Report to Congressional Committees

United States Government Accountability Office

GAO

May 2005 MILITARY AND 

VETERANS' 

BENEFITS 

Enhanced Services 

Could Improve 

Transition Assistance 

for Reserves and 

National Guard 

GAO-05-544 
What GAO Found

United States Government Accountability Office

Why GAO Did This Study

Highlights

Accountability Integrity Reliability

www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-544.

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-05-544, a report to 

congressional committees 

May 2005

MILITARY AND VETERANS' BENEFITS

Enhanced Services Could Improve 

Transition Assistance for Reserves and 

National Guard 

Transition assistance is intended to help service members successfully 

adjust to civilian life after serving in the military. Jointly administered by the 

Departments of Defense (DOD), Labor (DOL) and Veterans Affairs (VA), the 

four components of TAP are coordinated through meetings of agency TAP 

managers and interagency agreements. 

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 the level of participation may vary, with 

participation rates highest for the mandatory preseparation counseling. 

Because they demobilize within days after they return from overseas, 

generally members of the Reserves and National Guard may get similar 

information but not the time to participate fully in TAP. At demobilization 

they may complete their preseparation counseling forms as a group without 

individual attention; get 45 minutes of briefing on veterans’ benefits rather 

than a half-day; and receive no employment preparation. Participation of 

service members in the Disabled TAP component is not known, because VA 

does not track this information. 

The federal agencies have taken actions to improve TAP’s content and 

increase participation among full-time active duty military personnel but 

face challenges serving Reserve and National Guard members because of 

their rapid demobilization. To improve content, the agencies have updated, 

or plan to update, their manuals, forms, and other 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 mandating 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 National Defense 

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 

2005 mandated that GAO review 

whether the transition assistance 

program (TAP) is meeting the 

needs of service members leaving 

the military. GAO (1) assessed TAP 

administration, including program 

participation, and (2) identified 

actions agencies are taking to 

improve TAP and challenges that 

remain. 

TAP serves military personnel with 

at least 180 days of active duty who 

separate or retire and members of 

the Reserves and National Guard 

who are released from active duty, 

a process termed demobilization. 

Recently, the Reserves and 

National Guard have been called to 

active duty in greater numbers than 

at any other time since the Korean 

War. 

What GAO Recommends

We recommend that DOD, in 

conjunction with DOL and VA, 

determine what demobilizing 

Reserve and National Guard 

members need to make a smooth 

transition and explore options to 

enhance their participation, such as 

employment workshops before or 

after their demobilization and 

timely information about the need 

to apply for certain benefits while 

still on active duty. GAO also 

recommends that VA take steps to 

ascertain the level of participation 

of service members in the Disabled 

TAP component. All three agencies 

concurred with our findings and 

recommendations. 
Page i GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Letter 1

Results in Brief 2 

Background 4 

Administration of the Four Components of TAP and Participation 

Vary by Service 7 

Many Actions are Under Way to Improve TAP, but Challenges 

Remain in Meeting the Needs of Reserves and National Guard 18 

Conclusions 24 

Recommendations for Executive Action 24 

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation 25 

Appendix I Scope and Methodology 27 

Appendix II Checklist Used by the Armed Forces in Preseparation 

Counseling until Fiscal Year 2005 29 

Appendix III Transition Assistance Funding by Military Service, 

Fiscal Years 2002 through 2004 31 

Appendix IV Scheduling and Delivery of TAP Components at 

Military Installations 32 

Appendix V Employment Workshop Critique Form for Completion 

by Participants 34 

Appendix VI Participation in Transition Assistance Program by 

Component, Fiscal Year, and Military Service 35 

Contents 
Page ii GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Appendix VII Changes Planned in 2005 to Checklists Used by the 

Armed Forces in Preseparation Counseling 37 

Appendix VIII Overseas Locations Where DOL and VA Provide TAP 40 

Appendix IX Comments from the Department of Defense 41 

Appendix X Comments from the Department of Labor 43 

Appendix XI Comments from the Department of Veterans Affairs 45 

Appendix XII GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments 49 

Related GAO Products 50 

Table 

Table 1: Circumstances of Reserve and National Guard Members 

Compared with Those of Others Separating 22 

Figures 

Figure 1: TAP Time Frames, Components, and Providers 9 

Figure 2: The Key Interagency Agreement and Committees 

Involved in Coordination and Oversight of TAP 13 
Page iii GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Abbreviations 

TAP transition assistance program 

DOL Department of Labor 

DOD Department of Defense 

DTAP Disabled Transition Assistance Program 

VA Department of Veterans Affairs 

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Page 1 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

May 20, 2005 

The Honorable John W. Warner 

Chairman 

The Honorable Carl Levin 

Ranking Minority Member 

Committee on Armed Services 

United States Senate 

The Honorable Duncan Hunter 

Chairman 

The Honorable Ike Skelton 

Ranking Minority Member 

Committee on Armed Services 

House of Representatives 

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 servicemen and women 

successfully transition to civilian life after serving in the military. 

Originally created in 1990, the transition assistance program (TAP) 

provides information on specific benefits and services, 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 

demobilize after at least 180 days of active duty. Over 300,000 servicemen 

and women met these criteria and were eligible for TAP in fiscal year 2004. 

Concerns about the needs of transitioning service members—including 

those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan—and whether TAP is meeting 

their needs---are raised in the National Defense Authorization Act for 

Fiscal Year 2005, which mandated a GAO report on TAP. This report 

(1) assesses TAP’s administration, including program participation, and 

(2) identifies actions agencies are taking to improve TAP as well as the 

challenges that remain. 

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

history of TAP, including records of congressional hearings, and 

interviewed responsible officials, including TAP program managers, from 

United States Government Accountability Office

Washington, DC 20548 
Page 2 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

DOD, the armed forces and commands, the National Guard Bureau, VA, 

and DOL. We also reviewed TAP program materials, including guides and 

manuals prepared for participants and facilitators as well as slides and 

videos. We compiled and analyzed statistics on TAP program participation 

and surveyed selected veterans’ service organizations. We also visited Fort 

Bragg, North Carolina, to talk to participants and observe briefings for 

members of the Army Reserve and National Guard being demobilized 

there as well as TAP sessions for others separating at the base. As agreed, 

the Coast Guard, which is overseen by Homeland Security, was not 

included in our review. To assess the reliability of the data on the numbers 

separating and on their TAP program participation, we reviewed 

documentation on the data systems and data entry, interviewed 

knowledgeable agency officials, and worked closely with them to 

understand or correct discrepancies. We determined that the numbers of 

service members separating and participating were sufficiently reliable for 

the purposes of this report, but that the participation rates we derived 

from these numbers represent approximations, as explained in a more 

detailed description of our methodology in appendix I. We conducted our 

work from December 2004 through April 2005 in accordance with 

generally accepted government auditing standards. 

While the federal agencies responsible for TAP work closely to coordinate 

their administration of the four components of TAP, the method of 

delivery and the level of participation may vary. The TAP components are 

1. the armed forces’ preseparation counseling on a range of services and 

benefits, 

2. DOL’s employment workshops, 

3. VA’s briefings on benefits available to all veterans, and 

4. VA’s disabled transition assistance program (DTAP) on vocational 

rehabilitation for individuals who have, or think they may have, a 

disability. 

The program emphasizes the workshops that help service members 

prepare for civilian employment, but preseparation counseling is the only 

component where attendance is mandatory. The administration of TAP is 

coordinated through regular meetings of TAP managers from each federal 

agency and the armed forces in accordance with interagency agreements. 

The delivery of TAP may vary in terms of the amount of personal attention 

Results in Brief 
Page 3 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

participants receive, the length of the components, and the instructional 

methods used. Participation also varies, depending in part on the 

circumstances of the service members involved. For example, full-time 

active duty service members who are separating from the military may 

receive individual assistance in their preseparation counseling, a half day 

of information on veterans’ benefits, and 2 days of employment workshops 

under TAP. By comparison, members of the Reserves and National Guard 

generally do not attend formal TAP components because they are often 

released from active duty a few days after they return from overseas. 

