurt W. Stein
INTRODUCTION
Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke, and distinguished
Members of the Subcommittee, it is my privilege to appear before you
today to provide an update on the Marine Corps' Transition Readiness
efforts. Your Marine Corps is by far the smallest military service in
the Department of Defense, yet, by design, separates a much higher
percentage of its force each year. Therefore, it is imperative that we
ensure our Marines have the right preparation to reach personal goals
and effectively translate their military experiences to a successful
civilian life.
BACKGROUND
The Marine Corps' Transition Readiness Program is a comprehensive
transition and employment assistance program for Marines and their
families, emphasizing a proactive approach that enables Marines to
formulate effective post-transition entrepreneurship, employment, and
educational goals. It provides Marines and their families with the
tools and resources needed to complete Department of Defense (DoD)
directed Career Readiness Standards (CRS). Overall, our efforts help
ensure that Marines are prepared for their transition from military to
civilian life.
The Marine Corps' Transition Readiness Program incorporates a life
cycle approach, called the Marine For Life Cycle (M4LC). The M4LC
allows Marines to proactively gain awareness of career readiness
preparations through nine defined action points throughout their
military career. These action points are: (1) First Permanent Duty
Station, (2) Re-enlistment (3) Promotion, (4) Deployment/Redeployment,
(5) Permanent Change of Station, (6) Mobilization/Demobilization, (7)
Major Life Events, (8) Separation/Retirement/Deactivation, and (9)
Veteran. In further support of the M4LC, there is a dedicated website
featuring the M4LC infographic, with action point checklists containing
``Things to Do'' and ``Things to Know'' to assist Marines in being
proactive throughout their military career.
In three of the nine action points, we ask Marines to devote
significant time and energy to their transition readiness:
Personal Readiness Seminar (PRS). Four-hour seminar for
Marines upon arrival at their first permanent duty station. The
curriculum provides an overview of Personal & Professional Development
services, as well as financial topics such as banking and financial
services, saving and investing, the Blended Retirement System (BRS),
living expenses, understanding debt, and service members' rights.
``Your Readiness'' Training. Online training hosted
through our MarineNet portal that provides an overview of Personal &
Professional Development services, reenlistment process, transition
process, and the Individual Transition Plan. As an element of ``Leading
Marines,'' this training is required for promotion to Corporal. In
FY17, 32,188 Marines completed this training.
Transition Readiness Seminar (TRS). A week-long program
consisting of a standardized core curriculum to include Resilient
Transitions, Military Occupation Specialty Crosswalk, Department of
Labor Employment Workshop, Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits I
and II Briefs, and Financial Planning.
Additionally, the Marine Corps provides Skillbridge programs to
provide career skills that connect military talent to in-demand careers
in fields such as Trade Skills, Information Technology, Project
Management, and Commercial Driver's licensing opportunities. Service
members may participate in these programs within 180 days of their
transition.
Lastly, Marines are introduced to the Marine For Life Network,
which facilitates the reach back and support to Marines and Marine
veterans by identifying opportunities and exposure through our virtual
LinkedIn and Facebook online community. Overall, the Marine For Life
Network's online presence has experienced a 70 percent increase in
social media subscribers since April 2016.
VOW ACT COMPLIANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS
The Marine Corps carefully monitors our ``VOW to Hire Heroes Act
(VOW Act)'' compliance rate. In FY17, total VOW Act compliance from
October 2016 to August 2017 for all Marines was 73 percent for Active
Component and Reserve Component. The percentages are based on the
number of Marines who completed Pre-separation Counseling, VA Benefits,
and the Department of Labor Workshop. Missing information for all
eligible separating Marines remains a concern, and the Marine Corps
will continue to seek answers to the causes and develop solutions for
the Total Force that will increase VOW Act compliance.
DoDTAP eForm. Effective 7 November 2016, the Transition
Assistance Program (TAP) Electronic (eForm) and Enterprise Database was
deployed DoD-wide. This combined the DD Form 2648/-1 and DD Form 2958
into a single electronic DD Form 2648 to ease the transition process
and improve data collections efforts. This database currently serves as
the single authoritative source for all transition data, streamlining
the data collection process for measuring VOW Act and CRS compliance,
while creating efficiencies throughout the transition process. This has
contributed to the steady increase in compliance for the Marine Corps
as a fully functioning electronic process versus the previous paper-
based system.
Personal Readiness Seminar (PRS). Having conducted this
course for the past two years, we are starting to get feedback on the
efficacy of this program. We reach back to participants annually and
have found that our Marines are using principles taught in PRS to take
advantage of opportunities aboard installations (i.e. financial and
education counseling, credentialing, tuition assistance, etc.) and
maintain their personal financial wellness.
Virtual Training Tools. The Marine Corps has established
an online tool kit through the Transition Readiness Program Sharepoint
portal to support Commander's, Unit Transition Coordinators, and
installation service providers. Materials in this portal include
training materials, policies, inspections guides, checklists, and links
to other resources in order to aid Commanders efforts in supporting
their Marines successful transition.
Command Profile. Currently there are tracking mechanisms
in place to identify completion and timeliness of PRS, TRS and Capstone
for Marines. In addition to this capability, the Marine Corps is
integrating a dashboard in the Command Profile system that will provide
current VOW Act compliance rate to all commands.
GAO TAP RECOMMENDATIONS
The Marine Corps currently provides DoD with all prescribed data
and will continue to collaborate on the respective DoD working groups
to improve metric performance and provide any additional metrics
required. With the advent of the eForm, we expect to be able reduce our
gap with regard to missing data, therefore increasing compliance rates.
Tracking Marines participation in TAP is valuable for ensuring
Marines are prepared for their transition. In order to improve the
timeliness of Marines participation in TAP, the Marine Corps has made
the Transition Readiness Program part of the Inspector General of the
Marine Corps' 37 Critical or Requiring Evaluation programs. This
process includes a checklist identifying key items as part of the
formal inspection, to include timeliness for the achievement of TRS and
Capstone. Additionally, a separate tracking system within the Marine
Corps has been implemented to track these two milestones.
Current Marine Corps policy directs Commanding Officers to allow
Marines the opportunity to attend the voluntary 2-day track programs in
addition to the TRS. Along with TRS, and programs like Skillbridge, the
2-day track programs offer Marines the option to increase their
knowledge in desired post transition subjects. For FY17, these post
transition subjects included the Career Technical Training Track (158
sessions with 334 participants), Boots to Business (130 sessions with
642 participants), and Accessing Higher Education (248 sessions with
1,354 participants).
The Marine Corps requires Marines to attend TAP in a classroom
setting unless the Marine's duty station is more than 100 miles away
from a transition service provider's installation or if he or she is
incarcerated. Commanders are authorized to utilize Operations and
Maintenance funds to support travel to a transition service provider.
In all cases, authorization of an alternative virtual curriculum has to
be approved by local supporting transition staff prior to completion.
In the Marine Corps the first stage of Capstone review is conducted
by trained and credentialed civilian transition staff who use the
electronic DD Form 2648 as the guide to conduct important transition
conversations with transitioning Marines, as well as to capture the
outcome of those conversations for use by Commanders during the final
stage of the Capstone process. Upon completion of Capstone review, the
Commander (or designee) conducts the final interview and, if necessary,
handover to inter-agency partners or back to the transition readiness
staff for further support. Additionally, for new staff, we provide a
Capstone quality review guide to assist and supplement the review of
CRS. For Marines who are in geographically isolated locations, virtual
Capstone review is provided by Marine Corps transition readiness staff
to complete the process.
CONCLUSION
Overall, the Marine Corps is proud of our Transition Readiness
Programs. Our efforts result in an innovative program that meets the
needs of our Marines and their families as they progress through their
military life cycle and helps them transition successfully to civilian
life. By providing these tangible learning or experienced based
opportunities throughout the Marine for Life Cycle, we enable Marines
and their families to be more effective and more ready for a successful
transition from the Marine Corps. Nevertheless, we are always working
with DoD and our Sister Services to assess our programs and make
improvements, including leveraging new IT systems to improve
participation and compliance with the VOW Act.
Marines are the foundation of our Corps and are our most precious
asset. They are proud of what they do. They are proud of the ``Eagle,
Globe, and Anchor'' and carry this ethos with them as they transition
from the Corps. By ensuring that we take care of all Marines and their
families, we fulfill our responsibility to keep faith with the honor,
courage, and commitment they have so freely given.
Thank you for the opportunity to present this testimony.
Statements For The Record
ACCELERON LEARNING ON DoD TAP
To the Honorable Members of the Economic Opportunity Sub-Committee:
We've been invited by Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member
O'Rourke to provide feedback on potential improvements to DoD TAP.
Our organization, Acceleron Learning, teaches life skills - career,
financial, legal, and personal wellness - in over 350 organizations
around the U.S. Our products are used by K-12, higher education,
correctional institutions, and business organizations - and we
specialize in helping people manage life transitions.
Of particular note, we offer highly effective transition assistance
curricula to around 50,000 offenders in state prisons annually
(www.acceleronlearning.com/conduits/). While situational factors
differ, the needs of offenders re-entering civilian life are quite like
the needs of servicemembers in transition.
After conversations with Rep. Arrington's and Rep. O'Rourke's
staffs, we were encouraged to offer feedback on DoD TAP, given our
particular expertise.
The feedback points below make reference to our Re-Entry Roadmap
product, which is used by offenders. Attached to this letter is a
supporting slide presentation about the Re-Entry Roadmap. This product
is very user friendly, portable, and consumable. We believe it serves
as a helpful illustration.
Our feedback is based upon review of publicly available information
about DoD TAP. We see opportunities for improvement in three distinct
areas:
1. Specificity of Guidance - While the Individual Transition Plan
provides reasonably good detail on the ``whats'' of transition (family
needs, benefits, financial needs etc.) it does not provide specificity
of guidance on the ``hows''. For example, a prompt in Section I A reads
``Assess impact of individual/family requirements on relocation options
(e.g. quality of schools, availability of medical care, spouse
employment etc.).'' To this end:
How does one assess the quality of schools? Or
availability of medical care? Or the sufficiency of spouse employment?
