The Transition Assistance Program and the Disabled Assistance Transition program assist veterans as they prepare to leave the service. As a qualifying member prepares for separation it is a good idea to contact the Family Service Center to find out when Transition Briefings are being held. These are briefings that can provide much needed information for families and service members preparing for separation from the service. The transition to civilian life can be difficult enough, but there are services available which may ease the transition.
The local Family Service Centers have coordinators with Military Services who conduct briefings with much important and needed information. These briefings are important because they list the full range various benefits including education, vocational rehabilitation, insurance, burial and death benefits, and programs for home loans. Services for Disabled Transition are a big part of the overall transition assistance program. It concentrates on those veterans who were injured or wounded on active duty, which resulted in a disability. This disability is normally what causes their separation from service.
The Veterans Administration has traveling MSC counselors that are assigned to the Regional Offices for the VA located across the county. These counselors travel and visit the state and local transition sites in their area, and provide the separation briefings. Normally no matter where you serve on Active Duty, there should be a briefing that will be near enough for you to attend and find out about needed services and programs.
The goal for the VA is to make sure that Servicemembers are made aware of all the benefits form the DoD and the VA that they are entitled to when they separated from the service. Often there are available three-day seminars that cover benefits and other entitlements that a separating Veteran is eligible for. For those Servicemembers who are being separated due to medical problems, the outreach is more intensive to be sure they are totally aware of all the programs and benefits they may be entitled to.
Participation in any of the VA transition assistance programs or briefings is voluntary, and the briefings are made available within one year of separation, or within two years if separating due to retirement. If a briefing is held in your area, you can attend regardless if it is given by your service. An active Duty Marine is welcome to attend an Army Installation VA Transition assistance briefing, and so forth.
