Testimony before the Subcommittee on 

Economic Opportunity, 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 

House of Representatives 

United States Government Accountability Office

GAO

For Release on Delivery 

Expected at 2:00 p.m. EDT 

Wednesday, June 29, 2005 MILITARY AND

VETERANS’ BENEFITS 

Improvements Needed in 

Transition Assistance 

Services for Reserves and 

National Guard 

Statement of Cynthia Bascetta, Director 

Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues 

GAO-05-844T 
What GAO Found

United States Government Accountability Office

Why GAO Did This Study

Highlights

Accountability Integrity Reliability

www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-844T.

To view the full product, including the scope 

and methodology, click on the link above. 

For more information, contact Cynthia A. 

Bascetta at (202) 512-7101 or 

bascettac@gao.gov. 

Highlights of GAO-05-844T, a testimony to 

the Subcommittee on Economic 

Opportunity, Committee on Veterans' 

Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives 

June 29, 2005

MILITARY AND VETERANS' BENEFITS 

Improvements Needed in Transition 

Assistance Services for Reserves and 

National Guard 

Jointly administered by the Departments of Defense (DOD), Labor (DOL), 

and Veterans Affairs (VA), the transition assistance program (TAP) is 

intended to help service men and women successfully adjust to civilian life 

after serving in the military. Originally created in 1990, TAP is composed of 

four components that are coordinated through meetings of TAP managers 

and interagency agreements. In fiscal year 2004, about 309,000 service 

members were released from active duty after serving at least 180 days and 

were eligible for TAP, including about 38 percent who were members of the 

Reserves and National Guard. 

TAP Time Frames, Components, and Providers 

Disabled TAP 

(DTAP)

TIME

COMPONENT 

ACTIVITY

PROVIDER

1-2 hours 16-20 hours 4 hours 1-4 hours

Preseparation

counseling

Employment 

workshop

Veterans'

benefits

DOD services DOL facilitators VA VA

BENEFITS

Source: GAO analysis.

Both the method of delivery and level of participation in the program 

components vary. Notably, few members of the Reserves and National 

Guard have time to attend most of TAP. Because they demobilize within 

days after returning from overseas, members of the Reserves and National 

Guard participate in an abbreviated version of some components and 

generally do not have time for any employment preparation. Participation of 

service members in the Disabled TAP component is unknown because VA 

does not track this information. 

DOD, DOL, and VA have taken actions to improve TAP’s content and 

increase participation among full-time active duty service members. 

However, they continue to face challenges serving Reserve and National 

Guard members because of their rapid demobilization. To improve program 

content, the agencies have updated, or plan to update, their manuals, forms, 

and briefing materials. To increase participation, DOL and VA provide some 

employment workshops and veterans’ benefits briefings overseas, and DOD 

is considering a policy change that would mandate participation in all 

components. While the agencies have not assessed when and where to offer 

TAP for members of the Reserves and National Guard, DOL has pilot 

programs in three states that will offer employment workshops after 

members return home. 

The increased role of the armed 

forces in military operations 

around the world, and the greater 

reliance on the Reserves and 

National Guard, has focused 

national attention on what is done 

to help service members transition 

to civilian life. GAO was asked to 

testify on its May 2005 report 

Military and Veterans’ Benefits: 

Enhanced Services Could Improve 

Transition Assistance for Reserves 

and National Guard (GAO-05-544) 

and to highlight its concerns about 

TAP for the Reserves and National 

Guard. That report (1) assessed 

TAP administration, including 

program participation, and 

(2) identified actions agencies are 

taking and challenges they face in 

improving TAP. 

What GAO Recommends

To ensure that members of the 

Reserves and National Guard have 

the opportunity to benefit from 

transition assistance, we 

recommended in our report that 

DOD, in conjunction with the DOL 

and VA, determine what 

demobilizing Reserve and National 

Guard members need to make a 

smooth transition and explore 

options for providing that 

assistance. We also recommended 

that VA keep track of service 

members who attend the Disabled 

TAP component to ensure that 

adequate follow-up is possible with 

this population, which may be in 

particular need of the services. All 

three agencies concurred with our 

findings and recommendations. 
Page 1 GAO-05-844T 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: 