What is a step-by-step process to remediate these kinds
of issues?
What specific personal information will be required to
bring closure to these issues?
Finally, what resources are available (likely web-based)
to aid in research?
Across a wide variety of audiences (college students, offenders
etc.) we have found that most people fail in transition because they
lack very specific guidance on the ``hows.'' Oftentimes, far too many
assumptions are made about a person's critical thinking skills, ability
to parse issues, ability to understand process/sequencing, and ability
to conduct research.
The DoD TAP would benefit greatly from a significant investment in
unpacking the ``hows'' for the various ITP elements, especially those
not directly related to one's career. It would also benefit from a
systematic inventory of the ``whats'' to ensure the right items are
included at the proper level of detail.
The format of our Re-Entry Roadmap activity cards and timeline
offers a concise, yet thorough inventory of the ``whats'' and the
``hows'' for offenders. Further, our reentryhelp.com resource portal
offers an example of topically organized research tools.
2. Whole-Family Adjustment - While the DoD TAP references spousal
participation in its career path programming, it does not seem to
address the highly likely shift in roles between the spouses when the
servicemember begins a civilian job. In fact, the entire family -
spouse, children, extended family/supporters - may take on new roles
and responsibilities following the transition.
Educating the whole family on the dynamics of the transition, as
well as equipping them with specific skills related to the transition,
will help them to better support and encourage one another. A
servicemember is likely to feel overwhelmed by the (seemingly)
individual burden of managing the many moving pieces, but it doesn't
have to be this way.
For example, we offer video lectures on over 120 topics in career,
financial, legal, and personal wellness education which are relevant to
enabling success of the whole family. The DoD TAP would benefit from
similar content, or at least, from content that speaks directly to the
needs of the spouse and family.
Servicemember Workforce Integration - The March 28, 2017 Wall
Street Journal included an article titled: ``Hiring Veterans Is Easy,
Keeping Them Is Hard,'' which unpacked the need for cultural
acclimation to civilian work environments.
This kind of cultural literacy is akin to our work with
postdoctoral students who have spent years in the lab, away from the
day-to-day of workplace environments. Key to their success is
simulating the kinds of teamwork, personality, leadership, and work
styles that they will eventually encounter in a professional setting.
The WSJ article reports that private industry is designing specific
training to address this issue for veterans, and DoD TAP would do well
to incorporate more of the same.
If we can be of any assistance in the future development of DoD
TAP, please let us know.
We commend the good work of DoD TAP to date, and thank you for
reviewing this statement.
Best,
Ryan Jackson
CEO - Acceleron Learning
[email protected]
(915) 203-2362
VETERANS EDUCATION SUCCESS (VES)
Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member O'Rourke, and Members of the
Subcommittee:
Veterans Education Success (VES) appreciates the opportunity to
share its perspective on the Review of the Interagency Transition
Assistance Program and the Need for Enhanced Outcome Measurements.
VES is a non-profit organization focused on protecting the
integrity and promise of the GI Bill and other federal educational
programs for veterans and servicemembers.
We appreciate the committee's desire to look at the Transition
Assistance Program (TAP) and the need for outcome measures. Ensuring a
seamless transition from military service into the civilian workforce
is paramount to the long-term success of the veteran. While much has
been accomplished in this area, much is still left to be done. We
believe the TAP program should be viewed as a way to improve veteran
outcomes by enhancing its ability to help transitioning service members
make the best use of their GI Bill benefits. With that goal in mind, we
recommend the following five improvements:
1. Start the Transition Assistance Program earlier on in the
military lifecycle. As service members prepare to transition out of the
military, their focus is on their basic necessities, such as
identifying a place of residence and addressing the reality of a
significant change in their day-to-day living. The current timing of
TAP classes, as servicemembers are trying to walk out the door, is not
scheduled well to capture their attention. In addition, because many
servicemembers start to use their benefits while still in the service
(such as using GI Bill ``top up'' or selecting a college for Defense
Department Tuition Assistance and then staying with that college for
the GI Bill), VES believes that starting the discussion earlier in the
military life cycle will help the service member better retain the
information and provides opportunity for them to take the time needed
to identify institutions and degree programs that will help them make
best use of their benefits. As one former officer told the previous
Education Secretary, much of the content in the TAP curriculum should
really start during boot camp.
2. Improve Consumer Fraud Warnings.
The TAP curriculum needs stronger consumer fraud warnings.
Servicemembers and veterans are frequently targets of consumer fraud,
from pay day lenders and used car dealers located outside military
bases, to financial companies that violate military families' legal
rights, to bad actor colleges that prey on veterans for their GI Bill.
3. Ensure Those Providing Academic Advisement are from Neutral
Parties.
It is imperative that the trainers and instructors leading TAP
classes provide transitioning veterans with neutral, objective
information, and with no vested interest in where the service members
choose to pursue higher education. For example, some non-profit
organizations sponsored by or representing for-profit college are
reportedly trying to secure roles leading TAP classes with the goal of
pushing veterans to use their benefits at these schools. Having neutral
advisors ensures the advisement is focused on what is in the best
interest of the student. Only government representatives or veterans
service organizations taking no funding from colleges should lead these
classes.
4. Remove Pay-to-Play Lists from TAP.
Currently, pay-to-play lists such as the ``Military Friendly
Schools'' list and GI Jobs magazine from Victory Media Corporation are
being distributed in TAP classes. FTC recently settled a lawsuit with
Victory Media over their deceptive promotion of schools that made the
list because they paid to be on it. Distribution of these lists in TAP
classes instills a false sense of endorsement by the federal government
and consequently can cause a transitioning service member to choose a
school that leaves them with a useless degree that wasted their GI Bill
benefits.
5. Align TAP Curriculum to the Real-Life Experiences of Service
Members
The current TAP curriculum gives service members a laundry list of
available resources, but those ``death by power point'' presentations
do not always resonate with real life experiences. For example, VA
briefings focus on health care, then benefits, and then cemeteries but
don't answer why these benefits are important to the service member.
Courses should incorporate questions service members are asking
themselves, such as ``how will I support myself'' or ``what do I do if
I get sick'' or ``how do I choose a school and degree program that will
best meet my needs?'' VES believes TAP should be more ``servicemember-
focused'' and less about the organizational hierarchy of each agency
giving the briefings.
Questions For The Record
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR VETERANS' EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICE
1. What does DOL consider a successful transition for a service
member leaving the Department of Defense (DoD)?
Response: DOL agrees with the DoD perspective that attainment of
the Career Readiness Standards (CRS) is one of the key objectives of
TAP. Additionally, in line with the TAP Evaluation Framework DOL
considers the transition a success if the veteran obtains employment,
starts a business, or ispursuing education/training to secure a
credential. As part of the 60-day taskfrom the HVAC EO Subcommittee,
the interagency partners are working collaboratively to refine the
definition of success.
1a. What metrics does DOL use to measure this success?
Response: As part of the OMB approved Interagency TAP Evaluation
Plan, DOL tracks thefollowing outcome measures/indicators: amount of
Unemployment Compensation/or Ex-service members' (UCX) benefit payments
by service branch; percentage of unemployed post-9 111 veterans ages
18-24; and percentage of unemployed post-9111 veterans ages 25-34. DOL
collects data on three additional performance metrics gathered at the
2,400 American Job Centers nationwide. These three measures align with
theperformance indicators prescribed in the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (WIOA) and are: the employment rate in the second
quarter after program exit; employment rate in the fourth quarter after
program exit; and median earnings in the second quarter after program
exit. In partnership with the Employment and Training Administration,
DOL VETS collects data on all WIOA- funded activities and canfilter out
resultsfor those veterans or transitioning service members who have
gone through TAP. Theperformance measures above will be calculated for
only those WIOA participants who have gone through TAP.
2. Has DOL identified certain groups that are at higher risk for
homelessness, unemployment, or mental health issues during or after
transition?
Response: In 2014, VETS defined Significant Barriers to Employment
(SBE) as an eligible veteran or eligible spouse who meets at least one
of thefollowing criteria: disabled or special disabled; homeless; long-
term unemployed (at least 27 weeks in the past year); ex-offender
released in the past 12 months; lacking a high school diploma or
equivalent; or considered to be /ow-income. These categories were
established based on evidence-driven decisions sourced from Workforce
Investment Act data. The criterion of having at least one SBE is what
allows a veteran to be served by a Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program
(DVOP) specialist under the Jobsfor Veterans State Grantsprogram.
Additionally, VETSfunds roughly 150 Homeless Veterans'
Reintegration Program (HVRP) grantees per year. From the SBE
definition, all of the participants served under the HVRP are
considered to have a significant barrier to employment.
2a. If so, is DOL tracking any specific statistics or metrics for
those at risk groups, and what are those statistics?
Response: The metrics collected for these at risk populations are
the same as the ones VETS collectsfor all veterans receiving services:
employment in the second quarter after exit; employment in thefourth
quarter after exit; and median earnings in the second quarter after
exit. Collecting uniform peiformance metrics allowsfor standardized
comparisons across different programs. Thesepeiformance metrics are
publicly reported via the VETSAnnual Report to Congress; the latest
version of the report (FY 2016) can befound here: https://www.dol.gov/
vets/media/VETS FY16 Annual Re port to Congress.pd(
2b. Does DOL consider service members receiving a discharge other
than ``Honorable'' to be at higher risk for homelessness, unemployment,
or mental health issue when compared to the general transitioning
population?
Response: DOL provides the DOL Employment Workshopfor all
transitioning service members regardless of type of discharge. DOL
regularly provides the DOL Employment Workshop to transitioning service
members in military correctionalfacilities. Additionally, those
transitioning service members are referred to the American Job Center
(AJC) system for further assistance. This referral, or warm handover,
can beperson-to-person if the local AJC has a presence on or near the
installation, or by connecting the service members with the AJC nearest
their eventual transition destination. All transitioning service
members who separated under ``honorable, `` or other than ``honorable,
`` conditions also receive Priority of Service in all DOL-fimded
orpartially-fimded programs at American Job Centers.
