Mandatory TAP prepares DoD members for civilian world

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Cortney Paxton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Not many people - arguably any at all - make the decision to join the United States Air Force overnight and the same goes for the sometimes tougher decision to separate from the service. There are many questions that run through a service member's head before making the decision to separate or retire; and now, after the implementation of a presidential directive last November, all individuals leaving the Department of Defense are required to take the Transitions Assistance Program Veterans Opportunity to Work Workshop.

The five-day workshop has been operating at Malmstrom Air Force Base since last October, helping separating and retiring DoD members throughout Montana transition into the civilian world and find employment.

"The program is mandated for anyone separating from the DoD - this is all services," said David Burger, 341st Force Support Squadron TAP manager. "At Malmstrom, we service all branches because we have several of our sister services [in Montana]. We have Army and Marine Corps in Billings, we have the Navy Reserve, we have a [Military Entrance Processing Station] center and ROTC, so we see all of the sister services plus Homeland Security."

The program, which is standardized across the entire DoD, was mandated to help lower the unemployment rates of veterans, which, according to Burger, is almost double the national unemployment rate. Members separating from the DoD are encouraged to take the workshop one year out from their separation date but at a minimum, 180 days prior to separating. Retiring members should plan to take the workshop two years prior to their retirement date.

"To us, it's a year-long process," said Carmen Kubiak, 341st FSS work life technician. "When you're getting ready to separate, you should know about a year out - retirees about two years out. You're trained to be military, but you're not trained to be civilians and that's kind of where we come into play - to help you transition and make you become a successful member outside in society. It all can be overwhelming, so that's why it's good to take that year prior to start working those issues."

Before taking the TAP VOW workshop, members must first attend a pre-separation counseling brief, which outlines 28 different topics including benefits they may be entitled to after separating. Following the pre-separation brief, the member is scheduled for the TAP VOW workshop.

On the first day of the workshop, attendees participate in the "Military Crosswalk" brief given by Ashley Smith, 341st FSS work and life counselor, which teaches them how to take their military customs - career specific lingo, acronyms, etc. - and convert them into civilian terms for effective resume writing. The first day also includes a transitions overview and half-day budgeting segment taught by a certified financial counselor.

"One of the things people seem to forget about is when they get out, they're going to have to pay for their water, electricity, gas and prescriptions - those types of things," Burger said. "They may also no longer be tax exempt when they get home. We talk about that to help them identify what their financial needs are going to be in the future and we also encourage them to do a one-year projected budget of what they need to survive or maintain the lifestyle they currently have."

The second, third and fourth days of the program are taught by a DoD contractor from the Department of Labor. This part of the class teaches members about job search techniques, resume writing, interviewing skills and unemployment benefits offered by the Department of Labor.

Finally, the fifth day outlines the Veterans Affairs benefits service members may be entitled to after separating.

"I can say as a retiree - doing more than 20 years in the service - I didn't know how to do an interview and I didn't know how to write a resume," Burger said. "When you go through the TAP VOW workshop, you get what you put into it. When a person leaves, they should have all of the basic skills necessary to write the different types of resumes. They'll also know how to effectively answer interview questions and more importantly, how to search for jobs. I think the most beneficial thing is the last day where we go over all of the benefits that we as veterans have earned because there are so many benefits that we have that we may not know about. We spend about six hours on the last day covering all of the benefits that we have earned."

Attending the TAP VOW workshop opens a few other doors for participants. During the workshop, instructors identify each participant's interests using an interest inventory. Based on the results, members are able to attend one of three additional seminars based on what they plan to do after separating - an employment track, which outlines further how to write resumes and go to work; an education track, which is geared towards members wanting to go back to school; and the "Boots to Business" track for individuals interested in starting their own business.

"We teach the employment track with the Department of Labor," Burger said. "The two-day education track, which is taught in conjunction with the Education Center, shows individuals how to write entrance letters, how to fill out applications, how to apply to schools and things of that nature. Then, we also bring in the Small Business Administration for the two-day 'Boots to Business' track. They talk to members about the veterans' programs for starting their own businesses."
Although the class is mandatory for the service members retiring or separating, it's highly encouraged for the spouses of the separating members to attend the workshop.

"We always want spouses to come," Burger said. "One of the biggest changes in the new program is that the DoD is finally realizing that spouses and family members transition with us. In the past, it was focused more on the service member but now it's focused on the entire family as well. It's for them to get educated as well, because often times, when you transition they are too and need resumes and things of that nature. We have the Department of Labor there to answer any questions spouses may have about employment, too."

The TAP VOW workshop provides service members with hours of valuable information pertaining to transitioning into the civilian world. Along with all of the information members take from the class, the instructors provide participants with a list of the top 100 veteran-friendly businesses looking to hire veterans and the skills necessary to successfully find a job or school, or start a business in the civilian society.

"People get out of it what they put into it," Burger said. "If you go in with an attitude of 'I don't want to be here,' you're probably not going to pick up any of the skills necessary, but if you go in there with the attitude of 'I want to learn and figure out what to do when I get out and this is for my betterment,' then I think you'll have a successful transition."

For more information on the program or to sign up, contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 731-4900.