VA TAP?

Approximately 200,000 Service members leave military service and return to life as civilians, a process known as military to civilian transition every year. To aid in that transition, Congress has passed various laws intended to prepare eligible Service members and their families to face the many challenges of transitioning from active duty back to civilian life. In response, VA, and its interagency partners at the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Homeland Security, Department of Education, Office of Personnel and Management, and Small Business Administration have implemented various programs to carry out these requirements and ensure that Service members are provided with the tools and information necessary to transition into civilian life.

One of these Congressionally mandated programs is the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), which is an overarching program implemented by each of the military services (U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Coast Guard). TAP is designed to provide transition assistance, information, training, counseling, and services to eligible Service members. It ensures Service members are career ready upon separation, retirement, or release from active duty, tailoring the support to meet the unique needs of the individual and their family. This individualized approach enables them to pursue additional education, seek or return to employment in the public or private sector, start their own business, pursue vocational training, or other activities that meet their specific needs,