3. In her testimony, Ms. Margarita Devlin, Executive Director of
Benefits Assistance Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, the
Department of Veterans Affairs, spoke about collecting information on
post- separation outcomes. Does DOL plan to participate in crafting
this survey?
Response: As a member of the interagency TAP Peiformance Management
Working Group, DOL provided input to the VA on the post-separation TAP
assessment survey, and looksforward to seeing the results.
3a. What outcomes and metrics will DOL be focusing on and measuring
in this survey?
Response: DOL willfocus on the survey results associated with the
veterans' employment status, nature of their employment, and the value/
quality of assistance received from DOL resources.
4. How does DOL evaluate the programs taught at TAP?
Response: DOL uses the resultsfrom the Transition GPS Participant
Assessment provided by DoD. The assessment collects demographic data
and includes questions to assess the quality of the course curriculum,
course materials, facilitators, andfacilities. The DOL Employment
Workshop consistently receives high evaluation scoresfrom participants,
averaging 96 percent satisfaction on information learned, 98 percent on
effectiveness of thefacilitators, and 95 percent on confidence gained
from the workshop. DOL uses theparticipant narrative comments to
resolve issues encountered at specific installations, and as inputfor
the regular review and revision of the workshop curriculum.
DOL VETS Federal field staff conducts regular site visits to the
military installations in their respective states to evaluate the
workshopfacilitators and meet with the installation transition services
personnel to address any site specific issues.
From Full Committee Ranking Member Tim Walz to U.S. Department of
Defense
Questions
Department of Defense (DoD)
1. With the increase utilization of the National Guard and Reserve
forces, which seems to be only increasing going forward, has DoD spent
any time looking beyond TAP and looking at the larger picture of
employment for these soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen when they
return?
a. The Army is talking about 60+ days a year of collective training
for some units, with service members being required to do additional
days for military schools necessary for career advancement. That's
approaching a quarter of the year that these service members will be in
uniform. How is that affecting their employers and how can the TAP
program help with efforts to keep these service members employed?
b. We are hearing anecdotal evidence, as well as articles in the
press, that employers are avoiding hiring Guardsmen and Reservists, or
deciding against retaining them. Does DoD see addressing this issue as
an extension of DoD's commitment to help service members successfully
transition off of active duty? Ifso, has DoD done any data collection
in this area?
c. Does DoD view unemployment of National Guardsmen and Reservists
as a readiness issue?
d. Has the Secretary taken any steps to mitigate the decrease in
hiring and retention rates of National Guardsmen and Reservists in
their civilian employment due to the increased utilization of the Guard
and Reserves - especially for those units that will be doing 60+ unit
collective training days a year?
e.Has the Secretary tailored transition policies specifically for
National Guardsmen and Reservists? For instance, as any thought been
given to allowing Guardsmen and Reservists to return home, get their
feet under them and assess their situation during their terminal leave,
and then take the TAPS classes during their yellow ribbon events?
2.Does DoD collect data on service member's educational backgrounds
before they enter military service?
a.If so, how is that data used?
b. Does the DoD use data on service member's educational background
to identify shortcomings that could hinder their transition to the
private sector or to higher education? Ifthese shortcomings are
identified, how are they remedied?
3. How is Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) addressing the
varied rates of compliance among the services? In other words, is there
a larger effort within OSD to address the lower rates of compliance
among the Navy and Marine Corps to bring them up to the 85% goal or is
it left up to the individual services to deal with?
4. Does the Secretary see it as a future recruitment issue if
service members are not successfully transitioned into civilian life?
5. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found very low
rates of attendance for the supplemental TAP courses on accessing
higher education, career and technical training, and entrepreneurship.
There is concern that because these courses are seen as optional, unit
commanders are not allowing attendance of interested service members.
Has OSD thought about mandating that service members attend at least
one of these currently supplemental programs to ensure their ability to
attend if they are interested?
a.From visits to military bases and asking service members about
their transition process, the Committee has heard that commanders are
often unwilling to let service members attend additional supplemental
classes or repeat classes that service members might feel like they
need to repeat. Often the reason given is that the unit is short-
staffed and that the commander is unable to get a replacement for that
service member until they are out-processed from the military, so they
need them to continue training to hit readiness numbers. Have the
services considered changing policy to allow the unit to request a fill
for a service member they know is or will be transitioning out?
b.Have the services considered manning units to be over 100%
strength?
c.We have also heard troubling anecdotes of commanders telling
their units to sign in to their TAP classes so that their attendance is
recorded but then to leave and return to work without actually sitting
through the class. And GAO reported that unit commanders sometimes
require their service members to work a full shift after attending TAP
class to make up for having attended TAP class. Have the services
looked at how DoD can better monitor and address deliberate subversion
of the rules?
d.How are commanders at the lower echelons being educated about the
importance of preparation and TAP courses for a successful transition?
e.Have the services considered including transition numbers and
metrics in commanders' evaluations, similar to how they are evaluated
on readiness?
6.The Army has focused on building Career Skills Programs (CSP) for
transitioning service members. Are similar programs being implemented
in other services through the SkillBridge program?
a.What is the current participation rate in CSPs (or CSP like
programs) across the services?
b.How is DoD measuring success in CSPs?
7.Has DoD identified certain groups that are at higher risk for
homelessness, unemployment, or mental health issues during or after
transition?
a.Ifso, is DoD tracking any specific statistics or metrics for
those at risk groups, and what are those statistics?
b.Does DoD consider service members receiving a discharge other
than ``Honorable'' to be at higher risk for homelessness, unemployment,
or mental health issue when compared to the general transitioning
population?
8.Has DoD considered moving TAPs classes from the final year (or 18
months in the case of a retiring service member) to a model that
focuses on continual learning within a service member's military
career?
9.From DoD's perspective, what does a successful transition look
like and what metrics should be used to evaluate for that?
a.What follow-up does DoD conduct with service members after their
transition?
b.What data does DoD need from Department of Labor and VA to
improve transition programs?
10.When flag officers testify to Congressional Committees or
conduct office calls, are they encouraged or directed to attend with
their senior enlisted advisor?
a.Would it be beneficial for Congressional Committees to hear
testimony directly from senior enlisted advisors?
Requestors Rep Timothy J. Walz
QFR Title: Supplemental TAP Courses and Backfilling Transitioning
Service Members
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Cook, Kathleen A
QFR ID: HVAC-01-005 QFR
Question Number: 5
Question: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found very
low rates of attendance for the supplemental TAP courses on
accessing higher education, career and technical training, and
entrepreneurship. There is concern that because these courses are
seen as optional, unit commanders are not allowing attendance of
interested service members. Has OSD thought about mandating that
service members attend at lease one of these currently supplemental
programs to ensure their ability to attend if they are interested?
a. From visits to military bases and asking service members about
their transition process, the Committee has heard that commanders
are often unwilling to let service members attend additional
supplemental classes or repeat classes that service members might
feel they need to repeat. Often the reason given is that the unit
is short-staffed and that the commander is unable to get a
replacement for that service member until they are out-processed
from the military, so they need them to continue training to hit
readiness numbers. Have the services considered changing policy to
allow the unit to request a fill for a sercie member they know is
or will be transitioning out? b. Have the services considered
manning units to be over 100% strength? c. We have also heard
troubling anecdotes of commanders telling their units to sign in to
their TAP classes so that their attendance is recorded but the to
leave and return to work without actually sitting through the
class. And GAO reported that after attending TAP class to make up
for having attended TAP class. Have the services looked at how DoD
can better monitor and address deliberate subversion of the rules?
d. How are commanders at the lower echelons being educated about
the importance of preparation and TAP courses for a successful
transition? e. Have the services considered including transition
numbers and metrics in commanders' evaluations, similar to how they
are evaluated on readiness?
Answer: a. Members are assigned to their unit until they separate or
retire. The AF Personnel Center fills positions once the member is
no longer assigned to the unit. Commanders may authorize permissive
temporary duty up to 20 days for CONUS based members and 30 days
for members stationed overseas within 180 days of separation/
retirement for job or residence search. Additionally, members may
request terminal leave, so determining when a member will have
their final day at work is not trackable across the enterprise.
Finally, for officers, Services must manage to the Congressionally-
mandated grade ceilings. b. The AF is unable to man units over 100%
and maintain Congressionally-mandated end-strength. Students and
transients are counted against Congressionally-mandated end
strength so we could not overman. Therefore, most Air Force
Specialty Codes do not have the inventory to support 100% manning
across the enterprise. c. Air Force installation level Transition
Assistance Program Counselors monitor workshop participation to
ensure service members' full attendance through initial attendance
sign-in and course completion by signing sections III and IV of
eForm DD 2486 certifying compliance. For Service member who do not
return to complete all elements of the program, counselors inform
the unit commander or his/her representative for action and
rescheduling as required. d. Understanding the Air Force will
implement 2017 GAO recommendations as directed by the Department of
Defense, we're currently performing comprehensive upgrades to our
TAP processes based on the challenges with VOW compliance.
Commanders at all levels are being educated about the importance of
preparation and TAP courses for a successful transition through a
variety of efforts. From providing annual training sessions for all
readiness NCOs, to working with the Defense Manpower Data Center to
validate eligibility data and database accuracy, and seeking IT
solutions to add a ``flag notification'' to the system; all the way
to changing out processing checklists, messaging our AD and Guard/
Reserve Force Support Squadrons, briefing commanders, first
sergeants and chiefs at our professional military education and
leadership courses and mandating Airman and Family Readiness Center
Directors brief incoming commanders on VOW compliance within 30
days. We are also adding text to Airmen monthly leave and earning
pay statements to highlight TAP requirements. Our commanders are
being inspected in both the AD and Guard/Reserve for compliance,
and we've updated our AF instruction to stress commander
responsibility and accountability. And specifically to the Reserve
component, should all this still result in someone missing the
opportunity to complete TAP, AF Reserve Command is tracking every
member and will bring members back on active status to complete the
training as needed. Across the board, we're focused on attaining
100% compliance and ensuring commanders at all levels are being
educated on the importance of service members full participation in
transition assistance program. e. Air Force commanders are
evaluated annually on the performance of their day-to-day
operations, readiness, compliance requirements (to include TAP),
exercises and audits. With this evaluation capability in place, the
Air Force does not see a need to specifically identify TAP
compliance in commanders' annual evaluations.
