Military and Veterans' Benefits: Improvements Needed in 	 
Transition Assistance Services for Reserves and National Guard	 
(29-JUN-05, GAO-05-844T).					 
                                                                 
The increased role of the armed forces in military operations	 
around the world, and the greater reliance on the Reserves and	 
National Guard, has focused national attention on what is done to
help service members transition to civilian life. GAO was asked  
to testify on its May 2005 report Military and Veterans'	 
Benefits: Enhanced Services Could Improve Transition Assistance  
for Reserves and National Guard (GAO-05-544) and to highlight its
concerns about TAP for the Reserves and National Guard. That	 
report (1) assessed TAP administration, including program	 
participation, and (2) identified actions agencies are taking and
challenges they face in improving TAP.				 
-------------------------Indexing Terms------------------------- 
REPORTNUM:   GAO-05-844T					        
    ACCNO:   A28399						        
  TITLE:     Military and Veterans' Benefits: Improvements Needed in  
Transition Assistance Services for Reserves and National Guard	 
     DATE:   06/29/2005 
  SUBJECT:   Aid for the disabled				 
	     Employment assistance programs			 
	     Interagency relations				 
	     Military personnel 				 
	     Military reserve personnel 			 
	     National Guard					 
	     Persons with disabilities				 
	     Program evaluation 				 
	     Veterans benefits					 
	     Veterans employment programs			 
	     Insurance benefits 				 
	     DOD Transition Assistance Program			 

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GAO-05-844T

United States Government Accountability Office

GAO	Testimony before the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity,

Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives

For Release on Delivery

Expected at 2:00 p.m. EDT MILITARY AND

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

VETERANS' BENEFITS

Improvements Needed in Transition Assistance Services for Reserves and National
                                     Guard

Statement of Cynthia Bascetta, Director Education, Workforce, and Income
Security Issues

GAO-05-844T

June 29, 2005

MILITARY AND VETERANS' BENEFITS

Improvements Needed in Transition Assistance Services for Reserves and National
Guard

                                 What GAO Found

Jointly administered by the Departments of Defense (DOD), Labor (DOL), and
Veterans Affairs (VA), the transition assistance program (TAP) is intended
to help service men and women successfully adjust to civilian life after
serving in the military. Originally created in 1990, TAP is composed of
four components that are coordinated through meetings of TAP managers and
interagency agreements. In fiscal year 2004, about 309,000 service members
were released from active duty after serving at least 180 days and were
eligible for TAP, including about 38 percent who were members of the
Reserves and National Guard.

TAP Time Frames, Components, and Providers

Source: GAO analysis.

Both the method of delivery and level of participation in the program
components vary. Notably, few members of the Reserves and National Guard
have time to attend most of TAP. Because they demobilize within days after
returning from overseas, members of the Reserves and National Guard
participate in an abbreviated version of some components and generally do
not have time for any employment preparation. Participation of service
members in the Disabled TAP component is unknown because VA does not track
this information.

DOD, DOL, and VA have taken actions to improve TAP's content and increase
participation among full-time active duty service members. However, they
continue to face challenges serving Reserve and National Guard members
because of their rapid demobilization. To improve program content, the
agencies have updated, or plan to update, their manuals, forms, and
briefing materials. To increase participation, DOL and VA provide some
employment workshops and veterans' benefits briefings overseas, and DOD is
considering a policy change that would mandate participation in all
components. While the agencies have not assessed when and where to offer
TAP for members of the Reserves and National Guard, DOL has pilot programs
in three states that will offer employment workshops after members return
home.

