Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin, Ranking Member Boozman, and members of the Subcommittee, on behalf of the Transition Assistance Program attendees and instructors for several governmental agencies, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to present information concerning Ellsworth Air Force Base’s Transition Assistance Program.

Deciding to leave the service, whether through retirement or separation is an incredibly personal decision and it is essential that we make this program available early in the member’s decision-making process. For the program to do what it is intended to do, ease the transition to civilian life as well as ensure that the member is making a fully considered choice as to his or her career path, it is often needed two to three years prior to making the final decision. If the decision only involved where to work and what to wear, transition would be easy. But when you consider the financial and emotional aspects of this decision for the member and his or her family, how and where to settle, how to make best use of educational opportunities, how to best use the skills gained while in our service, and most importantly, how and when to access their benefits, this is a decision that should not be made in the last weeks or months of service.

Each quarter, we have increased attendance at the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) classes and we feel this is due to the quality of service and the flexibility with which we provide our services. A strong cohesive team built with our Airman and Family Readiness Center, Ellsworth’s senior leadership and all of the partner agencies from the Department of Labor and Department of Veterans’ Affairs help to solidify and strengthen our program. When we asked that commander’s attention be given to the needs of the service members and that they be allowed to attend early in the decision process (up to 3 years before actual separation or retirement), our commanders and first sergeants concurred and are now, where possible, allowing members to attend early to begin planning. Members are highly encouraged to bring spouses to the class and we are seeing an increase in spouse attendance. Having two sets of ears to capture all of the information provided greatly eases family stress – and ensures the spouse knows of the benefits available to them as well.

We encourage members to come back for refresher training and take advantage of just-in-time assistance with portions of the class as they reach the final stage of their career. Flexibility has been a must to make this happen. They may only need a private visit or an hour or two of the class – but if they need it, we make sure they have access to it. We see a huge concern of members is whether or not they will be prepared for employment as they leave the service. One individual attending class last year discovered that by staying in for an additional tour of duty, he could add $11,000.00 in benefit to his GI bill and begin working on a doctorate by finishing up his master’s degree while on active duty. In his case, attending the class was a valuable recruiting tool for the Air Force. Many others struggled with not knowing what they were qualified to do, or how to begin writing their resumes. To ease that burden, we provide over 100 open and valid job announcements from a variety of sources each and every month so they are working on solid employer needs as they craft their resume – and they have, through our joined staff efforts, many individuals to assist with fine tuning their resume before the end of class.

By attending the program early, they have a better understanding of what they will need, who can assist them, and immediate access to literally hundreds of employment and benefit websites and services. With attendance at the class taken care of, we have been able to assist many members from deployed locations with finalizing resumes, assisting them with search engines, preparing budgets that will actually work for them, ensuring insurance needs are taken care of, etc. Templates for cover letters, resumes, grammar tools, immediate access to detailed position descriptions, VA benefits – all are available through our local website – no matter who needs access or where they are located. When word got out at some of our deployed locations that Ellsworth members were able to work on resumes and benefits during down times, service members from sister agencies were able to immediately access the same information and receive assistance with editing or other needs. Members from other installations and services have specifically requested TDY orders to come from as far away as Oregon to attend our offering because of the personal service offered. An Air Force Reserve commander from Oregon recently brought his wife with him to a class as he knew he would be retiring near here in about six months. On the way back to Oregon from his TDY, he had a heart attack. His wife, who had stayed behind to assist family in the local area, found it tremendously helpful to have attended the program. She was able to assist him and his doctors in ensuring their lives would not be devastated by what had happened. He was able to finish his career and look into the benefits of regular or disability retirement and together, they made a decision that was right for them.

We continually monitor statistics on attendance and quality of service provided. Our Department of Labor folks review all statistics as well and have quickly responded to our needs – adding four additional classes per year for the past two years so that we can confidently say we never turn away any veteran or spouse of a veteran wanting to attend. One of the most critical areas of statistics that I see is the need to ensure financial stability of the veteran and ensure they understand the difference between pay and entitlements while in the service and what will be received after separation. When first assuming responsibility for this program, I saw that three-quarters of our separating or retiring people were greatly concerned about their finances. Unfortunately, when we only saw them in the program during the last month or two of their careers, there was little we could do. Now that we have changed the emphasis on when to attend to at least one to three years before retirement, the member has time to fully comprehend what will be needed and make necessary adjustments. Individual assistance with debt load or assistance with planning can now be provided. The results are significant – members are seeking assistance early on and are much more aware of what they need. We see fewer people stressed over finances – and new attendees to the class are often indicating they are attending not because of orders or brochures, but because a friend or co-worker recommended the program to them. We help our members create solutions and minimize stress!

Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin, Ranking Member Boozman, and members of the Subcommittee, we support your efforts to review and improve the Transition Assistance Programs offered throughout our nation and hope that the information provided here today is of help to you. This concludes my testimony. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.