QFR Title: Career Skills Programs
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Cook, Kathleen A
QFR ID: HVAC-01-006 QFR
Question Number: 6
Question: The Army has focused on building Career Skills Programs (CSP)
for transitioning service members. Are similar programs being
implemented in other services through the Skillbridge program? a.
What is the current participation rate in CSPs (or CSP like
programs) across the services? b. How is DoD measuring success in
CSPs?
Answer: a. The Air Force developed policy and implemented a number of
unified outreach initiatives to create a streamlined program
process, and ensure Airmen are informed of SkillBridge programs.
These outreach efforts include:
An automated application to expedite and streamline the
process.
A marketing strategy to ensure program awareness among
installations and Service members.
Targeted messages to Airmen within one year of separation
and outreach to commanders via e-mail messages and briefings.
A standardized Vetting Checklist for Airmen, to ensure
all training providers and the program align with SkillBridge training
policies.
Partnerships at the local level, between installations
and training providers.
A comprehensive training program explaining SkillBridge
policy and programs for installation education counselors. Since the
inception of the program in August 2016, over 240 Airmen from 39
installations have enrolled in 43 different Career Skills Programs.
The Air Force has three job skills training initiatives and is
committed to expanding these programs over the next year:
Solar Ready Vets, conducted in partnership with
Department of Energy, which prepares Airmen for positons in the growing
solar power industry;
Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, which
provides transitioning Service members with management training and
hands-on experience in the civilian workforce; and,
South Seattle College apprenticeship program, which
combines on-the-job training with classroom work in skills supporting
aircraft and construction industries. b. The Air Force measures success
by the number of programs, the number of installations participating,
the number of Airmen receiving and completing training. The Air Force
also tracks placements when reported.
QFR Title: Flag and General Officers and Senior Enlisted Advsiors
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Cook, Kathleen A
QFR ID: HVAC-01-010 QFR
Question Number: 10
Question: When flag officers testify to congressional committees or
conduct office calls, are they encourage or directed to attend with
their senior enlisted advisor? a. Would be beneficial for congressional
committees to hear testimony directly from senior enlisted advisors?
Answer: General Goldfein, our Chief of Staff, and Chief Master Sergeant
Wright our Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force are keenly
focused on revitalizing squadrons. Gen Goldfein believes squadrons
are the heartbeat of our Air Force and we succeed or fail in our
mission based on that squadron experience. And as you know, at the
center of that squadron experience is the commander. Translated,
the well-being, resiliency and effectiveness of our Airmen and
their families is directly tied to the squadron and its leadership
team. Successfully transitioning our Airmen also depends on
informed and engaged leadership. In my opinion, the primary
solution to improving VOW compliance is two-fold; first, it
requires fully educating our Total Force members on the requirement
for TAP and second, Commanders and their Senior Enlisted leaders
who support them are held accountable for compliance as they are
the critical links to ensure Airmen complete TAP. The Air Force is
always open to Senior Enlisted leaders' participation in
congressional testimony and will take advantage of opportunities to
include them in the future.
QFR Title: TAP for National Guard and Reserve
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Lyons, Judd
QFR ID: HVAC-01-001 QFR
Question Number: 1
Question: With the increased utilization of the National Guard and
Reserve forces, which seems to be only increasing going forward, has
DoD spent any time looking beyond TAP and looking at the larger picture
of employment for these soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen when
they return? a. The Army is talking about 60+ day aa year of collective
training for some units, with service members being required to do
additional days for military schools necessary for career advancement.
That's approaching a quarter of the year that these service members
will be in uniform. How is that affecting their employers and how can
the TAP program help with efforts to keep these service members
employed? b. We are hearing anecdotal evidence, as well as articles in
the press, that employers are avoiding hiring Guardsmen and Reservists,
or deciding against retaining them. Does DoD see addressing this issue
as an extension of DoD's commitment to help service members
successfully transition off of active duty? if so, has DoD done any
data collection in this area? c. Does DoD view unemployment of National
Guardsmen and Reservists as a readiness issue? d. Has the Secretary
taken any steps to mitigate the decrease in hiring and retention rates
of National Guardsmen and Reservists in their civilian employment due
to increased utilization of the Guard and Reserves - especially for
thos units that will be doing 60+ collective training days a year? e.
Has the Secretary tailored transition policies specifically for
National Guardsmen and Reservists? For instance, has any thought been
give to allowing Guardsmen and Reservists to return home, get their
feet under them and assess their situation during their terminal leave,
and then take the TAPS classes during their yellow ribbon events?
Answer: 1. Yes; DoD looks beyond the Transition Assistance Program
(TAP) at the larger picture of employment for members of the
National Guard and Reserve when they return to home station. For
example, DoD's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)
program is supported by a network of more than 3,750 volunteers
located across 50 states, U.S. Territories and the District of
Columbia. Volunteers from small business, industry, government,
education, and prior military service bring a vast wealth of
experience to supporting employers, Service members, and their
families. The ESGR staff and a small cadre of contracted full-time
support staff work to promote and enhance employer support for
military service in the National Guard and Reserve. The four ESGR
missions executed through 54 committees are:
Employer Outreach: Promote a culture where all employers
support and value military service through education, recognition, and
mediation.
Military Outreach: Make Service members aware of their
rights and responsibilities under the law and the value of employer
support and recognition.
Employment: Increase career opportunities through
strategic relationships with employers, state and federal government
partners, and professional associations.
Ombudsman Services: Provide mediation for issues or
conflicts between employers and Service members before they escalate.
Another DoD program that goes beyond TAP is the Department's Yellow
Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP). This DoD-wide effort promotes the
well-being of National Guard and Reserve members and their families, by
connecting them with resources throughout the deployment cycle.
Commanders and leaders play a critical role in ensuring that National
Guard and Reserve Service members and their families attend YRRP events
where they can access information on healthcare, education, employment,
and financial and legal benefits. YRRP:
Provides education and supports the readiness of Service
members of the unit and their families for the rigors of deployment.
Implements reintegration curriculum throughout the
deployment cycle that builds resilience for current and future
deployments.
Educates Service members and their families about
resources available and connects them to service providers who can
assist them in overcoming the challenges of reintegration. ESGR and
YRRP provide Service members information about and referrals to
programs, services, and employment assistance. The Department is also
part of a broader interagency effort to support transitioning Service
members. Service members attending TAP receive employment assistance
during the Department of Labor Employment Workshop (DOLEW), which
includes information on topics such as resume writing, networking, and
job search skills, to name a few. During the DOLEW Service members are
also informed about and strongly encouraged to register at one of the
2,500 Department of Labor American Job Centers (AJC) located throughout
the United States. The AJCs provide resources for veterans and
transitioning Service members (including National Guard and Reserve
members) after TAP. The AJCs provide priority of service for veterans
and eligible spouses in all qualified job training programs. The
Department of Labor Veterans' Employment and Training Service provides
funding for state and local Workforce Investment Boards, public
agencies, non-profit organizations (including faith-based and
community-based) and neighborhood partnerships to serve specific areas
and populations with proven effective and timely programs. The Jobs for
Veterans State Grants program provides Federal funding, through a
formula grant, to 54 state workforce agencies to hire dedicated staff
to provide individualized career and training-related services to
veterans and eligible persons with significant barriers to employment
and to help employers fill their workforce needs with job-seeking
veterans. 1a. Any time a member of the National Guard or Reserve spends
time away from their civilian job to perform their military duty,
stress can result to the employer, the Service member, and their
family. DoD helps to mitigate that stress through advance notification
of military duty to the employer, encouraging continuous communication
between the employer and Service member through the ESGR and TAP. ESGR
educates both employers and Service members about their rights and
responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and
Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). It also provides information and
resources that mitigate the challenges employers and Service members
face during transitions to and from periods of military duty. ESGR will
continue to work closely with the Army National Guard and Army Reserve
to identify those employers who may be affected by any proposed Army
National Guard and Army Reserve enhanced readiness initiatives. ESGR
staff actively supports all Reserve Components (RC) to develop
strategies and communication tools that prepare employers for potential
changes in training tempos. More than 3,750 ESGR volunteers located
across the Nation stand by to conduct targeted outreach to those
industries and specific employers affected by units in any proposed new
training paradigm. Outreach efforts continue to focus on the value RC
members bring to the workforce, how the additional training may benefit
employers, and incentives available to employers for hiring and
retaining RC employees. In 2017, ESGR engaged more than 81,000
employers nationwide. 1b. While anecdotal evidence and press coverage
serve as important reminders of the need to continue TAP and ESGR's
outreach and education efforts, the Department's data collected via the
Status of Forces Survey-Reserve Component shows a downward trend in
overall employment issues. The 2016 survey reports 69 percent of RC
members' employers favor their RC member's continued participation in
RC service, up from a baseline of 56 percent in 2000 and a post-9/11
low of 59 percent in 2005. When asked about their co-workers' view of
their RC service, members reported a 73 percent rate of support, up
from a baseline of 59 percent in 2000 and a post-9/11 low of 67 percent
in 2005. The 2017 Status of Forces Survey-Reserve Component is being
prepared for distribution and will contain the same series of
employment-related questions from previous iterations. 1c. Yes. The
Department views civilian employment as one of the pillars of RC
members' readiness. DoD cannot retain RC Service members and maintain
the level of readiness required in the current operational environment
without them having stable and fulfilling civilian employment. The
latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show a
downward trend in post-9/11 veteran unemployment. The November 2017 BLS
report shows an unemployment rate of 3.6 percent among that population,
down from 4.7 percent in November 2016. 1d. Through ESGR and YRRP, the
Department provides employment information and resources to RC members
and their families, leveraging partnerships inside and outside of
government. Working with government agencies (e.g., the Department of
Labor Veterans' Employment and Training Service) and private sector
organizations (e.g., the Society for Human Resource Management), these
programs help connect potential employees with employers and mentors.