I am pleased to be here today to discuss our review of transition 

assistance for members of the armed forces, including members of the 

Reserves and National Guard. The increased role of the armed forces in 

military operations around the world, and the greater reliance on the 

Reserves and National Guard, has focused national attention on what is 

done to help service members successfully transition from the military 

back to civilian life. Originally created in 1990, the transition assistance 

program (TAP) has four components: (1) preseparation counseling, (2) 

employment workshops, (3) briefings on veteran’s benefits, and (4) 

information for veterans with disabilities. Overall these components 

provide a range of information on specific services and benefits, including 

employment and relocation assistance, education opportunities, health 

and life insurance, and financial planning. Jointly administered under 

agreements among the Departments of Defense (DOD), Labor (DOL), and 

Veterans Affairs (VA), TAP is intended to serve military personnel who 

separate and members of the Reserves and National Guard who are 

released after at least 180 days of active duty. About 309,000 service 

members who left active military service met these criteria in fiscal year 

2004, including about 38 percent who were Reserve and National Guard 

members. 

As you requested, today I will discuss our recent report1

 on transition 

assistance, which (1) assesses TAP’s administration, including program 

participation and (2) identifies actions agencies are taking and challenges 

they face in improving TAP. My comments highlight concerns we 

identified regarding how transition assistance is being provided to 

members of the Reserves and National Guard. 

To develop the information for our report, we reviewed the legislative 

history of TAP, its program materials, and participation statistics. We also 

interviewed responsible officials from each of the three administering 

agencies, the armed forces, Reserve Affairs, and the National Guard 

Bureau.2

 In addition, we visited Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where many 

 1

GAO, Military and Veterans’ Benefits: Enhanced Services Could Improve Transition 

Assistance for Reserves and National Guard, GAO-05-544 (Washington, D.C: May 20, 

2005). 

2

As agreed, our report did not include the Department of Homeland Security, which 

oversees the Coast Guard, although both are part of TAP. 
Page 2 GAO-05-844T 

Army service members are sent after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our 

purpose was to observe TAP firsthand and talk with those who 

participated, including members of the Army Reserve and National Guard 

who were briefed during their demobilization. We also used for reference 

the body of prior GAO work on related issues shown at the end of this 

testimony. We conducted our work from December 2004 through April 

2005 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing 

standards. 

In summary, we found variations in the delivery and participation in the 

program components. Notably, few members of the Reserves and National 

Guard had time to attend most of TAP. The delivery of TAP varied in the 

amount of personal attention participants receive, the length of the 

components, and the instructional methods used. Participation also varied. 

For example, participation was higher for the mandated preseparation 

counseling and generally lower for the employment workshops, where 

attendance is voluntary. In addition, while full-time active duty service 

members may participate in the full range of TAP services, members of the 

Reserves and National Guard participate in an abbreviated version of 

some components and generally receive no employment preparation 

because they are often released from active duty within days after they 

return from overseas. The agencies administering TAP have taken actions 

to improve its content and increase participation, but they continue to face 

challenges serving Reserve and National Guard members because of their 

rapid demobilization. To improve program content, the agencies have 

updated, or plan to update, their manuals, forms, and other briefing 

materials, and DOL is assessing its employment workshop curriculum 

using focus groups and survey data. To increase participation, DOL and VA 

provide some employment workshops and veterans’ benefits briefings 

overseas, and DOD is considering a policy change that would mandate 

participation in all components. While the agencies have not assessed 

when and where to offer TAP for members of the Reserves and National 

Guard, DOL has pilot programs in three states that will offer employment 

workshops after the members return home. 

The role of the armed forces in the global war on terrorism and in military 

operations in Afghanistan and Iraq has heightened concerns about the 

assistance that these and other service members receive when they 

transition back into civilian life. All service members who have been on 

Background 
Page 3 GAO-05-844T 

active duty for at least 180 days are eligible for TAP, and those separating 

because of disability are eligible regardless of the length of their active 

duty service.3

About 309,000 servicemen and women separated from the military in fiscal 

year 2004 with sufficient time on active duty to meet the TAP eligibility 

criteria.4

 Of these, about 192,000 were members of the full-time active duty 

armed forces—the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Marine Corps. The remaining 

117,000 were members of the Reserves and National Guard, many of 

whom had been employed in civilian occupations before they were called 

to active duty. In recent years, more members of the Reserves and 

National Guard have been called to active duty and sent overseas than at 

any time since the Korean War. Further, the number of days they spend on 

average in active duty status has doubled since 1990, when TAP was 

established. DOD expects this trend to continue through at least fiscal year 

2007, with Reserves and National Guard members serving on active duty 

for a year or more on average. 

