Apr112013
Hearing Transcript on Transition Assistance Program.
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TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
FIELD HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY OF THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION JULY 28, 2008 SERIAL No. 110-99 Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
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CORRINE BROWN, Florida |
STEVE BUYER, Indiana, Ranking |
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Malcom A. Shorter, Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, public hearing records of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs are also published in electronic form. The printed hearing record remains the official version. Because electronic submissions are used to prepare both printed and electronic versions of the hearing record, the process of converting between various electronic formats may introduce unintentional errors or omissions. Such occurrences are inherent in the current publication process and should diminish as the process is further refined. |
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C O N T E N T S
July 28, 2008
Transition Assistance Program
OPENING STATEMENTS
Chairwoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
Prepared statement of Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin
Hon. John Boozman, Ranking Republican Member
Prepared statement of Congressman Boozman
WITNESSES
U.S. Department of Labor, John M. McWilliam, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Veterans' Employment and Training Service
Prepared statement of Mr. McWilliam
U.S. Department of Defense, Don Keplin, State Chairman, South Dakota Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
Prepared statement of Mr. Keplin
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, William D. Fillman, Jr., Director, Central Area, Veterans Benefits Administration
Prepared statement of Mr. Fillman
American Legion, Department of South Dakota, Luverne L. Boes, District 13 Commander
Prepared statement of Mr. Boes
American Legion Auxiliary, Doris Ann Werlinger, Past Department President of South Dakota
Prepared statement of Ms. Werlinger
Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD, Transition Assistance Program, Susan Machetta, Community Readiness Consultant, Transition Assistance Program Coordinator
Prepared statement of Ms. Machetta
Geffre, Kimberly S., Servicemember, Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD
Prepared statement of Ms. Geffre
Krebs, Master Sergeant Roxanne, USAF, Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD
Prepared statement of Sergeant Krebs
Koopman, Mark, Servicemember, Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD
Prepared statement of Mr. Koopman
Lassegard, Sergeant Ole D., USANG, Member, 235th Military Police Company, South Dakota Army National Guard
Prepared statement of Sergeant Lassegard
Lassegard, Yvette S., Rapid City, SD
Prepared statement of Ms. Lassegard
South Dakota Department of Labor, Todd Kolden, Administrator
Prepared statement of Mr. Kolden
South Dakota National Guard, Major General Steven R. Doohen, Adjutant General, and Secretary, South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Prepared statement of General Doohen
South Dakota State Approving Agency, Shane A. Olivier, Veterans Education Program Specialist
Prepared statement of Mr. Olivier
Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary, Department of South Dakota, Diane Hickenbotham, President
Prepared statement of Ms. Hickenbotham
SUBMISSION FOR THE RECORD
U.S. Small Business Administration, William D. Elmore, Associate Administrator for Veterans Business Development, Office of Veterans Business Development, statement
MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
Post-Hearing Questions and Responses for the Record:
TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Monday, July 28, 2008
U. S. House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity,
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:00 a.m. MST, at Rapid City Central High School, 433 North Mount Rushmore Road, Rapid City, South Dakota, Hon. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin [Chairwoman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Herseth Sandlin and Boozman.
OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRWOMAN HERSETH SANDLIN
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity hearing on the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) will come to order.
It is an honor and privilege for me to be here with you today. I would like to thank our servicemembers, veterans and their families, in particular, and everyone in attendance this morning. I would also like to thank the distinguished Ranking Member, Mr. John Boozman of Arkansas, for joining us here in Rapid City.
Like other States across the country, South Dakota has seen many of its servicemembers activated in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over two-thirds of the South Dakota Air National Guard, 1,012 members, have actively supported the Global War on Terror (GWOT), since the September 11th attack on the United States, either at home or abroad, in 15 different countries.
In addition, since the terrorist attacks on America, the South Dakota Army National Guard has mobilized more than 3,200 soldiers. Also, the airmen and women from Ellsworth Air Force Base have been supporting missions in the Middle East since September 11th in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), including the 200 servicemembers that have been deployed, as well as many others deployed in Southwest Asia.
Many of our brave servicemen and women in South Dakota, and across the country, are returning in need of healthcare, employment, housing, educational, and other services. They deserve our best efforts in providing the resources to ensure a seamless transition from military service to civilian life.
On June 19th, 2006, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, under the leadership of then-Chairman Boozman, held a field hearing nearby at Ellsworth Air Force Base to discuss the Transition Assistance Program and the Montgomery GI Bill. During that hearing, some of our panelists suggested expanding evening classes or on-line resources to accommodate servicemembers and their spouses' work schedules. Others suggested making the program mandatory for separating servicemembers and expanding existing Montgomery GI Bill benefits.
Today, we are gathered here to reexamine the Transition Assistance Program and the progress we've made from two years ago. We will also have the opportunity to learn how the program is assisting our veterans in the seamless transition into employment and community life.