ESGR works directly with the Army National Guard and Army Reserve
employment programs such as the Employment Support Program and Public-
Private Partnership, to support their efforts. YRRP receives
Congressional funding which is disbursed by the Department to fund
state-based RC employment programs under the Department's ``Beyond the
Yellow Ribbon'' initiative. DoD informs these initiatives by ongoing
communication with RC leaders at the national and state level, and
places special emphasis on units impacted by increased training
requirements. ESGR conducts numerous employer-oriented events such as
`bosslifts' on military aircraft or ships that increase employer
understanding of Service member/employee requirements. `bosslifts'
bring employers to military duty locations around the nation to show
them the training their employees receive. For example, ESGR is
planning a `bosslift' in support of the Tennessee Army National Guard's
278th Armored Cavalry Regiment rotation to the National Training Center
in May 2018. Employers from Tennessee will travel via military aircraft
to Fort Irwin, CA, to see their employees in action, learn about their
mission, and understand the importance of the role they play in our
national security. Additionally, ESGR helps facilitate communication
between employers and the appropriate military authority for the
Service member in order to discuss any concerns over the timing,
frequency or duration of military duty. 1e. Title 10, United States
Code (U.S. Code) mandates transition requirements be completed while in
a full-time Title 10 active duty status. Conducting TAP during Yellow
Ribbon Reintegration Program events would not be in compliance with
Title 10, U.S. Code, as these events occur after a Service member
leaves full-time Title 10 active duty status. Apart from noncompliance
with current statute, the Yellow Ribbon events as currently programmed
(approximately 2 + days in length over a weekend) simply do not provide
sufficient time for RC Service members to complete all TAP
requirements. To expand Yellow Ribbon events to include TAP would also
keep RC Service members away from work or school even longer after
their return from deployment or activation. However, DoD has tailored
transition policy to better meet the needs of the Reserve Components
while remaining in compliance with Title 10, U.S. Code. To avoid RC
members having to repeat pre-separation counseling, they may decline
pre-separation or transition counseling for each successive period of
full-time active duty in Title 10 status consisting of 180 days or more
of continuous active duty. Other transition policies for members of the
RC include exemption from the 3-day DOLEW if they are retiring with 20
or more years of qualifying military service; can document civilian
employment post-demobilization or deactivation; can provide documented
acceptance into an accredited career technical training, undergraduate
or graduate degree program; or have previously participated in the
DOLEW. All exemptions are documented. Members of the RC may be exempted
from the requirement to begin pre-separation or transition counseling
no less than 90 days from separation if being demobilized or
deactivated from active duty under circumstances in which operational
requirements, as determined by the Secretary concerned, make the 90-day
requirement unfeasible. Similarly, for RC members being released from
active duty, in which operational requirements as determined by the
Secretary concerned make the timeline to complete Capstone unfeasible,
Capstone must begin no later than the date of release from active duty
as reflected on the DD Form 214.
QFR Title: Service Members Educational Background
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Lyons, Judd
QFR ID: HVAC-01-002 QFR
Question Number: 2
Question: Does DoD collect data on service member's educational
backgrounds before they enter military service? a. If so, how is
that data used? b. Does the DoD use data on service member's
educational background to identify shortcomings that could hinder
their transition to the private sector or to higher education? If
these shortcomings are identified, how are they remedied?
Answer: Yes, DoD does collect data on Service member's educational
background before they enter the military. 2.a. These data are used
for a number of purposes. For officer candidates, education
attainment and the source of the education credential may be used
as a factor in determining a person's competitiveness for a given
program. For example, an individual with an advanced technical
degree from a well-known university would likely be more
competitive than an individual with a non-technical degree from a
lesser known school. In the enlistment process, these data are used
to classify new recruits and to project attrition rates. Data show
that individuals with high school diplomas are more likely to
complete their first-term of enlistment than individuals with other
education credentials. In Fiscal Year 2017, nearly 96 percent of
all new enlisted accessions had at least a high school diploma.
2.b. No, DoD does not use data on Service member's educational
background at accession to identify shortcomings that could hinder
their transition to the private sector or to higher education.
Generally, the dramatic change in experience and education gained
during service would make such an accession evaluation moot. As
mentioned above, these data are used for classifying new recruits
and for projecting attrition.
QFR Title: Rates of Compliance
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Lyons, Judd
QFR ID: HVAC-01-003 QFR
Question Number: 3
Question: How is the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD)
addressing the varied rates of compliance among the Services? In
other words, is there a larger effort within OSD to addrest the
lower rates of compliance among the Navy and the Marine Corps to
bring them up to the 85% goal or is it left up to the individual
services to deal with?
Answer: It is important to note that DoD relies on compliance
information based on completed records in our IT system of record
for computing Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act and Career
Readiness Standards compliance. Based on known information
reflecting only the Service members for whom a completed DD Form
2958 was received by the Department for Fiscal Year 2016, all
Services (including Navy and Marine Corps) met the 85% threshold.
The Department is working with the Military Services and the
Defense Manpower Data Center to reduce the amount of missing data
for compliance reporting. For example, in Fiscal Year 2017, we
launched a department-wide, TAP-IT Enterprise System that
streamlined the data collection process and will enhance the
Department's ability to maintain accountability. The Department
will continue to improve data tracking and work with the Services
to reduce the extent of missing data.
QFR Title: Successful Transitions
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Lyons, Judd
QFR ID: HVAC-01-004 QFR
Question Number: 4
Question: Does the Secretary see it as a future recruitment issue if
service members are not successfully transitioned into civilian
life?
Answer: Yes, the successful transition of Service members is important
for future recruiting efforts. Both potential recruits and the
influencers that help those recruits make their decision about
serving in today's military look at how the individuals that served
before them have fared. Today, more than ever, youth believe the
risks associated with serving far outweighs the benefits. It is
important that potential recruits and influencers see service in
today's military as an opportunity to better prepare themselves for
a career after the military. The Department believes our strongest
recruiting tool is a successfully transitioned Service member
contributing to the Nation and their community in a meaningful way.
Conversely, unprepared transitioning Service members are a risk to
the recruiting pool for the All-Volunteer Force by lowering the
propensity for Service members to serve as ambassadors and not
recommend military service to others. The Nation must see,
consistently, that those who serve also thrive in civilian life.
The Department is changing its culture from an end-of-service
transition planning to a Military Life Cycle approach, emphasizing
career readiness planning throughout a Service member's career. In
doing so, we ensure mission readiness is maintained, while also
sustaining the All-Volunteer Force for both the Active and Reserve
Component.
QFR Title: Supplemental TAP Courses and Backfilling Transitioning
Service Members
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Lyons, Judd
QFR ID: HVAC-01-005 QFR
Question Number: 5
Question: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found very
low rates of attendance for the supplemental TAP courses on
accessing higher education, career and technical training, and
entrepreneurship. There is concern that because these courses are
seen as optional, unit commanders are not allowing attendance of
interested service members. Has OSD thought about mandating that
service members attend at lease one of these currently supplemental
programs to ensure their ability to attend if they are interested?
a. From visits to military bases and asking service members about
their transition process, the Committee has heard that commanders
are often unwilling to let service members attend additional
supplemental classes or repeat classes that service members might
feel they need to repeat. Often the reason given is that the unit
is short-staffed and that the commander is unable to get a
replacement for that service member until they are out-processed
from the military, so they need them to continue training to hit
readiness numbers. Have the services considered changing policy to
allow the unit to request a fill for a sercie member they know is
or will be transitioning out? b. Have the services considered
manning units to be over 100% strength? c. We have also heard
troubling anecdotes of commanders telling their units to sign in to
their TAP classes so that their attendance is recorded but the to
leave and return to work without actually sitting through the
class. And GAO reported that after attending TAP class to make up
for having attended TAP class. Have the services looked at how DoD
can better monitor and address deliberate subversion of the rules?
d. How are commanders at the lower echelons being educated about
the importance of preparation and TAP courses for a successful
transition? e. Have the services considered including transition
numbers and metrics in commanders' evaluations, similar to how they
are evaluated on readiness?
Answer: TAP interagency partners have previously discussed making the
additional tracks mandatory; however, not all Service members'
transition plans include topics covered in those tracks.
Participant assessment feedback on the TAP has also emphasized
Service members' preference for flexibility and not pursuing a one-
size-fits-all approach. The Department's focus is for transitioning
Service members to meet Career Readiness Standards (CRS). There are
nine common CRSs applicable to all Service members. Service members
interested in pursuing higher education and/or career technical
training must also meet four additional education-oriented CRS. The
2-day tracks were developed and made available to help those who
require assistance in meeting these additional CRS. Transitioning
Services members are encouraged to take advantage of these
additional tracks. All curriculum, both core and additional, are
offered frequently, and advertised through multiple means and
platforms. All Service members are able to participate in the
additional 2-day tracks, as these tracks are available both via
classroom setting and virtually through Joint Knowledge Online.
Once the Service member begins pre-separation counseling, they
register for the mandatory curriculum and are made aware of the
benefits of additional tracks to support their long-term goals and
encouraged to attend.
QFR Title: Homelessness, Unemployment or Mental Health Issues
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Lyons, Judd
QFR ID: HVAC-01-007 QFR
Question Number: 7
Question: Has DoD identified certain groups that are at higher risk for
homelessness, unemployment, or mental health issues during or after
transition? a. If so, is DoD tracking any specific statistics or
metrics for those at risk groups, and what are those statistics? b.
Does DoD consider service members receiving a discharge other than
``Honorable'' to be at higher risk for homelessness, unemployment,
or mental health issues when compared to the general transitioning
population?