                 United States Government Accountability Office

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:

I am pleased to be here today to discuss our review of transition
assistance for members of the armed forces, including members of the
Reserves and National Guard. The increased role of the armed forces in
military operations around the world, and the greater reliance on the
Reserves and National Guard, has focused national attention on what is
done to help service members successfully transition from the military
back to civilian life. Originally created in 1990, the transition
assistance program (TAP) has four components: (1) preseparation
counseling, (2) employment workshops, (3) briefings on veteran's benefits,
and (4) information for veterans with disabilities. Overall these
components provide a range of information on specific services and
benefits, including employment and relocation assistance, education
opportunities, health and life insurance, and financial planning. Jointly
administered under agreements among the Departments of Defense (DOD),
Labor (DOL), and Veterans Affairs (VA), TAP is intended to serve military
personnel who separate and members of the Reserves and National Guard who
are released after at least 180 days of active duty. About 309,000 service
members who left active military service met these criteria in fiscal year
2004, including about 38 percent who were Reserve and National Guard
members.

As you requested, today I will discuss our recent report1 on transition
assistance, which (1) assesses TAP's administration, including program
participation and (2) identifies actions agencies are taking and
challenges they face in improving TAP. My comments highlight concerns we
identified regarding how transition assistance is being provided to
members of the Reserves and National Guard.

To develop the information for our report, we reviewed the legislative
history of TAP, its program materials, and participation statistics. We
also interviewed responsible officials from each of the three
administering agencies, the armed forces, Reserve Affairs, and the
National Guard Bureau.2 In addition, we visited Fort Bragg, North
Carolina, where many

1GAO, Military and Veterans' Benefits: Enhanced Services Could Improve
Transition Assistance for Reserves and National Guard, GAO-05-544
(Washington, D.C: May 20, 2005).

2As agreed, our report did not include the Department of Homeland
Security, which oversees the Coast Guard, although both are part of TAP.

Army service members are sent after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our
purpose was to observe TAP firsthand and talk with those who participated,
including members of the Army Reserve and National Guard who were briefed
during their demobilization. We also used for reference the body of prior
GAO work on related issues shown at the end of this testimony. We
conducted our work from December 2004 through April 2005 in accordance
with generally accepted government auditing standards.

In summary, we found variations in the delivery and participation in the
program components. Notably, few members of the Reserves and National
Guard had time to attend most of TAP. The delivery of TAP varied in the
amount of personal attention participants receive, the length of the
components, and the instructional methods used. Participation also varied.
For example, participation was higher for the mandated preseparation
counseling and generally lower for the employment workshops, where
attendance is voluntary. In addition, while full-time active duty service
members may participate in the full range of TAP services, members of the
Reserves and National Guard participate in an abbreviated version of some
components and generally receive no employment preparation because they
are often released from active duty within days after they return from
overseas. The agencies administering TAP have taken actions to improve its
content and increase participation, but they continue to face challenges
serving Reserve and National Guard members because of their rapid
demobilization. To improve program content, the agencies have updated, or
plan to update, their manuals, forms, and other briefing materials, and
DOL is assessing its employment workshop curriculum using focus groups and
survey data. To increase participation, DOL and VA provide some employment
workshops and veterans' benefits briefings overseas, and DOD is
considering a policy change that would mandate participation in all
components. While the agencies have not assessed when and where to offer
TAP for members of the Reserves and National Guard, DOL has pilot programs
in three states that will offer employment workshops after the members
return home.

Background 	The role of the armed forces in the global war on terrorism
and in military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq has heightened concerns
about the assistance that these and other service members receive when
they transition back into civilian life. All service members who have been
on

active duty for at least 180 days are eligible for TAP, and those
separating because of disability are eligible regardless of the length of
their active duty service.3

About 309,000 servicemen and women separated from the military in fiscal
year 2004 with sufficient time on active duty to meet the TAP eligibility
criteria.4 Of these, about 192,000 were members of the full-time active
duty armed forces-the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Marine Corps. The
remaining 117,000 were members of the Reserves and National Guard, many of
whom had been employed in civilian occupations before they were called to
active duty. In recent years, more members of the Reserves and National
Guard have been called to active duty and sent overseas than at any time
since the Korean War. Further, the number of days they spend on average in
active duty status has doubled since 1990, when TAP was established. DOD
expects this trend to continue through at least fiscal year 2007, with
Reserves and National Guard members serving on active duty for a year or
more on average.