During demobilization, they receive preseparation counseling as a group 

and may also be briefed for 45 minutes on veterans’ benefits, but few 

attend any employment workshops. For DTAP, the level of participation of 

Reserves, National Guard and other separating service members is 

unknown because VA does not track this information. 

The agencies administering the transition program have taken several 

actions to improve TAP and increase participation, but they face 

challenges in tailoring the program to the Reserves and National Guard. To 

improve program content, the three agencies have plans to take, or have 

taken, actions to update their manuals, forms, and other briefing materials, 

including Internet sites. DOL is assessing its employment workshop 

curriculum using focus groups and survey data. To increase participation, 

both DOL and VA have expanded availability and now offer employment 

workshops and veterans’ benefits briefings at some overseas bases so that 

service members likely to separate there have the opportunity to attend 

TAP. In addition, 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. However, agencies face 

the challenges of providing TAP so its timing and location can 

accommodate the Reserves and National Guard. During their rapid 

demobilization, the 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 were not aware of the 

time frames within which they needed to act to secure certain benefits 

before returning home. In addition, most members of the Reserves and 

National Guard did not have the opportunity to attend an employment 

workshop during demobilization. TAP managers are concerned about 

meeting the needs of these service members but do not have information 

on the number interested, the appropriate topics, or the optimal timing 

and location. DOL told us that three state pilot programs will offer a 
Page 4 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

version of the employment workshop to the Reserves and National Guard 

after they have been released from active duty and have returned home. 

We recommend that DOD, in conjunction with DOL and VA, determine 

what demobilizing Reserve and National Guard members need to make a 

smooth transition and explore options to enhance their participation in 

TAP. In addition, we recommend that VA take steps to determine the level 

of participation in DTAP to ensure those who may have especially 

complex needs are being served. 

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. The National Defense Authorization Act 

for Fiscal Year 20051

 mandated that GAO report on TAP for service 

members separating or retiring from the military and members of the 

Reserves and National Guard who are released from active duty in a 

process referred to as demobilization.2

All service members who have been on active duty for at least 180 days are 

eligible for TAP, but those separating because of a disability are eligible 

regardless of the length of their active duty service. The time frames for 

provision of TAP are spelled out in law. 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. 

About 309,000 servicemen and women were discharged or released from 

active military service in fiscal year 2004 with sufficient time on active 

 1

P.L. 108-375. This authorization also mandated a GAO review of mental health services 

provided by DOD and VA, including mental health services for service members and 

veterans with or at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. 

2

In this report we use the term separation to refer to the discharge or retirement of fulltime active duty service members and also to the release of members of the Reserves and 

National Guard from active duty.

Background 
Page 5 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

duty to meet the TAP eligibility criteria. Of these, about 192,000 were 

members of the full-time active duty armed forces---the Air Force, Army, 

Navy, or Marine Corps. Generally, the remaining 117,000 were members of 

the Reserves and National Guard who had been called to active duty in 

response to a national emergency and were later released. Many of these 

service members had been employed in civilian occupations before they 

were called to active duty and were training for their military mission 

during certain weeks and weekends each year. 

The use of the Reserves and National Guard has increased dramatically in 

recent years, with more called to active duty than at any other time since 

the Korean War. About 478,000 members of the Reserves and National 

Guard have been called to active duty since September 11, 2001, and about 

181,000 members were on active duty as of April 2005. Most of these 

members were serving with the Army---many on overseas missions, and on 

the front lines in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans. Not only have more 

members of the Reserves and National Guard been called to active duty 

and sent overseas, but 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 

Reserve and National Guard members serving on active duty for a year or 

more on average.3

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

215 transition offices located on military installations. This includes 82 Air 

Force TAP offices located in Family Support Centers, 53 Army offices that 

are part of the Army Career and Alumni Program, as well as the 62 Navy 

offices and 18 Marine Corps offices that constitute their respective 

Transition Assistance Management Programs. However, Reserve and 

National Guard members who were called to active duty, served, and are 

returning home usually transition at fewer locations, referred to as 

demobilization sites; for example, the Army has 27 demobilization sites 

and the Marine Corps has 5 sites. Typically the demobilization process is 

rapid, taking a matter of days once the service members arrive back in the 

United States from overseas. The Army standard is to demobilize units in 5 

days, and it is not uncommon for military installations to get 2 days’ or less 

advance notice before returning troops arrive. During demobilization, 

service members may be expected to participate in as many as 18 separate 

 3

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 6 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

briefings on various topics, such as legal and medical issues, and 

scheduled activities, such as physical examinations. According to officials 

we interviewed, control of the schedule for demobilization is in the hands 

of the commanders of the installations where demobilization occurs, 

subject to guidance from the armed forces on briefing topics and activities 

that must be covered. 

TAP provides information and links to a broad range of benefits and 

services for separating service members to ease their transition to civilian 

life. The topics that must be covered in TAP are spelled out in law4

 and 

include employment and relocation assistance, education opportunities, 

health and life insurance, and financial planning. Most of the benefits 

become available to service members once they have separated and are 

veterans, but to be eligible for certain of these benefits, service members 

must take specific actions while they are still on active duty. The 

information that TAP provides on benefits and services needs to be 

accurate and up to date, reflecting the most recent changes in law. 

Changes enacted in 2004, for example, permit Reserve and National Guard 

members who were called to active duty after September 11, 2001, to 

obtain a year’s worth of health insurance coverage for themselves and 

their family 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 after they are 

released from active duty. Service members must select this coverage 

while on active duty and enroll within 180 days of release from active duty 

or they forfeit their right to this benefit. 

To take advantage of the various benefits and services, separating service 

members need to be aware of the benefits and services and know how to 

access them. For example, service members who have been on active duty 

continuously for 24 months and plan to pursue an education may receive 

up to $816 a month under the Montgomery GI Bill, if they have not 

previously declined the benefit. According to DOD, about 5,800 members 

of the Reserves and National Guard had been on active duty long enough 

on January 31, 2005, to qualify for this benefit, which usually is available 

only to full-time active duty military personnel. 

TAP is designed to serve as a gateway to additional information and 

services that are available, either while service members are on active duty 

or after they have separated and returned home. For example, the DOL 

 4

See 10 USC 1142 and 1144 for required information and services that constitute TAP. 
Page 7 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

workshop highlights many of the skills and techniques helpful in obtaining 

employment. After completing the workshop, service members can benefit 

further by refining their résumés, practicing their interviewing skills, and 

using computers to conduct job searches. To take advantage of 

opportunities to do so, they are welcome to return to TAP offices on 

military installations. Even after service members have separated from 

active duty, DOD policy permits them to use the services at military 

installations during the 180 days following their separation. They are also 

encouraged to contact state workforce agencies’ One-Stop Career Centers 

near their homes for further employment and training services. 

In our review of TAP in 2002,5

 we found that the program was available to 

service members but not all participated. 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. For service members who were able to participate, TAP 

varied in content and delivery, in part because the armed forces were able 

to exercise their flexibility to tailor the program to better meet the 

circumstances of their service members. For example, some service 

members received additional services that were designed to enhance TAP; 

elsewhere, service members in remote locations got a shorter version of 

TAP or experienced the program through videos rather than on-site 

facilitators. 

TAP consists of separate components offered by DOD, DOL, and VA. 

These federal agencies facilitate interagency coordination through regular 

meetings and formal agreements. Participation in TAP varies by the 

component offered and the military service responsible. Preseparation 

counseling is the only component mandated in law and, accordingly, has 

had the highest rates of participation over the 3 years ending in fiscal year 

2004. In general, participation rates are lower for the voluntary 

employment workshop. Among the services, the Navy and Marine Corps 

report the highest rates for the employment workshop, with the Marine 

Corps attributing its high rate to its recent policy of mandatory attendance. 

Reserve and National Guard members returning from overseas may get 

similar information but generally do not have time to attend formal TAP 

 5

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

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

Administration of the 

Four Components of 

TAP and Participation 

Vary by Service 
Page 8 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

components during demobilization. Local installation commanders rather 

than TAP managers control demobilization schedules. 