Answer: The Department has identified that eligible transitioning
Service members who have not met all applicable career readiness
standards (CRS), do not have a viable post-transition
transportation or post-transition housing plan that meets their
personal/family needs, and/or those with an `other than honorable'
discharge may be at greater risk, for example, for homelessness or
unemployment challenges. These individuals are provided with a
`warm handover' referral by the Military Services to appropriate
partner agencies and other relevant resources, with referrals made
to specific program sites based upon the expected geographic
location of theService member following transition. For example,
for those failing to meet an employment-related CRS, a warm
handover is provided to an on-site Department of Labor (DOL)
representative, if available at the site, or a designated POC at
the appropriate DOL American Job Center (AJC). As another example,
for those without a viable post-transition transportation or
housing plan, the expectation is that Service members transitioning
with an honorable discharge status will be referred to a Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) Capstone Liaison who will connect the
Service member to the appropriate VA Homeless Program contact or
Healthcare Liaison based on the installation and Service member's
post-transition address. The expectation is that Service members
transitioning with an other than honorable discharge status will be
referred to an on-site DOL representative, if available at the
site, or a designated POC at the appropriate DOL AJC. Further,
there are occasions when transitioning Service members may be
referred to both VA and DOL. Twenty-one (21) DoD locations have an
on-site Veterans Health Administration Liaison who manages these
referrals. At approximately 300 other sites, these referrals are
facilitated through contracted Veterans Benefits Administration
Benefits Advisors or by DoD personnel. 7a. Yes, the Department
tracks eligible transitioning Service members who do not meet all
applicable career readiness standards (CRS) or do not have a viable
post-transition transportation or post-transition housing plan, and
whether these individuals receive a `warm handover' by the Military
Services to appropriate partner agencies. The Department also
tracks eligible transitioning Service members that are separating
with an `other than honorable' discharge and receive a warm
handover to Department of Labor. Through August Fiscal Year to Date
(FYTD) 2017, the Department received 138,671 completed DD Form 2648
(or legacy DD Form 2958). Of this, 135,096 (97.4 percent) either
met CRS or received a warm handover to a partner agency (e.g., VA
or DOL). Specifically, 132,063 Service members met CRS, while 3,033
members received a warm handover. The remaining 3,575 Service
members (2.6 percent) did not meet CRS and did not receive a warm
handover in FYTD 2017. The Department is working to close this
remaining gap, so that all Service members either meet CRS or
receive a warm handover for additional support. Note that this CRS
compliance rate reflects only the Service members for whom a
completed DD Form 2648 (or legacy DD Form 2958) was received by the
Department. The Department is working with the Military Services
and the Defense Manpower Data Center to reduce the amount of
missing data for compliance reporting. In FY 2017, we launched a
department-wide, TAP-IT Enterprise System that streamlined the data
collection process and will enhance the Department's ability to
maintain accountability. The Department will continue to improve
data tracking and work with the Services to reduce the extent of
missing data. The Department also tracked eligible transitioning
Service members at risk of homelessness. 197,307 Service members
transitioned from active duty during the period between October
2015 and September 2016. The Department received more than 143,000
DD Form 2958's from the Military Services. Of the more than 143,000
forms received, 4,504 Service members (3.1 percent) had not
evaluated their post-military housing requirements and developed a
plan to meet personal and family needs prior to their separation,
retirement, or release from active duty. Of those 4,504 Service
members, 1,671 (37.1 percent) received a warm handover to at least
one partner agency (VA, DOL, or other agency). Specifically for VA,
1,628 members (36.2 percent of those 4,504 Service members) were
documented as having received a warm handover to the VA for
additional assistance. This is an improvement as compared to the
year prior (October 2014 - August 2015), where 483 Service members
(8.0 percent of 6,044 Service members) without a post-military
housing plan received a warm handover to the VA. FY 2017 data will
be available in FY 2018. 7b. Yes, based on studies, survey data and
anecdotal comments, DoD believes Service members receiving a
discharge other than ``Honorable'' are at a higher risk when
compared to the general transitioning Service member population.
However, it should be noted that the Department does not have
available post-transition data on these Service members; the
Department must rely on data from our TAP interagency partner
agencies and other stakeholders. The Department is also aware of
reports that Service members with discharge characterizations other
than Honorable or uncharacterized may be at higher risk of suicide.
In April 2016, the Department issued the memo `Warm Handover
Guidance for Transitioning Service Members Who Do Not Separate with
an Honorable Discharge' for commanders or their designee to execute
warm handovers during the Capstone event and document those
handovers on DD Form 2958. The Department expects that Service
members transitioning with an other than honorable discharge will
be referred to an on-site DOL representative, if available at the
site, or a designated POC at the appropriate DOL American Job
Center (AJC). There are occasions when transitioning Service
members may be referred to both VA and DOL.
QFR Title: TAP Classes
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Lyons, Judd
QFR ID: HVAC-01-008 QFR
Question Number: 8
Question: Has DoD considered moving TAPs classes from the final year
(or 18 months in the case of a retiring service member) to a model
that focuses on continual learning within a service member's
military career?
Answer: The Department expanded career preparation and transition
activities through development and implementation of the Transition
Preparation Military Life Cycle (MLC) model. The MLC model provides
Service members the time and resources to plan for their inevitable
transition from Active Duty; reduces mission impact as many
transition-related actions are completed during the normal course
of business instead of at the end of a Service member's time on
Active Duty; and allows increased flexibility for transition
service delivery. The MLC model provides Service members, at
various key touch points throughout their MLC, with opportunities
to align their military career with their civilian goals. They are
made aware of the Career Readiness Standards they must meet before
their intended retirement, separation, or release from active duty,
and they remain engaged throughout their military careers in
mapping and refining their individual development plan to achieve
their military goals and their post-military goals for employment,
education, career technical training, and/or starting their own
business. This will enable transition to become a well-planned,
organized process that empowers Service members to make informed
career decisions and take responsibility for advancing their
personal goals. While implementation varies for each Service,
career preparation and transition assistance activities occur at
key touch points throughout a Service member's career, to include:
accessions/initial drilling weekends; first permanent duty station;
reenlistment; promotion; change of duty station; deployment and
redeployment; mobilization, demobilization, and deactivation; and
separation, retirement, or release from active duty. Such
activities include development/update of an Individual Development
Plan, financial planning, eBenefits registration, personal skills/
aptitude/interests assessment, review of Military Occupational Code
alignment to civilian occupations, the five day TAP curriculum, and
the training tracks for accessing higher education,
entrepreneurship, and career technical training.
QFR Title: Successful Transition
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Lyons, Judd
QFR ID: HVAC-01-009 QFR
Question Number: 9
Question: From DoD's perspective, what does a successful transition
look like and what metrics should be used to evaluate for that? a.
What follow-up does DoD conduct with service members after their
transition? b. What data does DoD need from the Department of Labor
and VA to improve transition programs?
Answer: Currently, the Department believes a successful transition is
one in which a Service member is career-ready when he or she
separates, retires, or is released from active duty; whether they
are pursuing additional education, finding a job in the public or
private sector, or starting their own business. Career readiness is
assessed by the Department as attainment of Career Readiness
Standards (CRS). The provision of a warm handover by the Military
Services to appropriate partner agencies for those Service members
needing additional transition support is also critical. The
Interagency TAP Evaluation Plan for FY 2017-2018, approved by the
Office of Management and Budget, includes attainment of CRS or a
warm handover as one of the examined program output measures. In
addition, the plan includes a set of assessment methods and tools
to assess the processes for TAP delivery, immediate results of
program delivery (e.g., whether separations comply with statute and
policy), and the desired systematic impacts (e.g., whether veterans
successfully obtain employment, start new business, and/or seek
addition education). Further, as part of the 60-day request from
the HVAC EO Subcommittee, the TAP interagency partners are further
working together to collaboratively define success (including
desired outcomes and success metrics of the TAP). 9a. The
Department coordinates with our TAP interagency partners (e.g., VA,
DOL, and the Small Business Administration) on their follow-up
assessments and evaluations of Service members after they
transition. The TAP interagency partners collaborate together to
develop post-separation assessments and evaluations (such as the
planned VA Post-Separation Assessment). The TAP interagency
partners have shared (or will share) their findings with the
Department. Such coordination with the interagency partners allows
the Department to learn about Service members after their
transition. 9b. The Department is currently working with DOL and VA
to address the question of what additional services our
transitioning Service members receive if they are provided a warm
handover to DOL or VA (e.g., due to failing to meet CRS or failing
to have a viable post-transition housing plan), as well as the
outcomes of these additional services. The Department needs this
data to determine if our existing warm handover processes are
successful and to inform any needed improvements. The Department is
also coordinating with our TAP interagency partners on their post-
transition assessments, evaluations, and outcome measures/
indicators. The TAP interagency partners have shared (or will
share) their findings and data with the Department. This
information is needed to inform the effectiveness of the program
post-transition
QFR Title: Supplemental TAP Courses and Backfilling Transitioning
Service Members
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Stein, Kurt W
QFR ID: HVAC-01-005 QFR
Question Number: 5
Question: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found very
low rates of attendance for the supplemental TAP courses on
accessing higher education, career and technical training, and
entrepreneurship. There is concern that because these courses are
seen as optional, unit commanders are not allowing attendance of
interested service members. Has OSD thought about mandating that
service members attend at lease one of these currently supplemental
programs to ensure their ability to attend if they are interested?
a. From visits to military bases and asking service members about
their transition process, the Committee has heard that commanders
are often unwilling to let service members attend additional
supplemental classes or repeat classes that service members might
feel they need to repeat. Often the reason given is that the unit
is short-staffed and that the commander is unable to get a
replacement for that service member until they are out-processed
from the military, so they need them to continue training to hit
readiness numbers. Have the services considered changing policy to
allow the unit to request a fill for a sercie member they know is
or will be transitioning out? b. Have the services considered
manning units to be over 100% strength? c. We have also heard
troubling anecdotes of commanders telling their units to sign in to
their TAP classes so that their attendance is recorded but the to
leave and return to work without actually sitting through the
class. And GAO reported that after attending TAP class to make up
for having attended TAP class. Have the services looked at how DoD
can better monitor and address deliberate subversion of the rules?
d. How are commanders at the lower echelons being educated about
the importance of preparation and TAP courses for a successful
transition? e. Have the services considered including transition
numbers and metrics in commanders' evaluations, similar to how they
are evaluated on readiness?