Each agency administering TAP is responsible for the content and delivery
of one of the program's four core components, as shown in figure 1. In the
first component, DOD provides preseparation counseling, which includes a
brief overview of available services and benefits. Separating service
members complete a checklist during this component, certifying that they
have been informed of the services available to them and identifying any
subsequent services they wish to receive. The second component is an
employment workshop conducted over 2 or 2  1/2 days by certified
facilitators following a DOL guide. The third component covers veterans'
benefits, including disability compensation, and is often provided on the
last day of the employment workshop by VA. VA also conducts the fourth
component-the Disabled Transition Assistance Program (DTAP)--which offers
information and counseling, primarily on vocational rehabilitation

3Eligible service members must be provided TAP while they are on active
duty and receiving military pay, either as soon as possible within the 2
years prior to their anticipated retirement date or in the 1 year prior to
their anticipated separation date; in either case, no later than 90 days
prior to their discharge or release. The exception to this rule occurs
when separations are not anticipated and less than 90 days of active duty
remain. In such cases, TAP must be provided as soon as possible.

4We use the term separation to refer to the discharge or retirement of
full-time active duty service members and also to the release of members
of the Reserves and National Guard from active duty. Authority to call
Reserve and National Guard service members to involuntary active duty is
currently limited to 24 months, but members can volunteer for extended
duty.

and employment options. Service members are required to attend
preseparation counseling by law; participation in the other components is
voluntary, unless DOD or the armed forces decide otherwise. For example,
participation in the employment workshop has been mandatory for those
separating from the Marine Corps since the policy went into effect in
December 2001.

Figure 1: TAP Time Frames, Components, and Providers

Source: GAO analysis.

Considerable time is set aside for the employment workshops. From 22 to 30
hours are scheduled for the delivery of all TAP components, with 16 to 20
hours devoted to the employment workshop. This emphasis on preparation for
civilian employment is consistent with the purpose of TAP, which was
designed to serve full-time active duty service members who generally had
little prior civilian employment experience and might have difficulty
transferring skills acquired in the military to the civilian economy.

To facilitate interagency coordination and oversight, the administering
agencies established the TAP Steering Committee. Chaired by DOL, the

committee consists of TAP managers from each agency and each of the armed
forces. These TAP managers meet quarterly to discuss issues, propose
initiatives, and act as a sounding board. In addition, as required by law,
an interagency agreement called a memorandum of understanding clarifies
the roles and responsibilities of the agencies involved in all components
of transition assistance except preseparation counseling, where DOD has
sole responsibility. However, separate DOD and armed forces guidelines
establish the procedures governing demobilization of Reserve and National
Guard members. Further, local installation commanders rather than TAP
managers control demobilization schedules.

Most benefits available to separating service members become available
once they have separated and are veterans. However, service members must
take specific actions while they are still on active duty to be eligible
for certain benefits. Changes enacted in 2004, for example, permit Reserve
and National Guard members called to active duty after September 11, 2001,
to obtain a year's worth of health insurance coverage once they are
released from active duty.5 However, they must select coverage while on
active duty and enroll within 180 days of release from active duty or
forfeit their right to this benefit. Similarly, to obtain certain
education benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill, members of the Reserves
and National Guard must apply for these benefits while still on active
duty.

Delivery of the TAP components for most participants occurs at one of the
215 transition offices located on military installations. However, Reserve
and National Guard members usually transition at fewer locations, referred
to as demobilization sites. Typically the demobilization process is rapid,
often occurring within a matter of a few days once the service members
arrive back in the United States from overseas. During demobilization,
service members may be expected to participate in as many as 18 separate
briefings on various topics, such as legal and medical issues, and
scheduled activities, such as physical examinations.

The delivery of TAP varies in the amount of personal attention
participants receive, the length of the components, and the instructional
methods used. Preseparation counseling, for example, may take the form of
individualized, one-on-one counseling sessions of an hour or more, or it

5Service members and their families can obtain a year's worth of health
insurance coverage for themselves and their families for each 90 days of
active duty, as long as they contribute a share of the cost and continue
to serve in a reserve capacity once they are released from active duty.