As the Subcommittee was taking testimony in Washington, DC, and elsewhere across the country, we learned: when and where transition assistance is most effective; how invaluable family support readiness is to servicemembers and their families; how National Guard leaders have worked to establish programs to assist families during deployment; how to ease the transition home following deployment for their members; and how more recent remobilization patterns often using small Reserve or Guard tactics pose many unique challenges.
As many of you know, the Transition Assistance Program was established to meet the needs of separating servicemembers during their period of readjustment into civilian life. The program offers job-search assistance and related services, such as: workshops on resume writing; interview process; labor market overviews; personal appraisal; and VA benefits. The program seeks to provide veterans with the skills and services needed to transition into the workforce.
During my time in office, I've had the opportunity to meet with many local government officials and veterans here, in South Dakota. In addition, this Subcommittee has received many recommendations from government, military officials, veteran service organizations, and concerned citizens from across the country. I'm glad to note that we have succeeded in making progress for our servicemembers and veterans during this Congress.
For example, included in the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, we were able to gain bipartisan support for language that would allow mobilized members of the Reserve Forces to use their Reserve Educational Assistance Program, also known as REAP, benefits for 10 years after they separate from the Guard or Reserves.
Furthermore, we made progress in passing the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act, which was recently enacted into law. This act will enable most veterans to attend a public 4-year college or university, with benefits covering full tuition. It also provides a housing stipend, and helps pay the costs of books and other expenses associated with attending school. Many of their dependents may also be eligible to receive these benefits if the servicemember meets certain enlistment requirements.
While this progress is long overdue, we must remain committed to reviewing all benefits and provide the oversight necessary to ensure effective administration of those benefits, which help meet the needs of our servicemembers and veterans.
I'm glad to see some of our panelists here today who were with us two years ago. We hope to hear more, from all our panelists, with regard to how the Transition Assistance Program can better serve our veterans.
I look forward to working with Ranking Member Boozman, and other Members of our Subcommittee, to ensure that our servicemembers and veterans are provided proper benefits to help them succeed in life after the military. The men and women who serve our Nation honorably deserve and should receive the best our country has to offer.
I now recognize Mr. Boozman for any opening statements he may have.
[The statement of Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin appears in the Appendix.]
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN BOOZMAN
Mr. BOOZMAN. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
A couple years ago I had the opportunity to meet with you, and I certainly remember the warm hospitality that was afforded us and is being afforded now. We really do appreciate that. We appreciate the staff, the district staff of the Chairs, who again have worked so hard to put all of these things on, as has staff in Washington.
During that time I was the Chairman, and I'd like to announce that your Congresswoman did such a good job as my Ranking Member here in the 109th Congress that I thought she should get a chance to be Chairwoman for the 110th, and I need to start negotiating with her to get my old job back. She does a tremendous job. The Veterans' Affairs Committee is a committee that people choose to serve on. It's very bipartisan. We work hard, and she and her staff have done a tremendous job.
We're here to hear from South Dakotans about their experiences with the Transition Assistance Program. TAP is designed to provide servicemembers with the basic skills and knowledge to reenter the civilian work. As such, TAP appears to have mixed results. It's successful because of the information being put out touches a wide variety of topics of importance to those in the military service. Unfortunately, a significant portion of servicemembers either choose not to attend or are not allowed to attend TAP scheduled training.
According to the July 17, 2008, audit by the VA Inspector General (IG), entitled "Veterans Benefits Administration Transition Systems for Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom," servicemembers and veterans in 2006 and 2007, only 43 percent and 47 percent of OEF/OIF servicemembers participated in that, falling short of the VA's goal of 53 percent. Clearly the VBA needs to do a much better job in reaching out to your veterans.
I'm also concerned with the same Inspector General report that shows that the highly touted Benefits Delivery at Discharge, or BDD, program is not meeting its goal to process benefit claims for severely wounded OEF/OIF veterans within 30 days. Imagine, of the nearly 5,000 claims received by regional offices, only 24 percent were processed within 30 days. The other 76 percent averaged 114 days, with some taking as long as 504 days.
Madam Chair, while oversight of the basic claims processing system falls outside of our Subcommittee, its performance certainly delays a disabled veteran's ability to access programs within our jurisdiction, such as vocational rehabilitation benefits and specially adaptive housing benefits. These two programs alone are essential to a smooth transition to civilian life.
With most locations providing TAP over a two and one-half-day period, members are literally deluged with information, and if they don't pay attention, they will likely miss something important.
Members of the National Guard and Reserves pose a special challenge because of the dispersed nature of their duty stations. In my mind, we need to do a better job preparing members of the Guard, especially those who own businesses, prior to deployment. We need to ensure that they have full access to all benefits and programs for which they are eligible.
Finally, many of those leaving military service will enter school or training programs under the GI Bill. I'm sure that most servicemembers are aware that the Congress passed, and the President signed into law, a new, much more generous GI education and training benefit.
I want to recognize your efforts, Madam Chair, to improve education benefits by introducing H.R. 5684 that greatly improved the education benefit. And again, I appreciate you and your staff really leading the way as we did get a new GI Bill that was signed into law.
You've brought together, Madam Chair, an excellent group of witnesses, and I look forward to the testimony. Thank you.