The TAP program consists of four core components with a specific federal 

agency responsible for the delivery and content of each, as shown in figure 

1. According to DOD, the primary goal of TAP is to prepare separating 

service members and their families with the skills, tools, and selfconfidence necessary to ensure successful reentry into the nation’s civilian 

workforce. TAP represents the completion of the military personnel “life 

cycle” that begins with recruitment, continues through active duty service, 

and ends when the service member returns to the civilian sector. The first 

component is preseparation counseling that provides a brief overview of 

services and benefits available to those who are separating and is 

conducted by the armed forces. 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. The fourth component—the Disabled 

Transition Assistance Program, conducted by VA—offers information and 

counseling, primarily on vocational rehabilitation and employment 

options. It also covers insurance, specially adapted housing, and the 

Americans with Disabilities Act, for individuals who have or think they 

may have a service-connected disability. 

TAP Emphasizes Civilian 

Employment and Provides 

Information on Other 

Services and Benefits 
Page 9 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Figure 1: TAP Time Frames, Components, and Providers 

Preseparation counseling is the only component where attendance is 

mandated in law; participation in all the other components is voluntary 

unless DOD or the services decide otherwise.6 All separating service 

members with at least 180 days of active duty must receive preseparation 

counseling. This component introduces all the subsequent components, 

highlighting each of them briefly. Each military service is required to 

provide the counseling prior to release or discharge as specified in law and 

to identify the type and source of benefits and services available in the 

following areas: employment, relocation, education, health and life 

insurance, and financial planning. Separating service members complete a 

checklist during this component, certifying that they have been informed 

of the services available to them and indicating with a check mark any 

subsequent services they wish to receive, such as the employment 

 6

Participation in the employment workshop, however, has been mandatory for those 

separating from the Marine Corps, since the policy went into effect in December 2001. 

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 10 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

workshop. A copy of this signed checklist becomes a part of the individual 

service member’s personnel record and, according to DOD officials, is 

required before the service member can be separated or demobilized. See 

appendix II for a complete list of the specific services and benefits 

covered, as indicated on the preseparation counseling checklist. 

More hours are set aside for the employment workshop than for any other 

component. As shown in figure 1, from 22 to 30 hours are scheduled for 

the delivery of all TAP components, with 16 to 20 hours devoted to this 

workshop. This emphasis on preparation for civilian employment is 

consistent with the purpose of TAP when it was established in 1990. 

Agency managers explained that TAP was designed to serve full-time 

active duty service members who generally had little prior civilian 

employment experience and might have had difficulty transferring skills 

acquired in the military to the civilian economy. Many had specialized in 

critical skills, such as those utilized in combat arms, which could not be 

easily transferred to civilian occupations. Helping military personnel 

translate their military experience into skills valued in the civilian 

workforce was viewed as of paramount importance. Although the 

Reserves and National Guard were specifically identified in the law that 

established TAP, the program was designed to meet the needs of full-time 

active duty service members because most Reserve and National Guard 

members had not served in an active duty capacity long enough to be 

eligible for TAP.7

After separating service members complete one or more of the core TAP 

components, they may obtain additional, individualized counseling on 

specific benefits and services at TAP offices located on military 

installations. They may have access to automated tools designed to help 

them prepare résumés or cover letters to potential employers or 

opportunities to practice their job interview skills. Service members are 

also encouraged to contact state workforce agencies’ One-Stop Career 

Centers and VA hospitals for additional services after they return home. 

Although veterans’ service organizations do not have a formal role in the 

provision of TAP, they often serve as an informal referral resource for 

service members who seek their assistance. To varying degrees, the 

 7

Many members of the Reserve and National Guard were called to active duty for the 

Persian Gulf War, from 1990 to 1991, at the time when TAP was established, but they were 

demobilized after serving less than 180 days on average. For the next decade, relatively few 

were called to active duty. 
Page 11 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

veterans’ service organizations that we contacted were primarily involved 

in helping service members complete claims such as those for VA 

disability compensation, as well as claims for other VA benefits and 

medical treatment. Other activities performed by the veterans’ service 

organizations include briefings on VA benefits and advice and counseling 

on a range of issues. Many military installations have provided these 

organizations with office space where they can assist service members. 

Certain veterans’ organizations, such as the Disabled American Veterans, 

AMVETS, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, have taken advantage of this 

opportunity. For example, the Disabled American Veterans reports that it 

has 25 staff members located on installations who assist service members 

at about 80 military installations and 18 military treatment facilities. 

To facilitate interagency coordination and oversight, the federal agency 

partners established the TAP Steering Committee, which is chaired by 

DOL. Each federal agency has also designated a single person as the point 

of contact for TAP, generally referred to as the agency TAP manager. In 

addition, within DOD, each of the armed forces has identified a single 

person who is responsible, generally referred to as the service TAP 

manager. The DOD managers meet as a group on a quarterly basis and also 

with other agency TAP managers on a quarterly basis to discuss issues, 

propose initiatives, and act as a sounding board. Any problems that 

develop and are not resolved at the local level can be sent back to the 

Steering Committee for resolution.8

Broad planning and budgeting for TAP takes place at the federal level 

within DOD and DOL-–the only agencies that have funds dedicated to the 

support of TAP. DOD and the services estimate that about 200,000 service 

members, not including members of the Reserves and National Guard, 

have been eligible for TAP each fiscal year since 2001 and have provided 

an average of $45 million per year in budget authority. (See app. III for a 

breakout by military service.) DOL develops its TAP budget using DOD’s 

estimates of the number separating and historical information that about 

70 percent of those separating actually attend the employment workshops. 

DOL reports that in fiscal year 2004 it actually spent about $13 million on 

TAP. VA estimates that it spent $0.7 million in the same year for its 

 8

In addition to the committee meetings, annual conferences held in 2000, 2001, and 2002 

brought together all the entities responsible for TAP to share information on the program 

and, in some cases, propose improvements. 

Interagency Meetings and 

Agreements Assist in 

Coordination and 

Oversight 
Page 12 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

components of TAP. (For more information about the scheduling and 

delivery of employment workshops and other TAP components at the 

local installations, see app. IV.) 

To clarify the roles of the federal agencies involved, an interagency 

agreement is required by law for all TAP components except 

preseparation counseling, where DOD has sole responsibility. Pursuant to 

law, the roles and responsibilities of DOD, DOL, and VA for the transition 

program are outlined in a 1994 agreement called a memorandum of 

understanding.9

 (See fig. 2.) Under this agreement, DOL has the leadership 

role in delivering the employment workshops, DOD ensures that service 

members participate and supplies logistical support, and VA provides 

information on veterans’ benefits and delivers the DTAP component for 

separating members who have or may have service-connected disabilities. 

A separate 1993 agreement between DOD and VA outlines how VA 

provides its TAP components overseas, with VA providing the staff and 

DOD providing the funding and logistical support.10 In addition to carrying 

out these agreements at the national level, the federal agencies encourage 

similar agreements among state and regional offices and the installations 

located in their areas. 

 9

A revised agreement ready for signature in 2005 includes the Department of Homeland 

Security, the agency responsible for the Coast Guard. 

10According to VA, DOD provided $364,000 to VA for this purpose in fiscal year 2004, a 23 

percent increase from the prior year due to the fluctuating value of the U.S. dollar against 

other foreign currencies. 
Page 13 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Figure 2: The Key Interagency Agreement and Committees Involved in Coordination and Oversight of TAP 

Uniformity in the content and quality of TAP is achieved in part by 

standardized guidebooks and manuals as well as certification of 

facilitators for one or more components. For both preseparation 

counseling and the employment workshop, participants receive 

guidebooks or manuals covering topics identified in the law that 

Memorandum

of

Understanding

on TAP

DOL

Assist. Secretary for

Veterans' Employment

and Training

VA 

Under Secretary

for Benefits

DOD

 Principal Deputy Under Secretary 

for Personnel and Readiness

DOL manager 

VA manager 

DOD manager 

Air Force manager

Army manager

Marine Corps manager

Navy manager

 TAP Steering Committee:

Source: GAO analysis.