TAP's Delivery and
Participation Vary

may take the form of group briefings, depending in part on the time
available and the numbers being counseled. Group sessions are more common
at large bases like those of the Army and Marine Corps, where many
individuals are separating. Also, the Army has made use of technology and
offers preseparation counseling at banks of computers that use interactive
programs and include headphones so that participants can work
independently and at their own pace. In the Navy, TAP may take place on
board ships rather than at military installations. At some remote
locations on land, TAP may be delivered by video or telephone due to the
lack of trained personnel on-site.

Participation in TAP also varies. For example, from fiscal year 2002
through 2004, the Army had about 229,000 service members attending
preseparation counseling-twice as many as any one of the other services.
During the same period, the number of Army Reserve and Army National Guard
members attending preseparation briefings at demobilization increased more
than ten-fold, from about 9,000 to about 93,000. While participation was
higher for the mandated preseparation counseling, it was generally lower
for the employment workshops, where attendance is voluntary. No data,
however, are available regarding participation in the VA components of
TAP. Because the veterans' benefits briefings are usually held on the last
day of the employment workshops, VA officials indicated that the
participation rates for their briefings should be about the same as the
rates for the employment workshops. Regarding DTAP, no data are available
to determine the number of eligible individuals, and VA's records do not
distinguish the number who participate in this component from the total of
all recipients of VA outreach briefings.6 To develop more accurate program
statistics, we recommended that VA keep track of service members who
attend DTAP to ensure that adequate follow-up is possible with this
population, which may be in particular need of the services. VA responded
that it is developing a system to track attendance.

Because of their circumstances, particularly their rapid demobilization
timetables, many Reserve and National Guard members cannot take advantage
of TAP components offered to full-time active duty military personnel and
instead receive much shorter presentations as part of large groups at
demobilization briefings. For example, members of the Reserves

6In March 2004, VA released its VR&E Task Force report, The Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment Program for the 21st Century Veteran, with
several recommendations, including one calling for goals and measures of
success to improve VA's administration of TAP and DTAP.

Many Actions Are Under Way to Improve TAP, but Challenges Remain in
Meeting the Needs of Reserves and National Guard

Several Actions Directed at Improving Program Content

and National Guard may be offered a 45-minute veterans' briefing by VA,
while 3 to 4 hours of veterans' benefits briefing are provided to other
military personnel. Very few members of the Reserve and National Guard are
able to attend the 2 to 2  1/2 days of employment workshops, although they
receive preseparation counseling. The TAP managers with DOD and the
military services explained that the chief problem is the lack of time
during demobilization, which is often completed in 5 days. In addition,
many of the service members are anxious to return home and are not
interested in prolonging their stay to attend workshops. Further, many may
have jobs at home that are being held for them, so they may not need to
attend the employment workshop. However, employment information may be
useful and relevant for those Reserve and National Guard members whose
businesses may have suffered or gone into bankruptcy in their absence.
Other service members may have worked for companies that have gone out of
business since their active duty began, while others might prefer to find
better jobs than the ones they had before they went on active duty.

Although several actions are under way or planned to improve TAP,
challenges remain, particularly in designing transition services that
better meet the needs of demobilizing Reserve and National Guard members.
DOD acknowledges that this presents several unique challenges, that the
service members have not been surveyed to determine how to meet their
needs, and that further study might suggest ways to address the
challenges, primarily in the logistics of when and where to offer TAP.

