JULY 31, 2019 – The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19 NDAA) brought about many changes for the DoD Transition Assistance Program (TAP).
One of the changes adds a new section to Chapter 58 of Title 10 USC; Section 1155, Statement of Benefits. This addition requires the military services to provide a summary of all benefits available to members of the Armed Forces and Reserve Components on current benefits administered by the DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs. The assessment of benefits and entitlements must be provided no later than 30 days before a member retires or separates from active duty.
To meet this FY19 NDAA requirement, the DoD Transition to Veterans Program Office (TVPO), in collaboration with the TAP Interagency Partnership and the Military Departments, rolled out the ‘Statement of Benefits for Military Members Guide.’
The guide provides an overview of the benefits, entitlements, and services that service members may have earned, as well as resources available to assist them in obtaining those benefits. Although various DoD programs are outlined in the guide, most entitlements also apply to Coast Guard members through the Department of Homeland Security. The guide also includes an interactive component that allows the reader to select their military service seal on the cover page, which will link them directly to their service-specific benefits’ page.
In addition to the Statement of Benefits Guide, TVPO has published a military transition preparation document entitled ‘Managing Your Transition Timeline’, known as the MyTT. The MyTT is an interactive document outlining activities occurring during specific transition touch points, and it includes information on various resources available pre- and post-transition.
“Our goal for these two documents is to provide as much information as possible to transitioning service members and their families as they prepare to transition into civilian life,” said Tamre Newton, Director, TVPO. “We are confident the Statement of Benefits Guide will assist in helping those going through the transition process to make informed decisions.”
The Statement of Benefits and MyTT will be monitored to ensure entitlements, benefits, and service resource information remains up-to-date, accurate, and accessible to service members, their families, and caregivers.
Both of the documents are located on www.DoDTAP.mil under the Resources/FAQ’s page, and here by direct link:
About the Transition to Veterans Program Office
TVPO is responsible for designing, overseeing, and evaluating the Transition Assistance Program.
TAP is a result of an interagency partnership between DoD, Department of Labor, Department of Education, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, the Small Business Administration and the Office of Personnel Management.