[The statement of Congressman Boozman appears in the Appendix.]
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Thank you, Mr. Boozman. It's nice to have you back here in South Dakota.
We will be in Arkansas later in the summer, having a field hearing for the Subcommittee. As Mr. Boozman mentioned in his opening statement, it's a bipartisan committee and one in which we are squarely focused on the needs of our servicemembers in a bipartisan way. It allows the districts of our colleagues to hear from servicemembers, local and State officials who have been working hard, in partnership with Federal agencies to ensure that our servicemembers and veterans have the full scope of benefits and programs to which they're entitled.
I want to welcome all of our panels testifying before the Subcommittee today. Before I invite our first panel up, I would like to take a moment to express my disappointment in the absence of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) today. While I appreciate the participation of Mr. Don Kelpin, South Dakota Chairman, the continued absence of the DoD officials is disheartening.
Ranking Member Boozman might recall the absence of a DoD official in our legislative hearing in Washington, DC. The participation of DoD officials would add tremendous value to these hearings, as we look to provide our servicemembers and veterans the resources they need and deserve.
We strongly encourage the Department of Defense to take a more active role in participating in all hearings, especially these field hearings, where servicemembers, veterans and their families provide feedback regarding problems with military deployment. We're concerned that one of the largest Federal agency in our country couldn't find a person from the Pentagon to attend this theater.
I would like to remind all our panelists that your statements will remain part of the record. Therefore, please limit your remarks to 5 minutes so that we may have sufficient time to follow up with questions once everyone has had the opportunity to provide their testimony. We've set aside ample time for testimony and questions, but remember that full written statement is already a part of the written record.
I'd like to invite the first panel up. Joining us on this first panel is Mrs. Yvette Lassegard, military spouse; Mr. Ole Lassegard, a member of the South Dakota National Guard; Ms. Roxanne Krebs, a servicemember from Ellsworth Air Force Base; Mr. Mark Koopman, a servicemember also from Ellsworth Air Force Base; and Ms. Kimberly Geffre, a servicemember from Ellsworth Air Force Base as well.
Thank you all for joining us. Please have a seat. We look forward to hearing your testimony.
Ms. Lassegard, I will begin with you.
STATEMENTS OF YVETTE S. LASSEGARD, RAPID CITY, SD (VETERAN'S SPOUSE); SERGEANT OLE D. LASSEGARD, USANG, MEMBER, 235TH MILITARY POLICE COMPANY, SOUTH DAKOTA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD; MASTER SERGEANT ROXANNE KREBS, USAF, ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SD; MARK KOOPMAN, SERVICEMEMBER, ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SD (RECENT TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ATTENDEE); AND KIMBERLY S. GEFFRE, SERVICEMEMBER, ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SD (RECENT TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ATTENDEE)
STATEMENT OF YVETTE S. LASSEGARD
Ms. YVETTE LASSEGARD. My testimony today reflects my personal views and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Army, the Department of Defense or the administration.
Thank you, Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin and other Subcommittee Members, for the opportunity to speak with you about my experiences of transition.
My name is Yvette Lassegard. My husband Ole is a sergeant for the 235th Military Police Company in the South Dakota National Guard. We have one son Aric, who is 6 years old.
Ole is a war veteran, having served twice in Operation Iraqi Freedom. His first deployment was a stateside mission at Fort Carson, Colorado, from February 2003 to January 2004. And most recently he served in Afghanistan from October 2006 to January 2008. I served as the lead volunteer for the Family Readiness Group for our unit during both deployments. This job was not always very easy, but it will be an experience I will carry with me for a lifetime.
During the first deployment, our soldiers were stateside, which, even though they were on home ground and it was not as stressful in the sense of the constant danger, it was no easier than their deployment overseas. They still were not home.
The transition back into our family and civilian lives went pretty smoothly on a personal level; however, even though the soldiers were considered veterans, I don't think they were always treated as veterans by society. Oh, you were only stateside. That's not so bad. It was no different in most ways. They were still away from their families, civilian jobs, homes, and they were treated as deployed soldiers by the military. These soldiers did have many of the same sacrifices, even though most people did not understand that.
When our unit was activated to go to Afghanistan two years later, it was very different. The stress level was higher. They were in a war zone again, away from their families, jobs, home, but there was more support from the public. People were more accepting of this real deployment.
When they came home this time, they were treated like veterans, even though most of them were already veterans before they were in foreign soil. The transition this time has been a little different. We both have become stronger, a little bit more independent in our time apart. Different things are more important to us, the most important being each other and our son. This time I worry about things like post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and what other things they may experience, but I do know I feel more prepared to help with what he may need.
I think our State does a wonderful job of helping the families of the soldiers both during deployment and transition back into civilian life. They work with me and the rest of the Family Readiness Group to help keep the families across our State informed about what's going on with their soldiers during deployment as well as help them prepare for the returning soldiers.