Agency TAP managers:

Service TAP managers:
Page 14 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

established TAP.11 Like instructional textbooks, the guidebooks and 

manuals help structure how these components are presented. In addition, 

manuals have been developed for use by the individuals who facilitate the 

employment workshops, and all workshop facilitators must be trained and 

certified by the National Veterans’ Training Institute.12 For oversight 

purposes and to help ensure the quality of the workshops, DOL asks 

participants to complete a critique form shown in appendix V. On the 

form, participants have an opportunity to provide comments and 

suggestions and also indicate on a scale how much they have gained from 

the information presented. DOL facilitators review the forms to assess the 

level of satisfaction of participants and consider suggestions for 

improvements. Although the VA components of TAP do not have 

comparable guides or manuals, VA officials explain that the slides and 

handouts they use can be more easily updated to conform to changes in 

the laws governing veterans’ benefits. 

The demobilization of Reserve and National Guard members, however, is 

outside the control of the TAP managers. DOD and armed forces 

guidelines establish the procedures governing demobilization and the 

topics to be covered, but individual installation commanders have 

discretion over the actual schedule. To provide TAP information to 

Reserve and National Guard members in 2003, the DOD TAP manager and 

service managers prepared written materials for distribution at 

demobilization. The materials included a laminated, pocket-sized 

preseparation guide written for Reserve and National Guard members that 

highlighted all of the benefits and services available and provided Web site 

addresses and toll-free numbers. 

Depending on the branch of military service or command responsible, the 

location, and other circumstances, the amount of time devoted to the TAP 

components may vary. Other variations include the extent of personal 

attention given participants and the instructional method used. 

Preseparation counseling may take the form of individualized, one-on-one 

 11For a copy of the October 2001 edition of DOD’s participant guide to preseparation 

counseling, see http://www.dodtransportal.org/dav/lsnmedia/LSN/dodtransportal. For the

November 2002 edition of DOL’s participant manual for the employment workshops, go to 

http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/main.htm. 

12For a copy of the 2002 edition of DOL’s manual for employment workshop facilitators, see 

http://www.nvti.cudenver.edu/tapfacilitator/home/index.htm. The Air Force also has a 

manual for personnel who conduct the Air Force preseparation counseling; see the March 

2005 edition at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/famops/trans.htm. 

TAP’s Delivery and 

Participation Vary by 

Circumstances, 

Component, and Service 
Page 15 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

counseling sessions of an hour or more or it may take the form of group 

briefings, depending in part on the time available and the numbers to be 

counseled. Group sessions are more common at large bases like those 

maintained by 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 while remaining part of a group. In 

the Navy, transition assistance may take place on board ship rather than at 

military installations. 

TAP varies in part because the military services are able to exercise their 

flexibility to tailor the program to better meet the circumstances of their 

service members. While some service members receive additional services 

designed to enhance TAP, others at remote locations may participate in 

TAP by video or telephone because there are no trained personnel on-site. 

Because of the demobilization timetables, many Reserve and National 

Guard members cannot take advantage of TAP components offered to fulltime active duty military personnel and instead receive much shorter 

presentations as part of large groups at demobilization briefings.13 For 

example, members of the Reserves and National Guard may be offered a 

45-minute veterans’ benefits briefing by VA at the demobilization briefing 

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

personnel on the last day of the TAP workshop. 

Participation also varies by the military service involved and the 

component of TAP offered. For example, the Army had about twice as 

many service members attending preseparation counseling as any one of 

the other services from fiscal year 2002 through 2004. 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. (App. VI shows the number of 

service members who separated and those who attended TAP components 

by military service.) 

As expected, estimated participation rates have been the highest for 

preseparation counseling where attendance is mandated in law. The 

 13The 30-minute briefing on health insurance options we attended during demobilization at 

Fort Bragg was longer than the time provided during preseparation counseling for other 

service members, but the other members would generally have more time while still on 

active duty to obtain further information, study their options, and arrive at their decision. 
Page 16 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

average rates for the three years ending in 2004 have ranged from 76 

percent to over 100 percent, depending on the military service. 14 Also as 

expected, the estimated participation rates are generally lower for the 

3,000 or more employment workshops held each year, where attendance is 

voluntary. The average rates for the three years ranged from 56 percent to 

86 percent. This represents the number attending the workshops as a 

percentage of all who separated and were eligible for TAP.15 The Army 

reports that about 20 percent of those eligible each year indicated that 

they were not interested in attending the workshops. The Marine Corps, 

which has mandated attendance at the employment workshops, and the 

Navy show the highest participation rates over the three years. Although 

the Navy shows higher rates for participation in employment workshops 

than in preseparation counseling, the discrepancy is more likely a 

reflection of reporting problems than of actual attendance, and the actual 

numbers of service members receiving counseling is probably higher.16

Retirees were disproportionately represented in the employment 

workshops. Across the armed forces, about one-third of all who 

participate are retirees, although they constitute about one-fifth of all who 

separate. The remainder are those separating or released prior to 

retirement. 

No data are available for 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 are equivalent to the rates for the employment 

workshops. In addition, VA told us that DTAP is provided to all service 

 14Some rates shown in appendix IV for the Army and Marine Corps exceed 100 percent for 

participation in preseparation counseling after fiscal year 2002. DOD explains that these 

rates reflect three scenarios. Because of the “stop loss” policy, some service members who 

expected to separate and received the required counseling had to remain on active duty. 

Other service members chose to reenlist, including about 9,700 Army personnel in fiscal 

year 2004. Finally, because the counseling is encouraged so far in advance of separation, 

some participants who received counseling in one fiscal year did not separate until the 

following year. 

15A more accurate rate would compare the attendance numbers with the numbers of those 

who indicated an interest in attending the workshop, but these data were not available for 

all services and years. 

16In the Navy, uniformed military personnel conduct preseparation counseling. Because 

these personnel often have other responsibilities or they are located aboard ship for 

extended periods of time, the manual records of attendance that are forwarded to 

transition assistance staff may be incomplete or delayed. DOD told us that the Navy TAP 

manager is working to improve reporting. 
Page 17 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

members who are receiving care or separating from medical treatment 

facilities by VA counselors who are located at or make regular visits to 

these medical facilities.17 However, no data are available to determine the 

number of individuals eligible for DTAP, and VA’s records do not 

distinguish the number who participate in this component from the total of 

all recipients of VA outreach briefings. 

Very few members of the Reserve or National Guard are able to attend the 

employment workshops, although at demobilization they complete their 

preseparation counseling checklists and may be briefed on veterans’ 

benefits and health insurance coverage options, depending on the 

schedule developed for demobilization. The TAP managers with DOD and 

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

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

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

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

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

attend the employment workshop. However, the TAP managers also told 

us that they believe that employment information in some form is relevant 

and useful for some Reserve and National Guard members. They noted 

that some were self-employed before they went on active duty, and their 

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. Other members might prefer 

to find better jobs than the ones they held before they went on active duty. 

While TAP managers were not able to provide data on the number who 

might be interested in attending the employment workshop, members of 

the Reserves and National Guard we met generally confirmed the views of 

the TAP managers. 

 17DOD reports that about 3,500 service members were placed on the temporary disability 

retirement list in 2004. For information on DOD’s disability system under which separating 

service members with disabilities may be placed on temporary retirement, see GAO, DOD 

Disability: Overview of Compensation Program for Service Members Unfit for Duty, 

GAO-01-622 (Washington, D.C. April 27, 2001). 
Page 18 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

The agencies administering the program have taken several actions to 

improve TAP program materials for all eligible personnel separating from 

the military, including Reserve and National Guard members. In addition, 

the agencies have taken steps to increase participation, primarily among 

full-time active duty military personnel. However, despite efforts so far, 

challenges remain, particularly in meeting the needs of demobilizing 

Reserve and National Guard members for transition assistance. 

