Transition Assistance Program: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:45, 9 July 2015

Revision as of 15:01, 18 August 2015

Line 2:

The '''Transition Assistance Program''' (TAP) is a [[U.S. Department of Defense]]-led program that provides service members with resources for life after the military. Other U.S. agencies that participate in the process include the [[U.S. Department of Labor]], [[Department of Veterans Affairs]], [[Small Business Administration]], [[Department of Homeland Security]], [[Department of Education]], and [[Office of Personnel Management]].<ref name="DoDTAP.mil">{{cite web|url=https://www.dodtap.mil/|title=DoDTAP.mil|work=dodtap.mil}}</ref>

The program offers curricula for Serviceservice members through classroom training and online through the Joint Knowledge Online portal.<ref name="JKO">{{cite web|url=http://jko.jten.mil|title=JKO|work=jko.jten.mil}}</ref>

==History==

In 1990, as the U.S. military's post-[[Cold War]] drawdown was beginning, [[US Congress|Congress]] authorized through {{USBill|112|H|4739}}, which became PL 101-510<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/L?d101:./list/bd/d101pl.lst:510(Public_Laws)|title=Public Law 101-510|work=thomas.loc.gov}}</ref> a set of benefits and services to assist military personnel in the transition to civilian life. Many of these authorities continued until 2011, when [[President Obama]] announced plans for the [[U.S. Department of Defense]] and the [[Department of Veterans Affairs]] to design a "reverse boot camp" to improve the transition from military to civilian life.<ref name="Obama Announcement">{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/08/05/fact-sheet-president-obama-s-commitment-employing-america-s-veterans|title=Obama Announcement|work=whitehouse.gov}}</ref>

In late 2011, the [[United States Congress]] modified the program through {{USBill|112|H|674}}, which became PL 112-56.<ref name="PL 112-56">{{cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-112publ56/html/PLAW-112publ56.htm|title=Public Law 112-56|work=gpo.gov}}</ref> Major modifications to the program authorized in PL 112-56 included mandatory participation for all service members, standardized curriculum and learning outcomes, expanded timeline and smaller class sizes, the requirement to have components of the program spread throughout a service member's military career, completion of [[Transition Assistance Program#Career Readiness Standards|Career Readiness Standards]], and the verification by a commander of a service member’s career readiness. On average, 200,000 service members leave the military each year.<ref name="Military separations">{{cite web|url=http://www.gao.gov/assets/120/111859.pdf|title=Military Separations|work=gao.gov}}</ref>

In 2015, the director of the Transition to Veterans Program Office, the [[U.S. Department of Defense]] office that governs the Transition Assistance Program, was nominated for the [[Partnership for Public Service]]'s [[Samuel J. Heyman]] [[Service to America Medal]] award in the category of Management Excellence for "her efforts to redesign the Transition Assistance Program" to comply with PL 112-56.<ref name="SAMMIE Award">{{cite web|url=http://servicetoamericamedals.org/honorees/view_profile.php?profile=412|title=SAMMIE Award|work=servicetoamericamedals.org}}</ref>