Each agency administering TAP is responsible for the content and delivery 

of one of the program’s four core components, as shown in figure 1. In the 

first component, DOD provides preseparation counseling, which includes 

a brief overview of available services and benefits. Separating service 

members complete a checklist during this component, certifying that they 

have been informed of the services available to them and identifying any 

subsequent services they wish to receive. The second component is an 

employment workshop conducted over 2 or 2 1⁄2 days by certified 

facilitators following a DOL guide. The third component covers veterans’ 

benefits, including disability compensation, and is often provided on the 

last day of the employment workshop by VA. VA also conducts the fourth 

component—the Disabled Transition Assistance Program (DTAP)—-which 

offers information and counseling, primarily on vocational rehabilitation 

 3

Eligible service members must be provided TAP while they are on active duty and 

receiving military pay, either as soon as possible within the 2 years prior to their 

anticipated retirement date or in the 1 year prior to their anticipated separation date; in 

either case, no later than 90 days prior to their discharge or release. The exception to this 

rule occurs when separations are not anticipated and less than 90 days of active duty 

remain. In such cases, TAP must be provided as soon as possible. 

4

We use the term separation to refer to the discharge or retirement of full-time active duty 

service members and also to the release of members of the Reserves and National Guard 

from active duty. Authority to call Reserve and National Guard service members to 

involuntary active duty is currently limited to 24 months, but members can volunteer for 

extended duty. 
Page 4 GAO-05-844T 

and employment options. Service members are required to attend 

preseparation counseling by law; participation in the other components is 

voluntary, unless DOD or the armed forces decide otherwise. For example, 

participation in the employment workshop has been mandatory for those 

separating from the Marine Corps since the policy went into effect in 

December 2001. 

Figure 1: TAP Time Frames, Components, and Providers 

Considerable time is set aside for the employment workshops. From 22 to 

30 hours are scheduled for the delivery of all TAP components, with 16 to 

20 hours devoted to the employment workshop. This emphasis on 

preparation for civilian employment is consistent with the purpose of TAP, 

which was designed to serve full-time active duty service members who 

generally had little prior civilian employment experience and might have 

difficulty transferring skills acquired in the military to the civilian 

economy. 

To facilitate interagency coordination and oversight, the administering 

agencies established the TAP Steering Committee. Chaired by DOL, the 

Disabled TAP (DTAP)

TIME

COMPONENT 

ACTIVITY

PROVIDER

1-2 hours 16-20 hours 4 hours 1-4 hours

Preseparation

counseling

Employment 

workshop

Veterans'

benefits

DOD services DOL facilitators VA VA

BENEFITS

Source: GAO analysis.
Page 5 GAO-05-844T 

committee consists of TAP managers from each agency and each of the 

armed forces. These TAP managers meet quarterly to discuss issues, 

propose initiatives, and act as a sounding board. In addition, as required by 

law, an interagency agreement called a memorandum of understanding 

clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the agencies involved in all 

components of transition assistance except preseparation counseling, 

where DOD has sole responsibility. However, separate DOD and armed 

forces guidelines establish the procedures governing demobilization of 

Reserve and National Guard members. Further, local installation 

commanders rather than TAP managers control demobilization schedules. 

Most benefits available to separating service members become available 

once they have separated and are veterans. However, service members 

must take specific actions while they are still on active duty to be eligible 

for certain benefits. Changes enacted in 2004, for example, permit Reserve 

and National Guard members called to active duty after September 11, 

2001, to obtain a year’s worth of health insurance coverage once they are 

released from active duty.5

 However, they must select coverage while on 

active duty and enroll within 180 days of release from active duty or forfeit 

their right to this benefit. Similarly, to obtain certain education benefits 

under the Montgomery GI Bill, members of the Reserves and National 

Guard must apply for these benefits while still on active duty. 

Delivery of the TAP components for most participants occurs at one of the 

215 transition offices located on military installations. However, Reserve 

and National Guard members usually transition at fewer locations, 

referred to as demobilization sites. Typically the demobilization process is 

rapid, often occurring within a matter of a few days once the service 

members arrive back in the United States from overseas. During 

demobilization, service members may be expected to participate in as 

many as 18 separate briefings on various topics, such as legal and medical 

issues, and scheduled activities, such as physical examinations. 

The delivery of TAP varies in the amount of personal attention participants 

receive, the length of the components, and the instructional methods used. 

