LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
A Transition Assistance expert from the Office of the Secretary of Defense visited Langley Air Force Base, Va., May 14 to review the impact from recent changes to the Air Force's Transition Assistance Program.
Due to the high-number of individuals utilizing the program at Langley, the OSD wanted to gauge how the program was progressing since becoming mandatory in November 2012, said Chief Master Sgt. Cheri Sanders, OSD Transition to Veterans Program Office performance evaluation manager.
The TAP gives service members tools to separate from the military and find a job in the civilian workforce. In addition to finding employment, members learn about resume writing, interviewing, networking and more.
Congress made the program mandatory to combat the rise in unemployed veterans. To ensure the program maintained its integrity throughout the change, Sanders visited Langley to sit in on a class.
"We wanted to visit multiple bases for a variety of reasons, and Langley was definitely a hot-spot for individuals transitioning into the civilian workforce," said Sanders. "The variety of other branches in the area provides another unique aspect to Langley's program."
More specifically, Sanders wanted to see how well the class was received by students. For Tech. Sgt. John Smith, 633rd Communications Squadron knowledge operations section noncommissioned officer in charge, the class alleviated many of his concerns and changed how he plans to reach his personal goals.
"When you look at transitioning, it is scary," Smith said. "I was raised in the military, so I don't know much about civilian living. This class has definitely changed that."
Smith also said his new insights came from the wide variety of information offered at the class. With different organizations working to make the program a reality, students can find what they need for any situation.
The Departments of Labor, Education and Veterans Affairs worked with Airman and Family Readiness Centers across the Air Force to create the TAP, said Sally Corey, a Langley AFRC team lead.
"With all of these institutions creating the program, the information within covers everything a service member needs to know before leaving the military, whether it pertains to employment or life skills," said Corey. "It is a five-day course, so they have plenty of time to absorb the information and ask questions about their specific needs."
Fulfilling the needs of service members is a paramount mission for the AFRC. For those transitioning like Smith, the TAP class more than met those needs; it gave him an opportunity to succeed.
When I came into the class today, I had a strictly planned future," Smith said. "Now I know a better, more efficient way to achieve my dreams."
For more information on TAP, contact your base's AFRC..