The program that—the programs that are offered are outstanding, Military One Source, troop and family counseling, the TRICARE benefits, and the benefits that the VA offers. I think that continuing education for both the families as well as the soldiers about these programs is very important, especially after deployment. I also think that trying to continue educating the public is important. When a National Guard unit is deployed, it affects everyone in the community. Not only do loved ones leave, but employees, employers, community volunteers or friends. These deployments bring back changed soldiers, whether it is a stateside mission or an overseas mission. If more people are aware of the effects deployment has as a whole, I think transition will be easier for everyone, especially the soldiers.
Thank you for your time.
[The statement of Ms. Lassegard appears in the Appendix.]
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Thank you, Mrs. Lassegard.
Sergeant Lassegard, you are now recognized for five minutes.
STATEMENT OF SERGEANT OLE D. LASSEGARD
Sergeant OLE LASSEGARD. My testimony is from personal views. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the Army, the Department of Defense or the administration.
Thank you, Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin and other Subcommittee Members, for the opportunity to speak with you today. My name is Ole Lassegard. I'm a sergeant in the 235th Military Police in the South Dakota National Guard. My wife Yvette and I have one son Aric. He is six.
I joined the Army National Guard in September of 1993 in order to pay for college. I'll have completed 15 years of service this coming September, and I will have 19-1/2 years of service when my current enlistment is finished. I do plan to serve a minimum of 20 or more years.
During my 14 years of service, I've been on State duty for one fire in the Black Hills, the Jasper fire. I have helped with snow and power pole removal in Watertown, South Dakota, after a major blizzard, and did security detail at Camp Rapid after 9/11.
I've also served active duty. My first deployment was a stateside mission in Fort Carson, Colorado, from February of 2003 to January of 2004. During this deployment we conducted law-and-order missions while active-duty military police from Fort Carson went overseas.
My second deployment was an overseas mission in Afghanistan from October of 2006 to February of 2008. During this deployment, my unit conducted several missions that consisted of detainee ops, which is enemy prisoners of war; convoy security; law and order on some—excuse me, law and order in some of the smaller forward observation bases (FOBs); customs missions on some of the smaller outlying FOBs; and also village assessments. Being away from our family was not easy either time. During my time at Fort Carson, it was very frustrating to be so close to home but yet not at home.
My integration back into my family life and my civilian job was fairly smooth. While being deployed in Afghanistan, things were a lot different. I was halfway around the world from my family and home. Being in a war zone was stressful. This time when I came home, integration into my family life has been a little different. Yvette and I both became stronger. My son Aric has finished preschool, and he is almost done with kindergarten and has grown up so much while I was away. The most important part of our life now is our time together as a family. My transition back to my civilian job has gone good.
Our demobilization was at Fort Carson, Colorado. The out-processing, including briefings and debriefings, were long and drawn out. A lot of us felt that some of it could be completed at our home station here in Camp Rapid so that we could have more time with our families, being gone for more than a year.
Once I was home, I was able to get into the VA at Fort Meade for a dental appointment within a week; however, my post-deployment medical checkup before going back to work was not easy. I was told at first I should get an appointment within 30 days. This did not happen. I was told several times that they were full and that I would have to wait. When checking back in with them, I was getting several different stories, depending on whom I would talk to. Things were finally straightened out, and I was able to get the appointments I needed. It was very frustrating for me to have to deal with this. But in all, the VA has been a nice benefit in which I will continue to use as needed.
Thank you for your time.
[The statement of Sergeant Lassegard appears in the Appendix.]
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Thank you, Sergeant Lassegard, for your testimony and sharing your experiences.
Ms. Krebs, you're recognized. Thank you for being here.
STATEMENT OF MASTER SERGEANT ROXANNE KREBS
Sergeant KREBS. Madam Chairwoman and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity of presenting my experience. I've been in the Air Force for 21 years and will retire at the end of this year. Since the Air Force has been my only career since the age of 18, I've never had the opportunity to gain the experience my civilian counterparts have with conducting a job search, preparing a resume or going on a job interview. Although my military career has allowed me to grow and develop into a leader who will be successful in any job I hold, the TAP workshop provided me with the fine-tuning I needed to effectively market myself to an eventual employer.
Over the past few years, I had numerous friends who went to TAP workshops here at Ellsworth Air Force Base and overseas, and every one couldn't say enough about the program. Although I've heard wonderful things about TAP over the last few years, I kept putting it off because something else would come up. Finally, in May of this year, I needed to, so I finally signed up for the 3-day June workshop at the base Airmen and Family Readiness Center.
This was the best decision of my career. Now I can't stop talking about the workshop to everyone I know who is separated or even thinking about retiring. During the TAP workshop, we not only learned how to write a resume, conduct ourselves during a job interview and what veterans programs and vet benefits are available, but we were also provided an opportunity to speak with real civilian employers.
The employers provided us opportunities to discuss with them what they were looking for in potential employees, how they view resumes, and their tips on conducting an interview. Once they finished briefing the whole group, they provided one-on-one opportunities to meet with the employers for further individualized feedback.