Preseparation counseling, for example, may take the form of 

individualized, one-on-one counseling sessions of an hour or more, or it 

 5

Service members and their families can obtain a year’s worth of health insurance coverage 

for themselves and their families for each 90 days of active duty, as long as they contribute 

a share of the cost and continue to serve in a reserve capacity once they are released from 

active duty. 

TAP’s Delivery and 

Participation Vary 
Page 6 GAO-05-844T 

may take the form of group briefings, depending in part on the time 

available and the numbers being counseled. Group sessions are more 

common at large bases like those of the Army and Marine Corps, where 

many individuals are separating. Also, the Army has made use of 

technology and offers preseparation counseling at banks of computers 

that use interactive programs and include headphones so that participants 

can work independently and at their own pace. In the Navy, TAP may take 

place on board ships rather than at military installations. At some remote 

locations on land, TAP may be delivered by video or telephone due to the 

lack of trained personnel on-site. 

Participation in TAP also varies. For example, from fiscal year 2002 

through 2004, the Army had about 229,000 service members attending 

preseparation counseling—twice as many as any one of the other services. 

During the same period, the number of Army Reserve and Army National 

Guard members attending preseparation briefings at demobilization 

increased more than ten-fold, from about 9,000 to about 93,000. While 

participation was higher for the mandated preseparation counseling, it 

was generally lower for the employment workshops, where attendance is 

voluntary. No data, however, are available regarding participation in the 

VA components of TAP. Because the veterans’ benefits briefings are 

usually held on the last day of the employment workshops, VA officials 

indicated that the participation rates for their briefings should be about 

the same as the rates for the employment workshops. Regarding DTAP, no 

data are available to determine the number of eligible individuals, and VA’s 

records do not distinguish the number who participate in this component 

from the total of all recipients of VA outreach briefings.6

 To develop more 

accurate program statistics, we recommended that VA keep track of 

service members who attend DTAP to ensure that adequate follow-up is 

possible with this population, which may be in particular need of the 

services. VA responded that it is developing a system to track attendance. 

Because of their circumstances, particularly their rapid demobilization 

timetables, many Reserve and National Guard members cannot take 

advantage of TAP components offered to full-time active duty military 

personnel and instead receive much shorter presentations as part of large 

groups at demobilization briefings. For example, members of the Reserves 

 6

In March 2004, VA released its VR&E Task Force report, The Vocational Rehabilitation 

and Employment Program for the 21st Century Veteran, with several recommendations, 

including one calling for goals and measures of success to improve VA’s administration of 

TAP and DTAP. 
Page 7 GAO-05-844T 

and National Guard may be offered a 45-minute veterans’ briefing by VA, 

while 3 to 4 hours of veterans’ benefits briefing are provided to other 

military personnel. Very few members of the Reserve and National Guard 

are able to attend the 2 to 2 1⁄2 days of employment workshops, although 

they receive preseparation counseling. The TAP managers with DOD and 

the military services explained that the chief problem is the lack of time 

during demobilization, which is often completed in 5 days. In addition, 

many of the service members are anxious to return home and are not 

interested in prolonging their stay to attend workshops. Further, many 

may have jobs at home that are being held for them, so they may not need 

to attend the employment workshop. However, employment information 

may be useful and relevant for those Reserve and National Guard 

members whose businesses may have suffered or gone into bankruptcy in 

their absence. Other service members may have worked for companies 

that have gone out of business since their active duty began, while others 

might prefer to find better jobs than the ones they had before they went on 

active duty. 

Although several actions are under way or planned to improve TAP, 

challenges remain, particularly in designing transition services that better 

meet the needs of demobilizing Reserve and National Guard members. 

DOD acknowledges that this presents several unique challenges, that the 

service members have not been surveyed to determine how to meet their 

needs, and that further study might suggest ways to address the 

challenges, primarily in the logistics of when and where to offer TAP. 

To improve program content, the three agencies administering TAP have 

plans to take, or have taken, actions to update their TAP manuals, forms, 

and other briefing materials, including Internet sites. For example, DOD is 

updating information and reconsidering the topics to be covered during 

preseparation counseling, based on its assessment of the differing needs of 

participants. As a result, DOD plans to eliminate the “one size fits all” 

approach currently in place. For full-time active duty service members, it 

has drafted an updated counseling checklist, and to meet the needs of 

demobilizing Reserve and National Guard members, it has drafted a 

separate counseling checklist tailored to their circumstances.7

 This new 

 7

These new forms were approved for use on June 15, 2005. 