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. To meet the needs of 

demobilizing Reserve and National Guard members, it has drafted a 

separate counseling checklist tailored to their circumstances. (See app. VII 

for the changes that are planned to the form shown in app. II.) In updating 

the information for both groups, DOD added several Internet sites so that 

service members can follow up to obtain more information on available 

services and benefits, including sites explaining options for health 

insurance coverage. To better meet the needs of Reserve and National 

Guard members, their new checklist eliminates information on benefits 

that apply only to active duty members, such as relocation assistance and 

separation pay. Instead, the new form provides benefit information 

applicable to demobilizing Reserve and National Guard service 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. DOD officials plan to 

update the preseparation guide that contains information on services and 

benefits available to service members separating from full-time active 

duty. In addition, they are developing a separate guide for demobilizing 

Reserve and National Guard personnel. Meanwhile, the military services 

have developed new materials specifically geared toward the needs of 

Reserve and National Guard service members. For instance, the Army 

reported that it uses a separate script and slides for preseparation 

counseling of demobilizing Reserve and National Guard service members 

and gives them a handout on services and benefits tailored to their needs 

as well as a calling card with the telephone number of a resource center 

that these service members can contact for one-on-one assistance. 

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 19 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

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.18 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. One of its brochures is entitled “A Summary of VA Benefits 

for National Guard and Reserve Personnel.” 

To ensure that all participants have the information they need in DTAP, VA 

formed a task force in 2004 to restructure and standardize the DTAP 

curriculum to meet the needs of all separating service members who have 

or may have a disability and invited DOD and the military services to 

participate. As a result, VA has developed a new curriculum with video, 

slides, and a script for DTAP. 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. The guide is intended for 

distribution at DTAP sessions offered at military installations and 

treatment facilities and for other purposes and locations as appropriate. 

Along with this new effort, VA continues its outreach campaign to contact 

all service members in need of these services. 

DOD and its partner agencies are considering or have undertaken several 

actions designed to increase participation in TAP, including 

• making attendance mandatory or mandating that service members 

receive permission to attend TAP, so that individuals have the 

opportunity to participate with the support of their commanders or 

other leaders; 

• emphasizing the importance and relevance of veterans’ benefits by 

offering this information before the employment workshop as a standalone briefing by VA; 

 18In addition, DOL told us that the next update of its participant manual will include 

information on how a veteran with a service-connected disability who wants to own his or 

her own business could take advantage of the opportunity to obtain federal procurement 

contracts in accordance with Presidential Executive Order 13360, issued October 21, 2004. 

Actions Are Planned or 

Under Way to Increase 

Participation in TAP 
Page 20 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

• sending DOL contractors and VA staff overseas to present their TAP 

components to service members located at bases around the world; 

and 

• developing a centralized database to automate and manage information 

on participation. 

Recently, the TAP service representatives at DOD proposed to the 

Secretary of Defense that participation in TAP be mandatory. Under the 

proposed policy change, all service members would be required first to 

attend preseparation counseling. Following preseparation counseling, all 

service members would be required to attend the veterans’ benefits 

briefing, because the range of benefits is extensive and likely to affect the 

lives of most separating service members. In addition, attendance at DTAP 

would be required of all service members who have or think they have a 

service-connected disability, are awaiting a medical discharge, or have 

incurred an injury or illness while on active duty, or aggravated a preexisting condition. Further, service members with an interest in attending 

the employment workshop who check “Yes” on the preseparation 

counseling form would receive permission, without exception, to attend 

the DOL- or service-sponsored employment workshop in its entirety. 

The policy change in TAP participation is being proposed to (1) bring 

more consistency to the overall program, (2) allow more service members 

to access TAP, and (3) encourage commanders to release service members 

to attend the VA briefings and all other relevant components of TAP. In 

2002, we reported that the support that commanders and supervisors have 

for transition services may determine the degree to which service 

members have access to the services. If supervisors are not supportive of 

the transition assistance, or if they feel that mission needs are too 

pressing, they may be reluctant to allow service members under them to 

access services offered. Some service members we met told us that they 

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. They said that even when commanders 

support attendance at the workshop, others—such as the platoon, section, 

or unit leaders—may be reluctant to approve requests to attend the 

workshops. This proposed policy change is designed to address these 

issues. 

In addition, VA and DOL are taking actions to improve access to transition 

assistance for active duty service members stationed overseas. It is 

important for service members stationed overseas to receive transition 

assistance there, especially for those who separate at overseas locations. 
Page 21 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Starting in 1993, VA sent six military service coordinators or veterans’ 

benefits counselors to U.S. military installations located in Europe and 

later increased the staff to seven, assigned them for tours of 3 to 6 months, 

and extended their territory beyond Europe. However, VA has no staff 

overseas for 3 months each year. In 2003, DOL began phasing in its 

employment workshops, first using its own staff and later contractor 

personnel living overseas, rather than relying on the military services to 

conduct overseas employment workshops, as had been the case 

previously. Standard operating procedures are being developed to clarify 

the roles and responsibilities of DOL, DOD, and VA in the delivery of 

employment workshops at overseas locations. Currently VA provides its 

benefits briefings at 68 military installations and plans to have a military 

service coordinator in Bahrain starting in May 2005,19 while DOL provides 

its employment workshops at 49 military installations and plans to expand 

to additional installations. (See app. VIII for a list of locations overseas 

where DOL and VA offer TAP.) 

In January 2005, the TAP managers with DOD and the military services 

met to discuss ways to better understand service member participation in 

TAP. In particular, they discussed the development of a centralized 

database to automate and manage information on the participation of 

active duty and Reserve and National Guard service members. This new 

information system is in the initial planning stages. It would provide DOD 

and the services with the capability of disaggregating data on service 

members attending preseparation counseling to identify those who are 

retiring or separating voluntarily or involuntarily. The system would also 

provide information on the reasons why service members do not receive 

preseparation counseling at least 90 days prior to separation or retirement, 

as required by law. In addition, the new information system would permit 

DOD and the services to analyze information specifically relevant to active 

duty service members or to Reserve and National Guard service members. 

Although several actions are 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. DOD acknowledges that this presents several unique 

challenges, that the service members have not been surveyed to determine 

 19Although VA is sending staff overseas to provide benefits briefings, it does not have the 

staff to provide DTAP overseas. 

Challenges Remain in 

Meeting the Needs of 

Reserve and National 

Guard Service Members 
Page 22 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

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. 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. 

The TAP managers for DOD and the military services identified several 

challenges in designing transition services that better meet the needs of 

demobilizing Reserve and National Guard service members. 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 scheduled for 

demobilization varies by service and demobilization site. Commanders are 

challenged with trying to balance demobilizing some units while at the 

same time mobilizing others. They also balance getting Reserve and 

National Guard members back to their families as quickly as possible with 

the extra time needed for transition assistance. Finally, DOD, VA, and DOL 

do not know the amount of resources needed to provide transition 

assistance in a different format, such as providing TAP after the Reserve 

and National Guard service members have returned home and begun to 

readjust to civilian life. At this point, they may be more receptive to TAP 

and better able to define their needs. 

DOD’s proposed policy revisions acknowledge logistical issues that limit 

access for Reserve and National Guard members to TAP. For example, the 

planned changes to the preseparation counseling checklist require that 

demobilizing service members be released by commanders to attend the 

employment workshop only if there is time to complete this component 

before they are released from active duty. Under current demobilization 

schedules, Reserve and National Guard members do not have sufficient 
Page 23 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

time to attend the workshops. Further, the TAP managers with DOD and 

the military services told us that they did not know how many 

demobilizing service members would be interested, if time could be made 

available, or how the content should be altered to meet their special 

needs. 

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

military services are considering the option of providing some TAP 

components to Reserve and National Guard members after they have been 

demobilized, and DOL is involved in state pilot programs to test this 

option. DOD officials envision VA presenting its benefits briefing and 

DTAP, where applicable, during a scheduled drill weekend after the 

service members have been home for 45 to 60 days. DOD officials believe 

such an option would require additional resources and a mandate that 

Reserve and National Guard commanders allow sufficient time for staff to 

provide the transition assistance. However, the TAP managers do not 

know how many Reserve and National Guard members might be 

interested and able to attend such activities. Meanwhile, DOL is currently 

involved in three state pilot programs of employment workshops designed 

for returning Reserve and National Guard members. One in Minnesota will 

offer a shortened version of the employment workshop, using a 

curriculum based on input from unemployed or underemployed Reserve 

and National Guard service members. The pilot program will involve a 

change in National Guard rules so that members can be required to attend 

the activity 30 days after their release, when they may be facing financial 

and other problems. In Oregon, DOL is working closely with the National 

Guard and the state workforce agency to provide employment workshops 

to National Guard members. The first workshops were offered in March 

2005. In Michigan, the state workforce agency is negotiating with the 

Reserves and National Guard to arrange a 4-day workshop, where these 

personnel will work alongside veterans who are receiving intensive case 

management services at the One-Stop Career Center. 