Answer: 5.a Currently, the Marine Corps does not mandate or has
considered mandating the attendance of supplemental courses, but
does support the attendance of Marines through Marine Corps Order
1700.31. Specific guidance to Commanders is to allow all Marines
necessary time off to attend the 2-day Track options. Additionally,
Commanding Officer support for attendance at 2-day tracks is
validated as part of the current Inspector General command
inspection process. 5.b. It would be beneficial to have additional
manning. However, funding, end strength limitations, and training
cycles are limiting factors in manning all units at or above 100%.
5.c. The Marine Corps monitors attendance to TRS through morning
and afternoon check in procedures. Policy prohibits any Marine from
being pulled out of class as TRS is considered their place of duty.
Additionally, Unit Transition Coordinators, who are liaisons in the
unit that facilitate transition activities, are required by policy
to ensure that Marines assigned to TRS do not have any scheduled
appointments or commitments during TRS. Any Marine that does not
complete an entire day must reschedule to complete that portion of
the class before credit is provided. 5.d Commanders are educated on
the TRP in several different ways: Commander's courses, through the
Unit Transition Coordinators who liaise with the transition
offices, and regularly scheduled briefs through installation
Transition Managers. Information dissemination is further supported
via Transition Readiness Training materials toolkit online and
MARADMINS. The Marine Corps is currently implementing a CO's
dashboard specifically for the TRP which will provide compliance
status for Marines scheduled to transition. 5.e As part of the
Inspector General's Critical or Requiring Evaluation program,
inspection results are part of a ``Commander's Report Card'' that
is reported to the CMC. Any findings are to be resolved and
confirmed with the IG's office within 30 days of inspection.
QFR Title: Supplemental TAP Courses and Backfilling Transitioning
Service Members
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Bennett, Robert
QFR ID: HVAC-01-005 QFR
Question Number: 5
Question: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found very
low rates of attendance for the supplemental TAP courses on
accessing higher education, career and technical training, and
entrepreneurship. There is concern that because these courses are
seen as optional, unit commanders are not allowing attendance of
interested service members. Has OSD thought about mandating that
service members attend at lease one of these currently supplemental
programs to ensure their ability to attend if they are interested?
a. From visits to military bases and asking service members about
their transition process, the Committee has heard that commanders
are often unwilling to let service members attend additional
supplemental classes or repeat classes that service members might
feel they need to repeat. Often the reason given is that the unit
is short-staffed and that the commander is unable to get a
replacement for that service member until they are out-processed
from the military, so they need them to continue training to hit
readiness numbers. Have the services considered changing policy to
allow the unit to request a fill for a sercie member they know is
or will be transitioning out? b. Have the services considered
manning units to be over 100% strength? c. We have also heard
troubling anecdotes of commanders telling their units to sign in to
their TAP classes so that their attendance is recorded but the to
leave and return to work without actually sitting through the
class. And GAO reported that after attending TAP class to make up
for having attended TAP class. Have the services looked at how DoD
can better monitor and address deliberate subversion of the rules?
d. How are commanders at the lower echelons being educated about
the importance of preparation and TAP courses for a successful
transition? e. Have the services considered including transition
numbers and metrics in commanders' evaluations, similar to how they
are evaluated on readiness?
Answer: The Army does not believe DoD has mandated Service members
attend supplemental programs. Career Tracks are optional,
supplemental TAP courses that are offered to Soldiers looking for
specialized training during pre-separation, initial counseling, and
in the developmental stage of their Individual Transition Plan
(ITP). a. No. The Army's inventory of Soldiers is not sufficient to
offset losses any earlier than at separation date. b. No. The
Army's inventory of Soldiers is not sufficient to man all units at
over 100% strength. c. Yes. The Army requires transitioning
Soldiers to sign in on rosters at all installations to ensure a
Soldier's attendance is captured and recorded into the system of
record. The Army has assigned Transition NCOs in each unit who
monitor and report Soldiers not in attendance. Rosters are
validated by roll call at least twice during the morning and
afternoon sessions. If a Soldier is not present, they receive a
``no-show'' on the roster, which is followed by a report to the
commander from the Transition Services Manager at the center. d.
Each installation conducts professional development for commanders
and leaders at lower echelons. Transition requirements are also
taught at the commander and first sergeant courses, pre-command
courses, the general officer transition course, and the command
sergeant major transition course. In addition, Army Regulation 600-
81, Soldier for Life - Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP)
directs leaders to send their Soldiers to SFL-TAP. To encourage
additional education, the Army provides contact avenues on the SFL-
TAP website and in the regulation that allow leaders to get
questions answered by subject matter experts. The Army educates
leaders and Soldiers on the 24/7 SFL-TAP Virtual Center and phone
line, which offers Commanders flexibility in helping Soldiers
complete SFL-TAP CRS requirements during non-duty hours and without
interfering with mission duties. e. Yes. Currently commanders are
authorized to include SFL-TAP percentages in personnel evaluations.
QFR Title: Career Skills Programs
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Bennett, Robert
QFR ID: HVAC-01-006 QFR
Question Number: 6
Question: The Army has focused on building Career Skills Programs (CSP)
for transitioning service members. Are similar programs being
implemented in other services through the Skillbridge program? a.
What is the current participation rate in CSPs (or CSP like
programs) across the services? b. How is DoD measuring success in
CSPs?
Answer: Yes, The Army collaborates with the Navy, Air Force, and Marine
Corps in order to share best practices, grow the enterprise of
programs, and to make programs available to transitioning service
members from all Services. For example, there is currently one Air
Force member attending the Microsoft Software & Systems Academy
(MSSA) CSP being held at Fort Benning, GA. a. Army CSP data/metrics
are tracked with the Installation Management Command Common
Operating Picture (COP) (as of 27NOV17). In FY16, 2,436 Soldiers
enrolled, with 2,271 Soldiers completing a CSP (93%). As a result,
2,013 Soldiers received job placement (89%). In FY17, 4,251
Soldiers enrolled, with 3,930 Soldiers completing a CSP (92%) and
to date, 3,722 Soldiers have received job placement (95%). b. For
the Army, success is measured by achieving a 90% job placement rate
upon transition from active duty for Soldiers completing a CSP. For
the past two years, the Army has exceeded this goal and is on track
to continue this standard of excellence in FY18.
QFR Title: Career Skills Programs
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Stein, Kurt W
QFR ID: HVAC-01-006 QFR
Question Number: 6
Question: The Army has focused on building Career Skills Programs (CSP)
for transitioning service members. Are similar programs being
implemented in other services through the Skillbridge program? a.
What is the current participation rate in CSPs (or CSP like
programs) across the services? b. How is DoD measuring success in
CSPs?
Answer: The Marine Corps has nine SkillBridge programs that include
welding, cyber security, emergency medical services, and commercial
driving training across various installations, bases, and stations.
In FY17, 755 Marines participated in these Skillbridge programs.
QFR Title: Flag and General Officers and Senior Enlisted Advsiors
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Stein, Kurt W
QFR ID: HVAC-01-010 QFR
Question Number: 10
Question: When flag officers testify to congressional committees or
conduct office calls, are they encourage or directed to attend with
their senior enlisted advisor? a. Would be beneficial for
congressional committees to hear testimony directly from senior
enlisted advisors?
Answer: The senior enlisted advisor provides important feedback and
guidance to general officers. They may choose to consult with their
senior enlisted advisor prior to testifying before Congress,
however, each congressional engagement is unique and may not
require their attendance. Congressional committees do hear
testimony directly from senior enlisted advisors. The Sergeant
Major of the Marine Corps typically testifies each year on quality
of life issues affecting Marines and their families.
QFR Title: Flag and General Officers and Senior Enlisted Advsiors
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Bennett, Robert
QFR ID: HVAC-01-010 QFR
Question Number: 10
Question: When flag officers testify to congressional committees or
conduct office calls, are they encourage or directed to attend with
their senior enlisted advisor? a. Would be beneficial for
congressional committees to hear testimony directly from senior
enlisted advisors?
Answer: Flag officers are not directed to attend with their Senior
Enlisted Leaders (SEL). a. Yes. Also, the Sergeant Major of the
Army, SMA Dailey, often encourages Army SELs to engage with Members
and their staffs in an open dialogue when the voice of the enlisted
force can offer an additional perspective unique to their
respective formations.
QFR Title: Supplemental TAP Courses and Backfilling Transitioning
Service Members
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Thomas, Karl O
QFR ID: HVAC-01-005 QFR
Question Number: 5
Question: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found very
low rates of attendance for the supplemental TAP courses on
accessing higher education, career and technical training, and
entrepreneurship. There is concern that because these courses are
seen as optional, unit commanders are not allowing attendance of
interested service members. Has OSD thought about mandating that
service members attend at lease one of these currently supplemental
programs to ensure their ability to attend if they are interested?
a. From visits to military bases and asking service members about
their transition process, the Committee has heard that commanders
are often unwilling to let service members attend additional
supplemental classes or repeat classes that service members might
feel they need to repeat. Often the reason given is that the unit
is short-staffed and that the commander is unable to get a
replacement for that service member until they are out-processed
from the military, so they need them to continue training to hit
readiness numbers. Have the services considered changing policy to
allow the unit to request a fill for a sercie member they know is
or will be transitioning out? b. Have the services considered
manning units to be over 100% strength? c. We have also heard
troubling anecdotes of commanders telling their units to sign in to
their TAP classes so that their attendance is recorded but the to
leave and return to work without actually sitting through the
class. And GAO reported that after attending TAP class to make up
for having attended TAP class. Have the services looked at how DoD
can better monitor and address deliberate subversion of the rules?
d. How are commanders at the lower echelons being educated about
the importance of preparation and TAP courses for a successful
transition? e. Have the services considered including transition
numbers and metrics in commanders' evaluations, similar to how they
are evaluated on readiness?
