Airmen prepare for Transition GPS

by Senior Airman Jarad A. Denton
633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

12/13/2012 - JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va.  -- Airmen preparing to transition out of the military, either through retirement or separation, should prepare for a major change in the assistance program offered through Airman & Family Readiness Centers.

On Dec. 14, the AFRC will begin the process toward switching from the standard Transition Assistance Program to the newly-christened Transition GPS, or Goal, Plans and Success.
Transition GPS is a cooperative venture between the Department of Defense, Office of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Labor designed to completely revamp the transition program in an effort to combat the high unemployment rate among veterans.

"The goal is to help ready service members when they are preparing to separate or retire," said Sarah Corey, 633rd Force Support Squadron AFRC team lead and community readiness consultant. "It's been a huge change and undertaking."

Currently, TAP only requires separating Service members to receive pre-separation counseling. Transition GPS, through the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011 and the Veterans Employment Initiative, will expand TAP services to include mandatory attendance of a five-day workshop, with the possibility to attend further "optional" training and extensive one-on-one counseling designed to assist Airmen in making the shift from military to civilian life.

"This isn't a one-size fits all program," said Ann Gregory, 633rd FSS AFRC transition manager. "We want Airmen to set specific goals and make a plan based on them."

While the full program is scheduled to be implemented Jan. 14, Airmen who are one year from separation or two years from retirement are asked to contact their center to set up a pre-separation briefing time.

"We want Airmen to be as prepared as they can be when they enter their new life," Corey said. "Through Transition GPS, once they leave the military they will have better tools at their disposal."

Some of the tools to help Airmen transition into civilian life are a Personal Financial Readiness brief, Individual Transition Plan preparation and review, a three-day Department of Labor employment training workshop and a Military Occupation Code Crosswalk.

In order to get the most from these workshops, Airmen are asked to bring the following items:

· DD Form 2648

· Pre-TAP Assessment

· Verification of Military Experience and Training [VMET] sheet, can be searched online from a DOD computer

· OPRs or EPRs

· College Transcripts

· Credit Report, available from www.annualcreditreport.com, or FICO Score

· Last end-of-month Leave and Earnings Statement

· E-Benefits enrollment

· Copy of Medical Records

"It is really to the Airman's benefit to attend," Corey said. "Although the program is much more extensive, utilizing these workshops will truly benefit someone as they prepare to take that first step into a civilian life."