Besides limiting access to the employment workshops, short 

demobilization time frames may also result in Reserve and National Guard 

members who are not informed in a timely manner of the requirement to 

apply for health insurance coverage and certain VA education benefits 

while on active duty. The National Guard members we spoke with who 

had attended the VA benefits briefing told us that they could not recall 

being informed of the need to apply for these benefits while on active 

duty; these members included one who believed that he had been on 

active duty long enough to qualify for the more generous education 

benefits. They indicated that too much information was covered in the 45-
Page 24 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

minute benefits briefing they received from VA at demobilization and 

believed that at a minimum the VA should have highlighted the 

significance of applying immediately, explained what information was 

required, and told them where to submit the application. They added that 

they were unfamiliar with the services and layout of the installation where 

they were demobilizing, because they were only passing through on their 

way home. 

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. Unlike their fulltime active duty counterparts, however, the Reserves and National Guard 

members returning from active duty overseas who might opt for transition 

assistance do not always have the opportunity to participate in formal TAP 

components. Although they receive some of the same information in 

briefings at demobilization, they may be required to attend as many as 18 

briefings and activities over 5 days, most dealing with issues other than 

TAP, such as legal and medical matters. As a result, the information on 

available benefits is often abbreviated and may not emphasize certain 

benefits, including some education and medical benefits, that they may 

forfeit if the service members do not apply while they are still on active 

duty. In addition, because these personnel are released from active duty 

within days of returning to the United States, any transition assistance 

must fit within this compressed time frame, and be offered overseas near 

the areas of combat or after the service members have returned home. The 

agencies responsible for TAP are aware of the challenge but have not 

determined the number interested, the appropriate topics, or the optimal 

timing and location. Moreover, for service members who have incurred 

disabilities, DTAP information is critical. Yet VA does not keep track of 

how many service members attend DTAP. Better program statistics in this 

area could help VA meet the needs of these service members and provide 

follow-up assistance. 

To ensure that members of the Reserve and National Guard have the 

opportunity to benefit from transition assistance, we recommend 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 

Conclusions 

Recommendations for 

Executive Action 
Page 25 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

demobilization and providing timely information about the need to apply 

for certain benefits while still on active duty. To develop more accurate 

program statistics, we also recommend 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. 

We provided a draft of this report to DOD, DOL and VA for review and 

comment. All concurred with our findings and recommendations. The 

written comments from these agencies appear in appendixes IX through 

XI. 

DOD said that the report accurately portrays the program and its 

operational processes and also recognizes logistical and other challenges 

in meeting the needs of Reserve and National Guard service members. 

DOD agreed with our recommendation and stated its commitment to work 

with its partner agencies to determine the needs of these service members 

for assistance, explore options to enhance their participation, and ensure 

that they receive timely information on the need to apply for certain 

benefits before they are released from active duty. 

DOL acknowledged the need for continuous monitoring and refinement of 

the employment workshops. DOL stated it will offer its assistance to DOD 

in determining the TAP workshop requirements for members of the 

Reserves. In addition, DOL highlighted several initiatives described in the 

report that are designed to improve transition services, such as the pilot 

programs in three states that provide employment information to service 

members after their release from active duty. DOL noted that the lessons 

learned and best practices that are derived from these pilot programs will 

be disseminated widely. 

VA said it recognizes the need to emphasize time limits for establishing 

eligibility for certain benefits while on active duty, especially education 

and medical benefits. VA added that it is developing a brochure to describe 

a new education benefit for members of the Reserves and National Guard. 

VA also explained that it is developing a process to track DTAP 

participation, as we recommended. In addition, an agreement with the 

National Guard Bureau has been drafted so that VA will know when and 

where demobilizing members return to their communities. 

We are sending copies of this report to appropriate congressional 

committees, the Secretaries of DOD, DOL, and VA, and other interested 

parties. Copies will be made available to others upon request. In addition, 

Agency Comments 

and Our Evaluation 
Page 26 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

the report will be available at no charge on GAO’s Web site at 

http://www.gao.gov. If you have any question about this report, please call 

me at (202) 512-7101. Key contributors are listed in appendix XII. 

Cynthia A. Bascetta 

Director, Education, Workforce, and 

 Income Security Issues 
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology 

Page 27 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

To assess how the transition assistance program (TAP) is administered, 

we reviewed the legislative and regulatory history of TAP, including 

records of congressional hearings, and interviewed responsible officials, 

including TAP managers and other officials from the Departments of 

Defense (DOD), Labor (DOL), and Veterans Affairs (VA); the armed forces; 

Reserve Affairs; and the National Guard Bureau. We did not interview 

officials from the Department of Homeland Security concerning the Coast 

Guard. We reviewed memorandums of agreement among the federal 

agencies involved, minutes of Steering Committee meetings, as well as 

policy directives prepared by DOD and VA. We reviewed TAP program 

materials, including guidebooks and manuals prepared for participants 

and facilitators, slides, videos, and handouts. To examine the role of 

veterans’ service organizations—the extent of their participation in TAP 

and their views on what their role should be—we conducted structured 

interviews with officials in the following organizations: AMVETS, Disabled 

American Veterans, American Legion, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and 

Veterans of Foreign Wars. 

To experience firsthand the challenges of providing TAP to members of 

the Reserve and National Guard returning from overseas, we visited Fort 

Bragg, North Carolina, on February 23-24, 2005. At Fort Bragg we observed 

a morning demobilization briefing given to members of the Army National 

Guard that covered several topics, including VA veterans’ benefits, health 

insurance, and completion of the preseparation counseling checklist. We 

also attended the formal TAP preseparation counseling, two concurrent 

employment workshops, and the briefing on VA veterans’ benefits for 

other service members. In addition, we discussed transition assistance 

with the installation command, program providers, and demobilizing 

service members who participated in the demobilization briefing as well as 

other service members who participated in the formal TAP components. 

To show the level of participation in TAP for each of the armed forces for 

each fiscal year from 2002 through 2004, we obtained from the TAP 

managers the number of service members participating in two of the four 

components of transition services—preseparation counseling and the DOL 

employment workshop. VA data do not separately identify the number of 

service members attending its benefits briefings or Disabled Transition 

Assistance Program sessions. However, VA told us that in the United 

States the number of service members attending the employment 

workshop should approximate the number attending the VA benefits 

briefings, because the VA briefings usually follow the employment 

workshops. 

Appendix I: Scope and Methodology 
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology 

Page 28 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

To estimate the rate of participation in preseparation counseling, we used 

data from the armed forces on the number of service members discharged 

who had served on active duty for at least 180 days and data on the 

number of service members who had completed the preseparation 

counseling checklist. To estimate the rate of participation in the DOL 

employment workshop, we used data provided by DOL on service 

members completing the workshop and DOD data on service members 

discharged who had served on active duty for at least 180 days. We note 

that the DOL workshop is not mandatory and not all service members 

express an interest in taking the workshop. Because the number of service 

members interested in taking the workshop was not available for all the 

armed forces, our estimate represents the number of service members 

completing the workshop in relation to the number of service members 

discharged, not the number who indicate they wanted to attend the 

workshop. We would expect the estimated rate of participation in the DOL 

employment workshops to be higher if we were able to compare the 

number participating with the number expressing an interest in 

participating. 

We consider the rates shown in appendix VI to be estimates, because 

many of the service members who participated in a component during one 

of the years shown were not among the service members who separated 

that same year. By law, the armed forces must try to provide preseparation 

counseling between 1 and 2 years prior to separation. This means that 

service members may participate in TAP in 2002 but not be counted as 

separating until 2004. Further, some service members who participate do 

not separate as planned, either because of their personal decision to 

extend or reenlist, or the armed forces’ policy of stop loss. Stop loss keeps 

individuals on active duty beyond their normal date of separation or 

retirement and has been implemented at various times by all of the armed 

forces since September 2001. For these reasons, the estimated rates for 

the Army and Marine Corps in the mandatory preseparation counseling 

component exceeded 100 percent in 1 or more years. 