Answer: The supplemental transition courses generally receive positive
comments from Service members who attend across the Services.
Consideration was given to mandate attendance, however, as an
alternative it is Navy policy for the Sailor to participate if both
the Sailor and command transition officer determine participation
is required to achieve career readiness standards, which are based
on Service member-defined objectives that must be achieved in order
to meet their post-military service goals. The majority of Sailors
look to reenter the civilian workforce after separation and many
are already accessing higher education through our Navy Voluntary
Education Program, which does not require them to attend the
supplemental courses on accessing higher education, career and
technical training or entrepreneurship to meet their career
readiness standards. Commanders currently have the ability to
request fills for transitioning Sailors, however, they are not
always provided in time to help the separating Sailor prepare full-
time for transition. While each unit's needs and capacity differ,
transitioning Sailors are afforded time to prepare beginning at the
start of their career and through their entire military life cycle
and are provided information and guidance at career development
boards for enlisted and mid-term counseling for officers. The
military life cycle model provides Service members the time and
resources to plan for their inevitable transition from Active Duty;
reduces mission impact as many transition-related actions are
completed during the normal course of business instead of at the
end of a Service member's time on Active Duty; and allows increased
flexibility for transition service delivery. Manning units above
100 percent is not feasible within existing funded and authorized
end strength. Manpower requirements are based on Navy's force
structure and manning units above 100 percent within existing
funded end strength would create gaps in other valid manpower
requirements ultimately degrading readiness. Our focus instead is
on the military life cycle and ensuring preparations for
transitioning out of the Navy commence at the beginning of a
Sailor's military career, and continue throughout. Navy does not
give credit for attendance if Sailors do not attend all modules of
the transition assistance program curriculum. If members are called
out of class by their command then they must reschedule to attend
missed modules. However, in an effort to better capture and
evaluate Sailor participation, the Navy has been working with
Department of Defense and other Services to change the participant
assessment to include questions on command support, timeliness of
participation and reasons for virtual course participation vice
brick and mortar. We leverage an extensive personal and
professional Navy network to keep the Fleet informed of new policy
changes and transition assistance program implementation
challenges. We work with Fleet engagement teams to coordinate and
provide training to commanders worldwide on procedures, policies,
new aspects of the transition assistance program and reporting
requirements. We also coordinate efforts with our Fleet and Force
Career Counselors to provide timely and pertinent information
through release of instructions, Navy Administrative Messages,
emails, the transition webpage, and Plain Talk for Sailors
bulletins. The addition of Transition Assistance Program compliance
to the annual ``Golden Anchor'' retention award since 2016
increased self-awareness and provided motivation to improve
transition performance at the Commander level. Navy provides
transition assistance program metrics to Commanders and Commanding
Officers. With this tool in place, my team worked with Fleet
Commanders to add transition assistance program compliance as a
criterion for the annual ``Golden Anchor'' retention award, which
recognizes commands with exceptional Sailor retention programs. We
also include Transition Assistance Program metrics in our Chief of
Naval Operations Health of the Force report, which provides
comprehensive information on personnel readiness issues.
QFR Title: Career Skills Programs
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Thomas, Karl O
QFR ID: HVAC-01-006 QFR
Question Number: 6
Question: The Army has focused on building Career Skills Programs (CSP)
for transitioning service members. Are similar programs being
implemented in other services through the Skillbridge program? a.
What is the current participation rate in CSPs (or CSP like
programs) across the services? b. How is DoD measuring success in
CSPs?
Answer: Yes, Navy has 16 employment skills programs with 8 additional
programs in the planning stages for fiscal year (FY) 2018. As of
June 2017, 158 Navy personnel have completed SkillBridge programs
with a job placement rate of 65 percent. Programs such as Onward-
to-Opportunity (O2O) provide up to six to eight weeks of training
for in-demand fields such as cybersecurity and software
engineering. The O2O program is currently hosted at three Navy
locations including Norfolk, VA, Jacksonville, FL, and San Diego,
CA. Navy is also partnering with Microsoft and Amazon to provide
employment skills training programs for FY2018 at various locations
throughout the Navy enterprise including Gulfport, MS, Pensacola,
FL, and Ventura County, CA. The Veterans-in-piping (VIP) pre-
apprenticeship training at Naval Station Norfolk is considered a
best practice program for Department of Defense SkillBridge. The
VIP is designed to fill a critical workforce need for welders in
Norfolk and Hampton Roads, VA, and involves 18 continuous weeks of
full-time classroom and on-the-job training sessions. Navy actively
seeks to collaborate with companies and training providers to
establish more SkillBridge training programs on, or near, Navy
installations.
QFR Title: Flag and General Officers and Senior Enlisted Advsiors
Requestors: Rep Timothy J. Walz
Witness: Thomas, Karl O
QFR ID: HVAC-01-010 QFR
Question Number: 10
Question: When flag officers testify to congressional committees or
conduct office calls, are they encourage or directed to attend with
their senior enlisted advisor? a. Would be beneficial for
congressional committees to hear testimony directly from senior
enlisted advisors?
Answer: The senior enlisted advisor provides important feedback and
guidance to flag officers. They may choose to consult with their
senior enlisted advisor prior to testifying before Congress,
however, each congressional engagement is unique and may not
require their attendance. Congressional committees do hear
testimony directly from senior enlisted advisors. The Master Chief
Petty Officer of the Navy typically testifies each year on quality
of life issues affecting Sailors and their families.
Ranking Member Tim Walz, House Veterans Affairs Committee
Questions
1. In any of GAO's studies, has GAO collect data on service
member's educational backgrounds before they enter military service?
Ifso, please provide a copy of the study (or studies) that occurred in.
a.If GAO has collected such data:
i. What variation did GAO see in the level of education of services
members upon entering the service?
ii. How many service members entering the service are not prepared
to pursue higher education?
iii. How effectively is the Department of Defense addressing this
issue? (What is the percentage of service members not prepared to
pursue higher education upon leaving the service, as compared to the
number in subsection ii?)
II.GAO response
GAO has not collected or analyzed data on servicemembers'
educational backgrounds before entering military service. As a result,
GAO cannot describe the extent to which new servicemembers' education
levels vary or assess how prepared they are to pursue higher education
when they leave military service. The Defense Manpower Data Center
within the Department of Defense may be able to provide such data.
Full Committee Ranking Member Tim Walz to U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs
Question 1: What does VA consider a successful transition for a
service member leaving the Department of Defense (DoD)?
VA Response: One of the key objectives of the Transition Assistance
Program (TAP) is attainment of career-readiness skills that meet the
standards as defined and measured by the Services. As part of the 60-
day tasking from the HVAC EO Subcommittee, the interagency partners are
working together to refine the definition of success, to include
desired outcomes and success metrics.
Question 1a. What metrics does VA use to measure this success?
VA Response: VA uses the Transition Goals, Plans, Success (GPS)
Participant Assessment performance metrics provided by DoD. The
Participant assessment collects Servicemembers demographic data and
includes questions to assess the quality of the course curriculum,
materials, facilitators, and facilities. Participants also answer
questions that gauge their intent to apply the information learned,
confidence derived by completing the various modules/tracks, and self-
assessed knowledge gain. VA consistently receives high evaluations from
Servicemembers who attend VA Benefits Briefings I and II, averaging 96
percent satisfaction on information learned, 96 percent on facilitator
effectiveness, and 94 percent on confidence gained from the material.
Question 2: Has VA identified certain groups that are at higher
risk for homelessness, unemployment or mental health issues during or
after transition?
VA Response: Not yet, but we are working to do so. Currently, for
those identified by DoD who do not have a post-transition housing plan
or do not meet Career Readiness Standards, VA facilitates warm
handovers.
Question 2a: If so, is VA tracking any specific statistics or
metrics for those at risk groups, and what are those statistics?
VA Response: VA currently does not have specific statistics or
metrics for Servicemembers deemed at risk for homelessness,
unemployment or mental health issues during or after transition. To
begin collecting baseline data and examining trends around this group,
we recently updated the TAP Memorandum of Understanding to aggregate
the data and track Servicemembers requiring warm handovers because they
lack a post-transition housing plan and/or do not meet Career Readiness
Standards. VA aggregates the above data by Service, Component and
Grade. This information will provide us with statistics that will be
useful in better assisting high risk individuals.
Question 2b: Does VA consider service members receiving a discharge
other than ``Honorable'' to be a higher risk for homelessness,
unemployment or mental health issues when compared to the general
transitioning population?
VA Response: Through an interagency work group with representation
from VA, DoD, DoL, OPM, ED, DHS and SBA, VA is in the process of
collecting and analyzing data to determine the impact of other-than-
honorable separations on the associated level of risk for
Servicemembers/Veterans.
Question 3: In her testimony, Ms. Margarita Devlin, Executive
Director of Benefits Assistance Service, Veterans Benefits
Administration, spoke about collecting information on post separation
outcomes. Does VA plan to make this survey longitudinal?
VA Response: Yes, the current post separation assessment asks
Veterans about their willingness to participate in a longer term study.
The intention is to track the cohorts over time during their transition
journey.
Question 3a: What outcomes and metrics will VA be measuring in this
Survey?
VA Response: Objective and subjective measures will be gathered in
the following domains: mental/physical health, social relationships,
financial situation, employment, entrepreneurship, education and
housing.
Question 4: Has VA considered evaluating the Benefits I and II
programs using metrics measuring information retained by the service
member?
VA Response: VA currently tracks Transitioning Servicemember
knowledge through Direct Knowledge Questions administered in the
Transition GPS Participant Assessment during the TAP GPS modules.
Participants answer questions to gauge their retention of the
information learned. The results are used to inform question revision
and curriculum content. VA receives the quarterly Transition GPS
Participant Assessment data from DoD and consistently receives high
evaluations from Servicemembers who attend Benefits Briefings I and II,
averaging 96 percent satisfaction on information learned.
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