Many Actions Are 

Under Way to 

Improve TAP, but 

Challenges Remain in 

Meeting the Needs of 

Reserves and National 

Guard 

Several Actions 

Directed at Improving 

Program Content 
Page 8 GAO-05-844T 

checklist provides benefit information applicable to demobilizing Reserve 

and National Guard members, such as reemployment rights, employer 

support, and loan relief. DOD is taking the same approach to the revision 

of the guidebook and other materials used in preseparation counseling in 

an attempt to make the materials more relevant for Reserve and National 

Guard members. 

DOL and VA are also taking actions to improve the information they 

provide on benefits and services available to separating service members. 

DOL plans to use focus groups and survey data to assess the strengths and 

weaknesses of its employment workshop curriculum in serving the needs 

of all service members. VA has improved its marketing activities by issuing 

pamphlets, brochures, a videotape, and a wallet-size card with information 

on how to obtain further information about VA health care and benefits. In 

addition, VA has developed a new curriculum with video, slides, and a 

script for DTAP presenters to follow. This standardized DTAP curriculum 

is intended to provide extensive information on VA’s vocational 

rehabilitation and employment services. VA also issued a quick reference 

guide to present information about vocational counseling, rehabilitation, 

and employment services available to active duty service members as well 

as veterans with service-connected disabilities. Along with this new effort, 

VA continues its outreach campaign to contact all service members in 

need of these services. 

Several actions are also planned or under way to increase participation in 

TAP. For instance, a draft DOD directive under consideration would 

require all service members to attend the VA briefings and allow all who 

indicate an interest to attend the employment workshops. This policy 

change would be expected to improve program consistency, increase 

overall program access, and encourage commanders to release service 

members to attend TAP programs. In our review of TAP in 2002,8

 we found 

that some service members faced difficulties being released from military 

duties to attend TAP because of the priority accorded their military 

mission or the lack of supervisory support for TAP. In addition, DOL and 

VA are expanding the availability of their employment workshops and 

veterans’ benefit briefings by offering them at some overseas bases where 

service members that are likely to separate may access them. Further, the 

 8

See GAO, Military and Veterans’ Benefits: Observations on the Transition Assistance 

Program, GAO-02-914T (Washington, D.C.: July 18, 2002). 

Actions Are Planned 

or Under Way to 

Increase Participation 

in TAP 
Page 9 GAO-05-844T 

TAP managers with DOD and the military services are discussing the 

development of a centralized database that would automate and manage 

information on service member participation in TAP. The new system 

would also provide a means to analyze information specifically relevant to 

active duty or to Reserve and National Guard service members. 

Despite the actions under way or planned to improve TAP, challenges 

remain, particularly in designing transition services that better 

accommodate the schedules of demobilizing Reserve and National Guard 

service members. For example, staff who provide transition assistance 

may not know when Reserve and National Guard units are returning for 

demobilization, because national security concerns prevent the release of 

information on the movement of large numbers of service members. 

Moreover, the time schedules for demobilization vary by service and 

demobilization site. Commanders are challenged with trying to balance 

demobilizing some units while at the same time mobilizing others. They 

also must balance getting Reserve and National Guard members back to 

their families as quickly as possible with the extra time needed for 

transition assistance. Table 1 describes some of the key differences in 

circumstances between Reserve and National Guard members and others 

separating that need to be considered. 

Table 1: Circumstances of Reserve and National Guard Members Compared with Those of Others Separating 

Demobilizing Reserve and National Guard members Full-time active duty members 

During the demobilization process, little or no time is available to 

address transition assistance issues thoroughly. 

Most can begin accessing TAP services 12 months prior to 

separation or 24 months prior to retirement. 

Most are demobilized at a location in which they do not work and 

live. 

Most attend TAP at the same location where they work and live 

with their families 

Some are likely to have serious financial issues. Most do not have serious financial issues. 

Most are anxious to reunite with their families and reintegrate into 

the community. 

Reunion and reintegration are not issues for most. 

Source: TAP managers with DOD and the military services. 

We found that during their rapid demobilization, Reserve and National 

Guard members may not receive all the information on possible benefits to 

which they are entitled. Notably, certain education benefits and medical 

coverage require service members to apply while they are still on active 

duty. However, even after being briefed, some Reserve and National Guard 

members we spoke to did not know that they needed to apply for certain 

benefits while still on active duty. 