To assess the reliability of the data on the number of service members 

discharged with at least 180 days of active duty service and the number 

participating in TAP, we reviewed documentation about the data systems 

and data entry, interviewed agency officials knowledgeable about the data, 

and worked closely with agency officials when we found discrepancies to 

understand or correct them. We determined that the data were sufficiently 

reliable for the purposes of this report. We conducted our work from 

December 2004 through April 2005 in accordance with generally accepted 

government auditing standards. 
Appendix II: Checklist Used by the Armed 

Forces in Preseparation Counseling until 

Fiscal Year 2005 

Page 29 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Appendix II: Checklist Used by the Armed 

Forces in Preseparation Counseling until 

Fiscal Year 2005 
Appendix II: Checklist Used by the Armed 

Forces in Preseparation Counseling until 

Fiscal Year 2005 

Page 30 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 
Appendix III: Transition Assistance Funding 

by Military Service, Fiscal Years 2002 through 

2004 

Page 31 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

In millions of dollars 

Military service FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004

Air Force funding source 

DOD $8.9 $8.8 $8.9

Air Force 0.6 0.7 1.4

 Total 9.5 9.5 10.3

Army funding source 

DOD 13.3 13.3 13.3

Army 7.9 6.0 6.9

 Total 21.1 19.3 20.2

Marine Corps funding source 

DOD 4.0 4.0 4.0

Marine Corps 0.5 0.7 0.5

 Total 4.5 4.7 4.5

Navy funding source 

DOD 11.0 10.2 10.3

Navy 0.0 0.0 0.0

 Total 11.0 10.2 10.3

Total funding source 

DOD 37.2 36.3 36.5

Services 9.0 7.4 8.7

 Total $46.2 $43.7 $45.3

Source: DOD. 

DOD’s budget assumes an estimated 200,000 full-time active duty 

personnel have been eligible for TAP each fiscal year since 2001. The 

number of participants is based on lists drawn up by the military services 

of personnel who have indicated their interest in separating as well as 

those who may be uncertain about their decision. This list constitutes the 

anticipated separations but does not include unanticipated separations or 

demobilization of Reserve and National Guard members. DOD officials 

note that funding for TAP has been flat since fiscal year 1995; prior to that, 

we reported that DOD spent about $83 million in fiscal years 1992 and 

1993. 

Appendix III: Transition Assistance Funding 

by Military Service, Fiscal Years 2002 through 

2004 
Appendix IV: Scheduling and Delivery of TAP 

Components at Military Installations 

Page 32 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

The scheduling of employment preparation workshops generally takes 

place in one of the 44 states with medium to large military installations. 

DOL relies on federal Veterans’ Employment and Training directors1

assigned to each state and territory, who meet with the commanders of the 

military installations in their area and obtain estimates for the numbers 

separating at each installation. Based on these planning figures, workshop 

schedules are developed that are reviewed quarterly and may be adjusted 

more frequently as long as DOL has at least 14 days’ warning. Generally 

DOL tries to have at least 15 participants in each workshop, but preferably 

25 to 35. If many additional participants are expected, DOL officials told us 

that they will try to add a facilitator to give participants more individual 

attention during certain sessions, for example, when participants practice 

interviewing for jobs. In some cases, the services have requested separate 

workshops for retirees only or for senior personnel with different kinds of 

skills. Depending on its budget, the number of potential participants, and 

the availability of facilitators with the appropriate skills, DOL may honor 

such requests. For example, we observed two employment workshops 

running concurrently at Fort Bragg, one specifically for personnel in the 

higher pay grades. 

The facilitators who conduct most of the employment workshops are state 

employees supported by DOL grants who specialize in providing services 

to veterans. They are either local veterans’ employment representatives or 

disabled veterans’ outreach program representatives2

 and must be trained 

and certified by the National Veterans’ Training Institute. For the veterans’ 

benefits component, VA generally relies on DOL to arrange for the 

workshops and contact a local or regional VA representative to conduct 

the VA briefing on veterans’ benefits at the end of the workshop. Overseas 

and at about 70 military installations in the United States, the employment 

workshop facilitators are DOL contractors working for Native American 

Management Services, and they are also trained and certified by the 

institute. DOL officials we interviewed told us that they prefer to have VA 

personnel present information on veterans’ benefits because the VA 

personnel usually have the expertise, experience, and most current 

 1

These directors are employees of the U.S. Department of Labor who report to the 

Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training. 

2

For more information about the other responsibilities of these employees, see GAO, 

Veterans’ Employment and Training Service: Greater Flexibility and Accountability 

Needed to Better Serve Veterans, GAO-02-192T (Washington, D.C.: October 30, 2001). 

Appendix IV: Scheduling and Delivery of TAP 

Components at Military Installations 
Appendix IV: Scheduling and Delivery of TAP 

Components at Military Installations 

Page 33 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

information necessary to advise participants concerning their personal 

circumstances. 
Appendix V: Employment Workshop Critique 

Form for Completion by Participants 

Page 34 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Appendix V: Employment Workshop Critique 

Form for Completion by Participants 
Appendix VI: Participation in Transition 

Assistance Program by Component, Fiscal 

Year, and Military Service 

Page 35 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Military service Fiscal year 

Air Force 2002 2003 2004 2002-2004

Total eligible separationsa 39,365 53,074 50,694 143,133

Preseparation counseling participantsa 31,842 33,994 42,677 108,513

Preseparation participation rateb 80.9% 64.1% 84.2% 75.8%

Total eligible separationsc 23,994 31,847 32,954 88,795

Employment workshop participants 18,725 20,449 22,611 61,785

Employment participation rateb 78.0% 64.2% 68.6% 69.6%

Army 

Total eligible separationsc 73,450 62,541 80,001 215,992

Preseparation counseling participants 71,706 70,358 87,402 229,466

Preseparation participation rateb 97.6% 112.5%d109.3%d106.2%d

Employment workshop participants 36,441 40,238 44,109 120,788

Employment participation rateb 49.6% 64.3% 55.1% 55.9%

Marine Corps 

Total eligible separationsc 31,002 29,670 31,047 91,719

Preseparation counseling participants 27,867 28,620 32,093 88,580

Preseparation participation rateb 89.9% 96.5% 103.4%d96.6%

Employment workshop participants 19,964 27,132 28,424 75,520

Employment participation rateb 64.4% 91.4% 91.6% 82.3%

Navy 

Total eligible separationsc 37,978 42,872 48,105 128,955

Preseparation counseling participantse 24,885 38,642 38,071 101,598

Preseparation participation rateb 65.5% 90.1% 79.1% 78.8%

Employment workshop participantse 32,647 36,680 41,003 110,330

Employment participation rateb 86.0% 85.6% 85.2% 85.6%

Source: GAO analysis of DOD and DOL data 

a

Numbers include Reserve and National Guard members who demobilized after at least 180 days of 

federal active duty. The Air Force count of preseparation counseling participants does not distinguish 

these members from other eligible members who participate. The Air Force TAP manager believes 

that a more reliable measure of participation is a December 2004 audit of 400 personnel records of 

members separated from various installations that shows 91percent had completed their 

preseparation counseling checklists. 

b

This is calculated as the percentage of total eligible separations. For the employment workshops 

where participation is voluntary, a better indicator would be the percentage of service members 

indicating an interest in attending, but these data are not available for all services and years. 

c

Number of service members separating with 180 days or more of active duty, not including Reserve 

and National Guard members. 