One final aspect was the volume of reference materials we were provided, from Web sites to magazines to books, all covering different aspects of the job search. One of the most priceless reference sites showed me how to convert military terminology into the equivalent civilian terminology, which allows my resume to be competitive.
Some people would argue why offer a career workshop, which costs time and money that the Department of Defense doesn't have when an individual could just go to a local college and pay for a similar class? I would argue that a local college can't design a class to meet the needs of our military culture. Only a program created for and run by both veterans and the military can meet the unique needs of transitioning military personnel.
I truly believe this is one of the most comprehensive and informative workshops I have ever taken throughout my life. I believe it will continue to help make a big difference in the lives of all military personnel.
Thank you again for allowing me an opportunity to present my experience with the Transition Assistance Program.
[The statement of Sergeant Krebs appears in the Appendix.]
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Thank you very much.
Mr. Koopman, you are recognized.
Mr. KOOPMAN. Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin, Ranking Member Boozman, Members of the Subcommittee, on behalf of the Transition Assistance Program, I would like to thank you for allowing me to present my information and give you three reasons why I support it.
After being out of the civilian workforce for 20-plus years, day one of TAP gave me a wealth of knowledge on getting back in the game. I no longer felt like an outsider looking in. Granted, I experienced information overload, but now felt that I had been given the competitive edge that I needed for my job search, with access to tools such as Web sites, job search, personal appraisal information and financial guidance.
Day two of TAP was even more valuable. It consisted of teaching me how to fill out a job application, master application; understanding the five different types of resumes, chronological, functional, combination, Federal and targeted; the importance to know how to complete cover letters; and finally, writing my own resume.
Day three was equally important as it consisted of the interview process. They taught us basic elements such as preparation, knowing the company, and know the job description—as basic as it sounds, we needed to be reminded of this; getting my 30-second commercial done, having to sell myself; finding out that there are so many different types of interviews, phone, board, one-on-one, e-mail, and that I always had to be ready to interview.
We discussed tough questions and how to handle them in interviews. I understood that I must be able to show the interviewer how I can contribute to this company by increasing their profits and satisfying their needs. Without the last half of the day to learn about personal veteran benefits, I know that I now have—that I would not have been able to protect my family and best use the benefits that are available to me.
In summary, I've explained why the three-day TAP classes benefited me and why I believe it is invaluable for all veterans. Please continue to support it as I do.
Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin, Ranking Member Boozman, Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for taking the time to hear about my experience with the Transition Assistance Program. This concludes my testimony. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
[The statement of Mr. Koopman appears in the Appendix.]
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Koopman.
Ms. Geffre, thank you for being here. You are recognized.
STATEMENT OF KIMBERLY S. GEFFRE
Ms. GEFFRE. Thank you. And, Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present information concerning my experience with the Ellsworth Transition Assistance Program and the reasons I support it.
I'm honored to have served my country for over 19 years. In May of 2007, I deployed to Iraq shortly after my departure, my husband relocated also for a one-year assignment in Central America. I've had the opportunity to benefit from many of the services provided at the Ellsworth Air Force base, including pre-deployment and post-deployment services, and most recently the Transition Assistance Program.
I've been out of the civilian workforce for almost 20 years. I was intimidated by the transition back into civilian life. This course provided me with the insight into areas I should consider prior to separating. I was given information to assist me in job search, to access the tools such as Web sites, personal appraisal information, financial guidance, et cetera. I only wish I had—would have attended earlier and had more time to get prepared.
The training I received was very informative and presented in a logical format. Lessons included how to fill out job applications, understand different types of resumes, the importance of cover letters, and the instructors even provided assistance to me in drafting my own resume.
I learned the keys to job search, such as preparation, knowing the job description and the different types of interviews. But lastly, I learned about the veterans benefits and specifically programs that I didn't know were available to me. Every military member should attend this class.
There is one area of concern that I have in applying for civil service following military service. Although benefits and preferences are available for veterans after separation, the hiring system for the civil service may not allow you to take advantage of the veterans preference until you receive the final DD-214 Form. In the past, a copy of this document was provided to the servicemember during their last appointment. A copy of this document at the outprocessing is now mailed to the servicemember and can take more than a month from the date of separation. Many members who are retired have spent up to 60 days on terminal leave attempting to secure employment, in some cases remaining unemployed for as long as three months before they can take advantage of the VA preferences because they have not received the DD-214 Form.
Compounding this problem is the complicated hiring system. In my current position, I have worked with this hiring process to hire a civilian employee. It took months. On USAJOBS.com, positions are listed that are not truly open. Two other civilian positions were listed within my own office that we were not hiring for, and there were positions open for months that remained unfilled because someone in the reviewing process determined the applicant was unqualified. This process was very difficult for the unit waiting for the position to be filled and frustrating for the applicants who needed employment and had applied, but had not received feedback on why they were found not to be qualified. This hiring system needs significant work.
Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin, Ranking Member Boozman and Members of the Subcommittee, I support your efforts to review and improve the Transition Assistance Programs offered throughout our Nation, and hope that the information provided here today is helpful to you.
This concludes my testimony. I'll be glad to answer any questions.
