A&FRC provides critical program to Team Cannon

link U.S. Air Force photo: Staff Sgt. Alexxis Mercer

The Transition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as TAP, was initiated by the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011. The Veterans Employment Initiative requires that four congressionally mandated appointments be completed by all military personnel, regardless of branch, before separating or retiring from active-duty service.

“To put it simply, we are one of the last major requirements you have before separation or retirement from the military,” said Emily Calland, Airman & Family Readiness Center community readiness specialist. “Because of that, we are going to make sure all of your boxes are checked and let you know everything available to you before you re-enter the civilian sector.”

Pre-separation counseling is the initial point of the overall program. Air Commandos should make every effort to complete this step first. Members who are retiring can schedule this counseling up to 24 months prior to retirement, while those who are separating can attend up to 12 months beforehand.

“During this first step, we are going to fill out things like the DD Form 2648 and go over all possible veteran benefits and entitlements,” Calland stated.

The Transition Goals, Plans, Success workshop should be the next step members take. This is the only mandated step that has allowable exemptions. These exemptions apply to military members retiring with 20 or more years of active-duty service; members with documented civilian employment or acceptance to an accredited career technical training, undergraduate or graduate degree program; personnel with specialized skills which require deployment within 60 days; and Air Force wounded warriors enrolled in an approved Education and Employment Initiative.

“This Transition GPS is a five-day workshop and a collaborative effort between us, the Department of Defense, Department of Labor and Veterans Affairs,” Calland said. “Everything in this workshop is geared toward translating military skills to the civilian workforce. During this portion, the Department of Labor will teach job seeking strategies and interview skills that our members typically find extremely valuable. You then prepare a draft resume and conduct mock interviews with others in the course.”

“These mock interviews are wonderful because they allow members to practice things like salary negotiations,” she continued. “If you are applying in the federal sector, you know up front what your pay will be; however, if you enter the private sector, you need to do market research and know what benefits to ask for.”

There are also two VA benefits briefings that are mandated for all personnel; most Transition GPS workshops include this curriculum. Those people exempt from attending the workshop may attend stand-alone VA briefings, if available.

“The VA briefs on the final day,” Calland noted. “This briefing is also vital because they do not just cover medical entitlements, but also home loan and educational benefits.”

The Capstone is the final mandated appointment, which helps verify career readiness. This should be accomplished no later than 90 days before separation.

In conjunction with the A&FRC transition counselor, each commander or approved designee is required to sign the DD Form 2958 to document service member career readiness standards. These standards include having things like a 12-month post-separation budget plan and resume, as determined by the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

“I believe TAP is very important for our Air Commandos because such a small percentage of our nation has actually served — less than one percent currently,” Calland stated. “This means you come from a unique background; we want you to know how special and important that is, and how to sell that toward a future career.”

“This program is one way we are able to create an environment for our Airmen and families to thrive,” she continued. “We realize that everyone has unique skills and backgrounds, but everyone can still gain something from these briefings.”

For more information about Cannon’s TAP or to register, contact the A&FRC at 575-784-4228.