To improve program content, the three agencies administering TAP have
plans to take, or have taken, actions to update their TAP manuals, forms,
and other briefing materials, including Internet sites. For example, DOD
is updating information and reconsidering the topics to be covered during
preseparation counseling, based on its assessment of the differing needs
of participants. As a result, DOD plans to eliminate the "one size fits
all" approach currently in place. For full-time active duty service
members, it has drafted an updated counseling checklist, and to meet the
needs of demobilizing Reserve and National Guard members, it has drafted a
separate counseling checklist tailored to their circumstances.7 This new

7These new forms were approved for use on June 15, 2005. Page 7
GAO-05-844T

checklist provides benefit information applicable to demobilizing Reserve
and National Guard members, such as reemployment rights, employer support,
and loan relief. DOD is taking the same approach to the revision of the
guidebook and other materials used in preseparation counseling in an
attempt to make the materials more relevant for Reserve and National Guard
members.

DOL and VA are also taking actions to improve the information they provide
on benefits and services available to separating service members. DOL
plans to use focus groups and survey data to assess the strengths and
weaknesses of its employment workshop curriculum in serving the needs of
all service members. VA has improved its marketing activities by issuing
pamphlets, brochures, a videotape, and a wallet-size card with information
on how to obtain further information about VA health care and benefits. In
addition, VA has developed a new curriculum with video, slides, and a
script for DTAP presenters to follow. This standardized DTAP curriculum is
intended to provide extensive information on VA's vocational
rehabilitation and employment services. VA also issued a quick reference
guide to present information about vocational counseling, rehabilitation,
and employment services available to active duty service members as well
as veterans with service-connected disabilities. Along with this new
effort, VA continues its outreach campaign to contact all service members
in need of these services.

Several actions are also planned or under way to increase participation in
TAP. For instance, a draft DOD directive under consideration would require
all service members to attend the VA briefings and allow all who indicate
an interest to attend the employment workshops. This policy change would
be expected to improve program consistency, increase overall program
access, and encourage commanders to release service members to attend TAP
programs. In our review of TAP in 2002,8 we found that some service
members faced difficulties being released from military duties to attend
TAP because of the priority accorded their military mission or the lack of
supervisory support for TAP. In addition, DOL and VA are expanding the
availability of their employment workshops and veterans' benefit briefings
by offering them at some overseas bases where service members that are
likely to separate may access them. Further, the

8See GAO, Military and Veterans' Benefits: Observations on the Transition
Assistance Program, GAO-02-914T (Washington, D.C.: July 18, 2002).

Actions Are Planned or Under Way to Increase Participation in TAP

TAP managers with DOD and the military services are discussing the
development of a centralized database that would automate and manage
information on service member participation in TAP. The new system would
also provide a means to analyze information specifically relevant to
active duty or to Reserve and National Guard service members.

Challenges Remain in Meeting the Needs of Reserve and National Guard
Service Members

Despite the actions under way or planned to improve TAP, challenges
remain, particularly in designing transition services that better
accommodate the schedules of demobilizing Reserve and National Guard
service members. For example, staff who provide transition assistance may
not know when Reserve and National Guard units are returning for
demobilization, because national security concerns prevent the release of
information on the movement of large numbers of service members. Moreover,
the time schedules for demobilization vary by service and demobilization
site. Commanders are challenged with trying to balance demobilizing some
units while at the same time mobilizing others. They also must balance
getting Reserve and National Guard members back to their families as
quickly as possible with the extra time needed for transition assistance.
Table 1 describes some of the key differences in circumstances between
Reserve and National Guard members and others separating that need to be
considered.

Table 1: Circumstances of Reserve and National Guard Members Compared with Those
                              of Others Separating

Demobilizing Reserve and National Guard members Full-time active duty
members

During the demobilization process, little or no time is available to
address transition assistance issues thoroughly.

Most can begin accessing TAP services 12 months prior to separation or 24
months prior to retirement.

Most are demobilized at a location in which they do not work and Most attend TAP
                 at the same location where they work and live

live.

                              with their families

Some are likely to have serious financial issues. Most do not have serious
financial issues.

Most are anxious to reunite with their families and reintegrate into
Reunion and reintegration are not issues for most. the community.

Source: TAP managers with DOD and the military services.

We found that during their rapid demobilization, Reserve and National
Guard members may not receive all the information on possible benefits to
which they are entitled. Notably, certain education benefits and medical
coverage require service members to apply while they are still on active
duty. However, even after being briefed, some Reserve and National Guard
members we spoke to did not know that they needed to apply for certain
benefits while still on active duty.