[The statement of Ms. Geffre appears in the Appendix.]
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Thank you, Ms. Geffre.
Thank you, to all of you, for your testimony.
If I could just start with a couple of questions. Let's start with you, Ms. Lassegard. While your husband was deployed, either stateside or to Afghanistan, did the Department of Defense or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ever contact you in any way?
Ms. YVETTE LASSEGARD. No.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Do you think it would have been helpful to have heard from one or both of those agencies with regard to benefits, or just soliciting from you information, or the needs of certain services to make things easier?
Ms. YVETTE LASSEGARD. I'm not sure. But like I said, our Families Assistance Center, they do what they can to train—you know, to train the family and soldiers coming home to provide as much information as they can, so that's what information we did get.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Looking back, at both of those deployments, what information that you didn't have at the time that you now have, would have been critical for you to know? Can you think of anything off the top of your head?
Ms. YVETTE LASSEGARD. No, I can't.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Is that something you could submit in writing? I know it's hard to think back to both of those deployments, and the information you may not have had at the time.
It goes a little bit to the question that I asked the three servicemembers from the Air Force base. Each one of you said, in your testimony, that during that last day, your last half day, you learned of veterans benefits that you didn't realize you were entitled to in the past, or didn't have the full scope of information. The same would be true of our members of the Guard and Reserve, particularly those who—when they separate from service after employment.
But in light of the testimony from the three of you, would you recommend that the Transition Assistance Program be made mandatory? Or do you think that there are trade-offs in making it mandatory, where perhaps people wouldn't get as much out of it if it were mandatory versus the word of mouth? Ms. Krebs, you described those who raved about how beneficial the program was.
Could each of you respond about whether or not you think it would be good to make it mandatory?
Sergeant KREBS. I think it would be good to make it mandatory. I think the problem comes in is that it is a three-day class, and then there's another half-day class with the disabled veteran part. And it's deployment rates. It's really hard, I think, and I don't know where you would target it.
Because there's a lot of—so much information given, it's really recommended that you take it almost a year, a year and a half before you separate, and then 4 or 6 months before you separate.
I think it's good. I just—ultimately, I think it should be mandatory. I just don't know how you work it into—
Mr. KOOPMAN. I also vote for making it mandatory. I think we could implement it even as not a 3-1/2-day class, but lengthen it to 5-or-more-day class with all the information that we're bombarded with. Five is probably realistic, but we could make it like the Noncommissioned Officer Academy. Of course, it's not a 6-week program, but a 1- or 2-week program where maybe at the 6- or 9-month point, it's just part of the transitioning out program.
It's—I'm very much in favor of it.
Ms. GEFFRE. I also feel it should be mandatory. In fact, I think it should be longer, and they also have up to 90 days of terminal leave. And so it's very difficult for them to decide in a few months how they're going to proceed from this point.
Especially with the GI Bill changes, we don't know how those benefits are going to play out. So it is helpful, and I think we should work it in somewhere within the Academy or within our service time. It is difficult to find the time, but time should be made for those.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Yes, Sergeant Krebs.
Sergeant KREBS. Just one more thing. There was one other thing I'd like to see maybe added. When you leave the military, especially for retirees, there's a lot of things that are specific to the military, such as the TRICARE, survivor benefit plan and a lot of those, just the retirement pay. A lot of those would be nice to see added, or just a specific class held. Or make it mandatory for military people, instead of having to go to 20 different offices, go to one location.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Be more efficient perhaps.
Ms. Krebs, you had said something about the helpful information of converting military terminology to civilian terminology. I've heard this from other witnesses, either in DC or in my district.
Are you familiar with anyone who didn't take advantage of the TAP program that really struggled as it related to that terminology conversion? Now that this is on a Web site, is that more easily accessible for servicemembers as an assistance tool in preparing for finding employment in the civilian sector?
Sergeant KREBS. I don't know specifically of anybody who hasn't taken the program. Like I said, Ellsworth has a great one. I did a year over in Korea, and they had a great one there. Pretty much word gets around, and you get into the program. Pretty much you figure it out, and the light goes on.
Military—I talk about the military culture, and we do have terminology that if you don't know, it just doesn't translate easily. So the Web site is a great thing. But I don't know of anybody specifically, unless you guys do, that maybe struggles.
Mr. KOOPMAN. We had one member in our class last week who took out all the military acronyms and then had a civilian friend proof it. And that civilian friend found two acronyms that he had swore he had everything out of there, so it's another world.
Ms. GEFFRE. My husband, coming back from Central America, the TAPS program is not available at the base where he was at. And without this course, I know he would struggle, I would struggle trying to retire without having the knowledge gained in TAPS.
It's invaluable, at least to have the ideas out there and available. I believe it should be available, because most of these people who are struggling when they separate don't realize how difficult it is to find a job in the civilian sector.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. That is very helpful.
I have one more question for Mr. Lassegard. But one comment, too. Mr. Koopman, you said TAP should be longer because you're bombarded with all this information. I think that's how all the members of the National Guard feel when they're in their demobilization site, right?
