	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. 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. TAP’s Delivery and Participation Vary

The delivery of TAP varies in the amount of personal attention participants  receive, the length of the components, and the instructional methods used. Participation in TAP also varies. No data, however, are available regarding participation in the  VA components of TAP. Very few members of the Reserve and National Guard  are able to attend the 2 to 2 ½ days of employment workshops, although  they receive preseparation counseling. Several Actions Directed at Improving Program Content

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Related GAO Products

Military and Veterans’ Benefits: Enhanced Services Could Improve  Transition Assistance for Reserves and National Guard. GAO-05-544. Military and Veterans’ Benefits: Observations on the Transition  Assistance Program.
Why GAO Did This Study

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.

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. 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.