DIEGO GARCIA, British Indian Ocean Territory – U.S. Navy sailors attend a transition assistance program class onboard U.S. Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia this summer. Delays in classes cause problems for servicemembers. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Jesus O. Aguiar
WASHINGTON, DC — When the required transition classes prior to discharge from the military are delayed, servicemembers might not be aware enough about VA healthcare and benefits. That can affect their ability to undertake a smooth transition to civilian life.
Previous research has reported difficulties in that transition coincide with a higher risk for suicide and other mental health issues during the first few years following active-duty service.
It’s long been understood that the transition from active duty to veteran status is a time when returning servicemembers are most vulnerable, especially with regard to their mental health. For years, DoD and VA have worked to address this through their Transition Assistance Program (TAP)—a series of courses servicemembers take, ostensibly preparing them for civilian life. One of those courses is dedicated solely to VA healthcare and benefits.
Congress reformed TAP as part of the FY2019 defense budget legislation, adding a requirement that servicemembers start the TAP process at least a year in advance of discharge and that those servicemembers requiring maximum support attend at an additional two-day class on employment, higher education and vocational training.
Statistics compiled by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) show, however, that most servicemembers (more than 70%) are still not beginning TAP within 365 days of discharge and that the service branches frequently waive that two-day class for servicemembers deemed the most vulnerable during the transition process.
“We need to connect [veterans] with their earned benefit and healthcare, because veterans who utilize their earned benefits are healthier, they earn more, and they’re better set up for success as they reenter into civilian life,” explained VA Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs during a rare joint meeting of the Senate’s VA and Armed Services Committees. “Our success or failure … has lasting impacts on the military’s ability to recruit future generations of servicemembers.”
Since 2018, GAO has issued 12 reports about the servicemember transition process. While VA has made progress with some recommendations, DoD has not.
“DoD has not implemented a single [GAO recommendation],” declared Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS.). “Given these facts, I worry there’s a lack of understanding from commanders about the importance of prioritizing a positive transition and allowing servicemembers time to prepare for the next phases and their family’s phases in their lives.”
“30% Start on Time”
Asked whether DoD holds line commanders accountable for getting servicemembers to attend TAP classes on time, DoD’s Acting Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness Ashish Vazirani said, “What we’re seeing is that about 30% start on time. We know we have to make improvements there. We’re providing that data to the services.”
Regarding the mental health of troops, specifically suicide prevention, Vazirani said DoD is revising its suicide prevention training so line commanders can better recognize the signs if a servicemember under their command is struggling with their mental health.
“We trust our commanders to balance the needs of the regiment with the needs of the individual,” he said.
John Sawyer, GAO’s director of Education, Workforce and Income Security, was skeptical that DoD would achieve success in improving its TAP program without first looking at why the department was struggling in the first place.
“DoD should spend some time evaluating the root causes,” he told legislators. “Is it commander support? Is it culture change? Is it mission requirements? What are the reasons that are driving [the problem]?”
Meanwhile, VA has worked to supplement their TAP efforts with the Solid Start program, where the department contacts veterans at least three times in the year following discharge. As a result, the department has increased its success in getting younger veterans connected to healthcare and benefits. But there are still many veterans who access neither.
“Part of this could be that veterans under 40, and especially veterans under 30, don’t consider VA an immediate benefit, but they should,” Jacobs said.
Arthur DeGroat, the director of the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs at Kansas State University, has researched the transition process for post-9/11 veterans and suggested the TAP program might be woefully outdated. Earlier generations of veterans went to war once and then returned, he explained. The younger generation is frequently deployed multiple times to separate theaters, while maintaining a digital connection to their home life.
“How we utilize soldiers today has incredibly increased psychological demands,” DeGroat said. “They’re still managing their homes while they’re managing soldiers on the battlefield.”
Consequently, the transition needs of this generation of servicemembers should look different than previous ones.
“DoD didn’t use evidence-based approaches in revising transition programs to meet these modern, 21st century needs,” DeGroat declared. “Post-9/11 veterans are facing a greater transition challenge than any other generation. Three hundred and sixty-five days is daunting and unrealistic given what we know about adults making these kinds of life changes.”
