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 2005 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. 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 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. 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 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 law 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 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, 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 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 self- confidence 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 ½ 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. 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. 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.