To deal with the logistical challenges, the TAP managers for DOD and the
military services told us that they are considering the option of
providing some TAP components to Reserves and National Guard members after
they have been demobilized. For instance, VA could present its benefits
briefing and DTAP, where applicable, during a scheduled drill weekend,
after the service members have been home for 45 to 60 days. However, the
TAP managers told us they did not know how many Reserves and National
Guard members might be interested and able to attend such activities. They
also believed such an option would require additional resources and a
directive that Reserve and National Guard commanders allow sufficient time
for staff to provide the transition assistance. Meanwhile, DOL officials
told us that the agency was involved in three state pilot programs that
will offer a version of the employment workshops to the Reserve and
National Guard after they have been released from active duty and have
returned home. The pilot programs should provide DOL with a better
understanding of what is needed to ensure that the employment workshops
meet the needs of Reserve and National Guard members.

The men and women who serve in our armed forces, particularly now that the
U.S. military has increased its presence in contingency operations around
the world, put their lives on the line every day. For this reason, it is
important that the government do all it can to help servicemen and women
successfully transition to civilian life after service ends. To ensure
that members of the Reserves and National Guard have the opportunity to
benefit from transition assistance, we recommended that DOD, in
conjunction with DOL and VA, determine what demobilizing Reserve and
National Guard members need to make a smooth transition and explore the
logistical options for providing that assistance, such as opportunities
for employment workshops before or after their demobilization and
providing timely information about the need to apply for certain benefits
while still on active duty. DOD concurred with our recommendation.

Mr. Chairman, this completes my prepared statement. I would be happy to
respond to any questions you or other members of the subcommittee may have
at this time.

Contact and For further information, please contact Cynthia A. Bascetta at
(202) 5127101. Also contributing to this statement were Irene Chu,
Patricia L. Acknowledgments Elston, and William E. Hutchinson.

Related GAO Products

Military and Veterans' Benefits: Enhanced Services Could Improve
Transition Assistance for Reserves and National Guard. GAO-05-544.
Washington, D.C: May 20, 2005.

DOD and VA: Systematic Data Sharing Would Help Expedite Servicemembers'
Transition to VA Services. GAO-05-722T. Washington, D.C.: May 19, 2005.

Vocational Rehabilitation: VA Has Opportunities to Improve Services, but
Faces Significant Challenges. GAO-05-572T Washington, D.C.: April 20,
2005.

VA Disability Benefits and Health Care: Providing Certain Services to the
Seriously Injured Poses Challenges. GAO-05-444T. Washington, D.C.: March
17, 2005.

Military Pay: Gaps in Pay and Benefits Create Financial Hardships for
Injured Army National Guard and Reserve Soldiers. GAO-05-125. Washington,
D.C.: Feb. 17, 2005.

Military Pay: Gaps in Pay and Benefits Create Financial Hardships for
Injured Army National Guard and Reserve Soldiers. GAO-05-322T. Washington,
D.C.: Feb. 17, 2005.

Vocational Rehabilitation: More VA and DOD Collaboration Needed to
Expedite Services for Seriously Injured Servicemembers. GAO-05-167.
Washington, D.C.: Jan. 14, 2005.

Military Personnel: DOD Needs to Address Long-term Reserve Force
Availability and Related Mobilization and Demobilization Issues.
GAO-04-1031. Washington, D.C.: Sept. 15, 2004.

Military Personnel: DOD Actions Needed to Improve the Efficiency of
Mobilizations for Reserve Forces. GAO-03-921. Washington, D.C.: Aug. 21,
2003.

Military and Veterans' Benefits: Observations on the Transition Assistance
Program. GAO-02-914T. Washington, D.C.: July 18, 2002.

Military Downsizing: Persons Returning to Civilian Life Need More Help
from DOD. GAO/HEHS-94-39. Washington, D.C.: Jan. 21, 1994.

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