Challenges Remain in 

Meeting the Needs of 

Reserve and National 

Guard Service 

Members 
Page 10 GAO-05-844T 

To deal with the logistical challenges, the TAP managers for DOD and the 

military services told us that they are considering the option of providing 

some TAP components to Reserves and National Guard members after 

they have been demobilized. For instance, VA could present its benefits 

briefing and DTAP, where applicable, during a scheduled drill weekend, 

after the service members have been home for 45 to 60 days. However, the 

TAP managers told us they did not know how many Reserves and National 

Guard members might be interested and able to attend such activities. 

They also believed such an option would require additional resources and 

a directive that Reserve and National Guard commanders allow sufficient 

time for staff to provide the transition assistance. Meanwhile, DOL 

officials told us that the agency was involved in three state pilot programs 

that will offer a version of the employment workshops to the Reserve and 

National Guard after they have been released from active duty and have 

returned home. The pilot programs should provide DOL with a better 

understanding of what is needed to ensure that the employment 

workshops meet the needs of Reserve and National Guard members. 

The men and women who serve in our armed forces, particularly now that 

the U.S. military has increased its presence in contingency operations 

around the world, put their lives on the line every day. For this reason, it is 

important that the government do all it can to help servicemen and women 

successfully transition to civilian life after service ends. To ensure that 

members of the Reserves and National Guard have the opportunity to 

benefit from transition assistance, we recommended that DOD, in 

conjunction with DOL and VA, determine what demobilizing Reserve and 

National Guard members need to make a smooth transition and explore 

the logistical options for providing that assistance, such as opportunities 

for employment workshops before or after their demobilization and 

providing timely information about the need to apply for certain benefits 

while still on active duty. DOD concurred with our recommendation. 

Mr. Chairman, this completes my prepared statement. I would be happy to 

respond to any questions you or other members of the subcommittee may 

have at this time. 

For further information, please contact Cynthia A. Bascetta at (202) 512-

7101. Also contributing to this statement were Irene Chu, Patricia L. 

Elston, and William E. Hutchinson. 

Contact and 

Acknowledgments 
Page 11 GAO-05-844T 

Military and Veterans’ Benefits: Enhanced Services Could Improve 

Transition Assistance for Reserves and National Guard. GAO-05-544.

Washington, D.C: May 20, 2005.

DOD and VA: Systematic Data Sharing Would Help Expedite 

Servicemembers’ Transition to VA Services. GAO-05-722T. Washington, 

D.C.: May 19, 2005. 

Vocational Rehabilitation: VA Has Opportunities to Improve Services, 

but Faces Significant Challenges. GAO-05-572T Washington, D.C.: April 

20, 2005. 

VA Disability Benefits and Health Care: Providing Certain Services to 

the Seriously Injured Poses Challenges. GAO-05-444T. Washington, D.C.: 

March 17, 2005. 

Military Pay: Gaps in Pay and Benefits Create Financial Hardships for 

Injured Army National Guard and Reserve Soldiers. GAO-05-125. 

Washington, D.C.: Feb. 17, 2005. 

Military Pay: Gaps in Pay and Benefits Create Financial Hardships for 

Injured Army National Guard and Reserve Soldiers. GAO-05-322T. 

Washington, D.C.: Feb. 17, 2005. 

Vocational Rehabilitation: More VA and DOD Collaboration Needed to 

Expedite Services for Seriously Injured Servicemembers. GAO-05-167. 

Washington, D.C.: Jan. 14, 2005. 

Military Personnel: DOD Needs to Address Long-term Reserve Force 

Availability and Related Mobilization and Demobilization Issues. 

GAO-04-1031. Washington, D.C.: Sept. 15, 2004. 

Military Personnel: DOD Actions Needed to Improve the Efficiency of 

Mobilizations for Reserve Forces. GAO-03-921. Washington, D.C.: Aug. 21, 

2003. 

Military and Veterans’ Benefits: Observations on the Transition 

Assistance Program. GAO-02-914T. Washington, D.C.: July 18, 2002. 

Military Downsizing: Persons Returning to Civilian Life Need More 

Help from DOD. GAO/HEHS-94-39. Washington, D.C.: Jan. 21, 1994. 

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To Report Fraud, 

Waste, and Abuse in 

Federal Programs 

Congressional 

Relations 

Public Affairs 

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