We're going to have General Doohen testify about some steps that will be taken to try to follow up on some of this information at times where it's versus TAP, which you're sort of looking at retiring, perhaps, or looking at leaving, now we're looking at a compressed time frame after a deployment.
I think, Ms. Geffre, you had mentioned pre-deployment and post-deployment in TAP. If you could comment. You had already specifically mentioned it would be nice if you could have more demobilization time at Camp Rapid than at Fort Carson.
Do you think if you had more demobilization time at Camp Rapid, that it would make it easier for processing some information that they're giving you about benefits and programs, and you had family there to help participate, versus being at Fort Carson and solely focused on getting home?
Sergeant OLE LASSEGARD. I personally believe that the big problem was, okay, once we were stateside, even if you were stateside, we were just about home. It was real hard to sit and concentrate on some of the briefings that they were giving us.
I feel that if we were at home being able to see our families, that it would have been easier to concentrate and maybe to integrate some of the briefings they were giving us with the family, because there's a lot of that at that point in time I can honestly tell you I wasn't concentrating on. And with the spouse there or other family member, they might have caught something that we wouldn't and said, hey, this is what they said. This is what you need to do.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Thank you.
Mr. Boozman?
Mr. BOOZMAN. Thank you, Madam Chair.
I think that's one of the biggest problems of advice. Guys, members that are coming home, there are certain things that just have to be done to make sure that the proper information is gathered and given to you. And it's really difficult.
I've had the opportunity to go to the coming home ceremonies, and things were literally—people are there that maybe haven't seen a child that was born while they were overseas or someplace else. So it's very, very difficult. And that's something that I think we're doing a better job of it now than ever, but it's just hard.
So again, that's something that we're going to work on, and we appreciate your testimony.
First of all, I appreciate all of your armed service. My dad did 20 years in the Air Force and retired as a master sergeant. He was as good as he could be, and yet I learned very quickly that if he ever told me to do something, I needed to get it done. But nobody—he didn't attend the TAP program. That was never taken out in his demobilization, whatever.
What good did you all—you went through the TAP program. What do you all do now? Where are you employed?
Sergeant KREBS. Actually, I'm still in the military. I am not due to get out for another 2 months.
Mr. BOOZMAN. What do you want to do?
Sergeant KREBS. Actually, I really like what you did with the GI Bill. I'm actually going back to college full time to get my teaching certification. So I'm really looking forward to what you did.
Mr. KOOPMAN. I'm seeking a management position in accounting and finance. So if there's anyone out there hiring.
Ms. GEFFRE. I have a year left. Right now I'm a paralegal, and I'm going back to being a mom for a while. My kids are still at school age, and I want to enjoy that while they still want me around, and hopefully get into a job that is more flexible as a parent.
Mr. BOOZMAN. I think your argument about why the DoD versus community college or some other, whatever, was very valid. These things, they're so much easier, you know, when you're listening. I know a lot of the stuff that you were hearing that you probably hadn't heard since you were recruited, you just don't hear that stuff anymore. And really, it's—some people don't really realize these are the benefits that you have and you're going to lose.
I'm also in agreement with Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin, and I think it needs to be mandatory. I think it needs to be in some way encouraged to take your extra career, because in a lot of ways, you know, you're transitioning to wanting to teach and the other professions, the accounting stuff or whatever. But it would be good if you were taking it 5 years before you got out so that you can start what you're doing, ancillary education, and pushing in that direction.
But it's hard. We're in situations that are difficult. We are doing a better job than we were doing before. But one of the concerns in the IG report that I talked about was again the fact that in some cases, and this probably is an example, and Reserve with the regular military as far as the number of people taking it, but this is something that I think we really need to continue to get those numbers up as best we can.
So thank you very much for your testimony. It's very helpful, and I'm glad that you had a good experience, it sounds like, going through the program. I think the important thing is that hopefully after you got done with it, that you had the ability to have sites to go to in the future and people to contact, you know, so that as you ran into a snag, you know, you'll be able to continue to get the information. So thanks again very much.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. I want one or two quick follow-up questions for the Lassegards. Yvette, you said you were lead volunteer for the Family Readiness Group, and you also said to stress the importance of continued education about the programs and benefits, especially after deployment.
Does the Family Readiness Group stay pretty cohesive after deployment? Are you aware of anyone who sought assistance from any of the agencies for that type of continued education and information you utilized in the Family Readiness Group as a vehicle to deliver information?
Ms. YVETTE LASSEGARD. I'm not aware of any, no, at this point.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Is that something that you think would be helpful, or would it be too difficult to keep it active, the Family Readiness Group versus those who don't separate from service at the 40-day, 45-day, during some of the training for National Guard members?
Ms. YVETTE LASSEGARD. You know, we always have the information for them, or we can always direct them to where they need to go to get the information. So I don't know how it—I guess it will work.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Then on the healthcare issue, Sergeant Lassegard, you had mentioned there was sort of some frustration that you understand you felt, as it related to some initial medical appointments.