Appendix VI: Participation in Transition 

Assistance Program by Component, Fiscal 

Year, and Military Service 
Appendix VI: Participation in Transition 

Assistance Program by Component, Fiscal 

Year, and Military Service 

Page 36 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

d

Rates may exceed 100 percent for several reasons. Participation in preseparation counseling is 

encouraged 1-2 years prior to separation, so some participants included in rate did not separate in 

that year; others chose to reenlist or were required to remain on active duty past their separation date 

because of the stop loss policy. The Army reports that in 2004 preseparation counseling participants 

included about 9,700 reenlistments that, if deducted from the numbers participating, would bring the 

Army’s rate down from 109 percent to 97 percent. 

e

The Navy reports that the numbers of preseparation participants are understated because of 

incomplete or delayed reports from uniformed military personnel to transition staff, and that the actual 

numbers should more closely approximate the numbers of employment workshop participants. 
Appendix VII: Changes Planned in 2005 to 

Checklists Used by the Armed Forces in 

Preseparation Counseling 

Page 37 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Current checklist for all 

separating service members 

Draft checklist for active duty excluding Reserve 

and National Guard 

Draft checklist for Reserve and National 

Guard only 

EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE 

Teacher and Teacher’s Aide 

Opportunities/Troops to 

Teachers 

Corrected Internet site 

www.proudtoserveagain.com 

Same as active duty 

Federal Employment 

Opportunities 

Adds Internet sites 

www.us.jobs.com 

www.go-defense.com 

Same as active duty 

State Employment 

Agencies/America’s Job Bank 

Adds Internet Site 

www.ajb.org 

Same as active duty 

Not listed Adds Career One-Stop 

www.careeronestop.org 

Same as active duty 

Not listed Omitted, not applicable Adds Reemployment Rights 

www.dol.gov/elaws/userra.htm 

Not listed Omitted, not applicable Adds Employer Support for Guard and Reserve

www.esgr.org

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE

Permissive (TDY/TAD) and 

Excess Leave 

No change Omitted, not applicable 

Travel and transportation 

allowances 

No change Omitted, not applicable 

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Education benefits 

(Montgomery GI Bill, Veterans 

Educational Assistance 

Program, Vietnam-era etc.) 

Adds Internet site 

www.gibill.va.gov 

Same as active duty 

Additional education or training 

options 

Adds Small Business Administration 

www.sba.gov 

Same as active duty 

Licensing and Certification 

information 

Adds Apprenticeship to title and sites: 

(1) Department of Labor 

www.acinet.org 

(2) U.S. Army 

www.cool.army.mil 

(3) U.S. Military Apprenticeship Program 

https://www.cnet.navy.mil/usmap/

(4) DANTES 

http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/certification/index.htm

Same as active duty 

Appendix VII: Changes Planned in 2005 to 

Checklists Used by the Armed Forces in 

Preseparation Counseling 
Appendix VII: Changes Planned in 2005 to 

Checklists Used by the Armed Forces in 

Preseparation Counseling 

Page 38 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Current checklist for all 

separating service members 

Draft checklist for active duty excluding Reserve 

and National Guard 

Draft checklist for Reserve and National 

Guard only 

Defense Activity for NonTraditional Educational 

Support 

Corrected Internet site 

www.dantes.doded.mil/ 

Same as active duty 

HEALTH AND LIFE INSURANCE

60-day or 120-day extended 

Military and limited Dental 

benefits (Eligible involuntary 

Separatees) 

Transitional Health Care Benefit – for Eligibility Criteria 

and additional information go to www.tricare.osd.mil 

Transitional Health Care Benefit – for Eligibility 

Criteria and additional information go to 

www.tricare.osd.mil

Not listed Omitted, not applicable (1) A member of a reserve component who is 

separated from active duty to which called or 

ordered in support of a contingency operation if 

the active duty is for a period of more than 30 

days. 

(2) A member who is separated from active 

duty for which the member is involuntarily 

retained (Stop Loss) in support of a 

contingency operation. 

(3) A member who is separated from active 

duty served pursuant to a voluntary agreement 

of the member to remain on active duty for a 

period of less than one year in support of a 

contingency operation. 

www.tricare.osd.mil/TricareHandbook 

Option to purchase 18-month 

conversion health insurance. 

Concurrent pre-existing 

condition coverage with 

purchase of conversion health 

insurance. 

Adds Internet Site 

www.tricare.osd.mil/chcbp 

Same as active duty 

Veterans’ Group Life 

Insurance 

Adds Internet Site 

www.insurance.va.gov 

Same as active duty 

Not listed Adds Veterans Centers 

www.va.gov/rcs 

Same as active duty 

FINANCES

Financial Management (TSP, 

Retirement, SBP) 

No change Omitted, not applicable 

Separation pay (Eligible 

involuntary Separatees) 

No change Omitted, not applicable 

Not listed Omitted, not applicable Adds Post Deployment Pay—Defense Finance 

and Accounting Service (DFAS) 

www.dfas.mil 

RESERVE AFFILIATION No change Omitted, not applicable 

DISABLED VETERANS’ BENEFITS 

VA Disability Benefits Adds Internet site www.va.gov Same as active duty
Appendix VII: Changes Planned in 2005 to 

Checklists Used by the Armed Forces in 

Preseparation Counseling 

Page 39 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Current checklist for all 

separating service members 

Draft checklist for active duty excluding Reserve 

and National Guard 

Draft checklist for Reserve and National 

Guard only 

Not listed Omitted, not applicable Adds new section 

SOLDIERS AND SAILORS RELIEF ACT

www.dod.mil/specials/Relief-Act-Revision 

Not listed Adds new section 

POST GOVERNMENT SERVICE COUNSELING

Omitted, not applicable 

Source: GAO analysis of DOD documents. 
Appendix VIII: Overseas Locations Where 

DOL and VA Provide TAP 

Page 40 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Locations 

DOL 

contractors 

at location 

as of April 

2005 

DOL plans to 

have 

contractors at 

locations in 

future 

VA staff at 

locations as of 

April 2005 

VA plans to 

have staff at 

locations in 

future 

Belgium X 

Iceland X 

Spain Xa X 

Azores X 

Guam X 

Japan X X 

Okinawa, Japan X X 

South Korea X X 

Germany X X 

Great Britain X X 

Italy Xb X 

Bahrain Xa X 

Portugal Xa 

Turkey Xa

Source: DOL and VA. 

a

DOL plans to add these additional locations, which are dependent on the result of Status of Forces 

Agreement negotiations. 

 bDOL’s contractor in Italy has not yet scheduled any employment workshops, citing delays in ongoing 

Status of Forces Agreement negotiations. 

Appendix VIII: Overseas Locations Where 

DOL and VA Provide TAP 
Appendix IX: Comments from the Department 

of Defense 

Page 41 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Appendix IX: Comments from the 

Department of Defense 
Appendix IX: Comments from the Department 

of Defense 

Page 42 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 
Appendix X: Comments from the Department 

of Labor 

Page 43 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Appendix X: Comments from the Department 

of Labor 
Appendix X: Comments from the Department 

of Labor 

Page 44 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 
Appendix XI: Comments from the Department 

of Veterans Affairs 

Page 45 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Appendix XI: Comments from the 

Department of Veterans Affairs 
Appendix XI: Comments from the Department 

of Veterans Affairs 

Page 46 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 
Appendix XI: Comments from the Department 

of Veterans Affairs 

Page 47 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 
Appendix XI: Comments from the Department 

of Veterans Affairs 

Page 48 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 
Appendix XII: GAO Contacts and Staff 

Acknowledgments 

Page 49 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

Irene Chu (202) 512-7102 

Patricia L. Elston (202) 512-3016 

In addition to the contacts named above, William E. Hutchinson and 

Martin Scire made key contributions to this report. In addition, Roger 

Thomas provided legal assistance, William R. Chatlos assessed the 

reliability of participation data, and Corinna Nicolaou assisted in report 

development. 

Appendix XII: GAO Contacts and Staff 

Acknowledgments 

GAO Contact 

Acknowledgments 
Related GAO Products 

Page 50 GAO-05-544 Military and Veterans' Benefits 

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

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

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

Vocational Rehabilitation: More VA and DOD Collaboration Needed to 

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

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

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

Availability and Related Mobilization and Demobilization Issues. GAO04-1031. Washington, D.C.: September 15, 2004. 

Military Personnel: DOD Actions Needed to Improve the Efficiency of 

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

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.: January 21, 1994. 

Related GAO Products 

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