Sergeant OLE LASSEGARD. Yes, ma'am.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Do you have any idea? It sounds like you were talking to a number of different people telling you a number of different things about why there was a delay. Were you ever given a justification or rationale that made sense to you as to why it was delayed? It sounds like you've worked through that now, but we need some information, we're charged as a full Committee, not just as a Subcommittee. But as a full Committee, we work closely with the VA to make sure we address issues that they need and resources to make sure that we don't have long waiting times, and especially when we focus on the OEF veterans receiving their care from the VA for a period of time.
Sergeant OLE LASSEGARD. When I first got in contact with the VA, it was in regards to the DD-214. I forget the name of the—the lady I talked to, but it would have been in the—anyways, basically what it boils down to is that she told me that within 30 days I should be getting an appointment for the post-deployment checkup.
And I called again to set up an appointment, and the individual that I talked to that made the appointments, scheduled the appointments, had told me the doctor that I see or I need to see is full, and he doesn't have any appointments open. And basically at that point in time it was 2, 2-1/2 months.
And I told her, I'm an OEF veteran, and I was instructed that I should be able to get in and see you within 30 days, and she wouldn't work with me. After going back and talking to a couple other people, I was eventually helped to get it straightened out, and they got me in within—basically within the 30 days, and I was able to be seen.
But it just seemed that someone wasn't getting the proper information within the VA at Fort Meade, and it—it kind of grated on my nerves, I guess you would say. It was real disappointing in that regard.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. I appreciate you sharing that with us, because one of the things that we've focused on over the last couple years is the seamless transition, whether that's a seamless transition from being in the military as a career, retiring and transitioning out. Or it's a seamless transition of being deployed and post-deployment and the readjustment period with families.
We appreciate you sharing that experience, and we appreciate all of your testimony today. Thank you. We're grateful for your service to the country.
Mr. Boozman may have other follow-up comment or questions as well.
I would just like to say I wish all of you the best of luck as you transition into the civilian sector, and we thank you for your additional commitment into the National Guard, and thank you very much.
Mr. Boozman?
Mr. BOOZMAN. Yes, Miss Geffre. You mentioned the problem with the disabled?
Ms. GEFFRE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BOOZMAN. And Mike was telling me that there's a special hiring authority. Were you aware of it?
Ms. GEFFRE. I am also aware of that, but you have to apply—if you don't go to a Transitioning Assistance Program like the one we went to, you won't know about those benefits to enable those servicemembers to take advantage of those, even if it's a service-connected disability. They should know about those things as it gets closer.
At the Academy, it could also be used as a recruitment tool. In some cases I understood that I would probably delay my retirement, because now I knew I could actually plan through these things. By waiting to attend, I had limited myself to that last year, so information about the disabled veterans preference is an informational tool that's not always known to all of us and TAP is time to learn about these things, informational tools.
Mr. BOOZMAN. And then even in the last year.
Ms. GEFFRE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BOOZMAN. How long—has that been going on for a long time?
Ms. GEFFRE. That's a fairly new process. The DD-214 forms were the last forms needed in order to apply and they are given to us in outprocessing at the base. That has been regionalized to Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) back in Randolph Air Force Base (AFB), TX. It's just one of those functions that they've taken back.
My understanding is it will take 4 to 6 weeks. Unfortunately, we have no experience with this yet because the program hasn't been running that long. One of the Airmen that is in my office is waiting for her paperwork to actually start this process since she'll be starting leave next month. It could take some time to get that form in order to enable her to get veterans benefits.
Mr. BOOZMAN. We need to see what's going on, the GI Bill benefits, whatever benefits are out there.
So, again, thank you very much for your time. Thank you for being here. I appreciate your testimony.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Thank you.
We'll invite our second panel up.
Joining us on the second panel is Major General Steve Doohen, Adjutant General of the South Dakota National Guard, who is accompanied by Captain Martin Yost, Program Manager of Family Support; and Miss Cynthia Porter, Advisor, of South Dakota Transition Assistance. Also joining us on this panel is Ms. Susan Machetta, Community Readiness Consultant at Ellsworth Air Force Base.
We were going to take this off. Now we're going to tack it up. So we apologize for the distraction. If the tacks don't work, we're just going to take it off.
[Reference to a Banner.]
We look forward to all of you being here.
Major Doohen, we'll go ahead and begin with you. You're recognized for five minutes.
STATEMENTS OF MAJOR GENERAL STEVEN R. DOOHEN, ADJUTANT GENERAL, SOUTH DAKOTA NATIONAL GUARD, AND SECRETARY, SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS; ACCOMPANIED BY CAPTAIN MARTIN YOST, PROGRAM MANAGER, FAMILY READINESS, SOUTH DAKOTA NATIONAL GUARD; AND CYNTHIA PORTER, TRANSITION ASSISTANCE ADVISOR, SOUTH DAKOTA NATIONAL GUARD, AND CONTRACTOR, ARROWPOINT CORPORATION; AND SUSAN MACHETTA, COMMUNITY READINESS CONSULTANT, TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM COORDINATOR, ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SD, TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
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