[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6108419,"mediaKeyId","2768478-66cb63be580dfa0fa215ee3c61c9ed80","parentId",2768478,"title","House panel faults DOD on late TAP participation, seeks stronger commander accountability","audioSeconds",6268,"startMs",1232000,"endMs",7500000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768478-66cb63be580dfa0fa215ee3c61c9ed80&start=1232&end=7500","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768478-66cb63be580dfa0fa215ee3c61c9ed80/thumbnail_1232000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6108419/House-panel-faults-DOD-on-late-TAP-participation-seeks-stronger-commander-accountability","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108419-f7d1a07260e32fd372d576e0028512c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770821780&Signature=bRDEzi~JJtx9LQiqlwVcISt5jEzZyu469UtfSFNktQaVf82jtzbXfpDdkcX0Pv1sYQvG1QNSJsbyceUCaCrWfSuS2DPFcgWcJaIbBTzjsAGtX0r-ZAH2eRUWrodIjJTJq77RGNhQG29lLk71VX6Sd97trAvM5VXD5UXP4vWxbDi~cLkM3kHA7PwdassBZymByDWylZSD8v4Ms9PZtCsNrf9NoJAReZlRTXn6wqn4Vpy2uRA-tNBhYhuRAby7qt45hyWqF91FN4FaOcr4eCgSv6Z9EDtHhPlYoBIMErQBcfi8EN6d5pt3ks4vJMdsJ9so8j2qUKFP9LL3YPLorFl4Zw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs","date","2025-03-14T16:24:00Z","article","Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee Rep. Van Orden opened the oversight hearing by focusing on how many service members are failing to get timely Transition Assistance Program (TAP) services, telling witnesses that TAP attendance rose from about 25 percent to 52 percent and calling that “unacceptable.”

The panel pressed the Department of Defense on whether it has reliable verification that transitioning service members receive required warm handovers to community resources. Ranking Member Rep. Pappas referred to a March 2024 Government Accountability Office report that found commanders verified warm handovers for nearly 78,000 transitioning service members who were not recorded as having received one; the GAO recommended DOD provide commanders additional guidance and better database recording.

The Department of Defense witness told the subcommittee that the services have taken steps in response. \"Just yesterday, a new course stood up on the TAP site that is for military commanders,\" the witness said, and added that service Inspector General teams have begun closer reviews of the TAP process. The witness said corrective action plans from the services were accepted by GAO and that, \"By the end of 2023, timeliness percentage doubled and 2 day track attendance increased by over 7%.\"

Lawmakers from both parties expressed frustration that TAP, which federal law requires begin no later than one year before separation for eligible members, is not reaching nearly half of separating service members in a timely way. Members pressed DOD for further steps to make TAP adherence a unit-level priority; several lawmakers said commander education and IG scrutiny are important but insufficient without clearer accountability. Chairman Van Orden repeatedly signaled he expects personnel consequences for commanders whose units fail to give service members access to TAP, saying, \"We start burning these people down with shoulder boards, it'll be fixed immediately.\" He also warned the committee would pursue mechanisms to hold individual officers accountable for failures in TAP delivery.

Panelists and witnesses discussed administrative remedies already in motion — increased training for commanders, new commander-focused guidance on the TAP site, and service Inspector General spotlight reviews — while acknowledging additional cultural and administrative changes are needed to meet statutory timing requirements. Witnesses described TAP as a \"commander's program\" intended to balance readiness with transition needs and said interagency work with VA and DOL remains central to closing gaps.

No formal legislative actions were taken at the hearing. Lawmakers asked for follow-up from DOD on implementation timelines, verification of warm handovers, and the results of ongoing Inspector General reviews.

Closing remarks emphasized that improving timely TAP participation is both a readiness and a “national security” concern in members' view, and committee staff were directed to continue oversight and pursue changes that increase commander accountability and measurement of TAP outcomes.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Oversight Hearing","oneSentenceSummary","Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee Rep. Van Orden opened the oversight hearing by focusing on how many service members are failing to get timely Transition Assistance Program (TAP) services, telling witnesses that TAP attendance rose from about 25 percent to 52 percent and calling that “unacceptable.”","taxTitle","Veterans Affairs: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1825,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6108411,"VA Solid Start, mental health outreach and spouse inclusion highlighted as key components of TAP",115,2593000,2708000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768478-66cb63be580dfa0fa215ee3c61c9ed80&start=2593&end=2708","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768478-66cb63be580dfa0fa215ee3c61c9ed80/thumbnail_2593000.jpg","/articles/6108411/VA-Solid-Start-mental-health-outreach-and-spouse-inclusion-highlighted-as-key-components-of-TAP","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108411-8b18e5cf697bc34904808df8a8b2ba03/orig.mp4?Expires=1770821780&Signature=Bsqu8g1tlY1RvimsqJppdRzTP05HeAf0l3vot81fUa9XF5ryq3SCZueVqICNzQgpGW7gEgZ9srEEkVM54ZDpeTUMcupisidzXl1q7IhDn8XNWUrWCYMmYUZWRGjPOxQyYAQEx0D0C95QX60AeA0bAn~OtTizr4HjyMCWdDitZkRLZcYN3EwZdo-ivR6taTKTCVm53i0XXswKv1oJAKHxxaHaziAs1DFPioIo-gS31EDSzfq~zecwO-nui6LNxlJh~TVtiTEh6F5HnLMf1-1cFNzwNfvilLtuX7rTYCccTgLh7rl2LUXlM2p7K2y2X1itdzVNBWEEXbAbF6WyEGAuuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Department of Veterans Affairs witnesses and veteran service organizations told the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee that early and repeated outreach after separation, in-person benefits counseling during TAP and better inclusion of spouses are critical to reducing post‑separation suicide, homelessness and underemployment.

John Green, Acting Executive Director of Outreach, Transition and Economic Development at VA, described VA Solid Start outreach as a multi-stage contact effort. Green said VA reaches newly separated veterans in three buckets — 0–90 days, 91–180 days and 181–365 days — and can make as many as 21 outreach attempts across those buckets (up to seven in each period) until contact is made. Green said benefit advisers provided one‑on‑one counseling to more than 200,000 transitioning service members in fiscal year 2024 and gave a specific example of a veteran who avoided homelessness after Solid Start connected her to compensation payments, health care and a housing referral.

Veterans of Foreign Wars representative Joy Craig and Syracuse University’s Barbara Carson emphasized suicide risk and the loss of identity in the first year after separation, and urged that TAP be made accessible earlier and reinforced across a service member’s career rather than only in the final weeks. The VFW urged passage of the TAP Promotion Act and recommended establishing an Undersecretary of Defense for Transition to centralize oversight. Carson cited longitudinal studies showing many veterans are underemployed for years after separation and urged better warm handoffs and data sharing among DoD, VA and labor agencies to reduce barriers to benefits enrollment and service referrals.

Committee members asked VA about mental health continuity after separation; Green said the Solid Start contact model is explicitly structured to reach veterans multiple times and to prioritize outreach and warm handovers for those at risk. Rep. Pappas noted that the most recent post‑separation TAP assessment reported a 96.3 percent satisfaction score; VA cited the score while acknowledging outreach and early TAP access remain challenges.

Witnesses and members agreed that military spouses play a significant role in successful transitions and that TAP should do more to include and serve spouses. Several witnesses recommended expanding spouse‑focused content and ensuring spouses have access to employment planning and credentialing services as part of TAP.","VA officials and veteran-service witnesses told a House subcommittee that VA’s Solid Start outreach and benefits counseling are central to preventing homelessness and connecting veterans to care; witnesses urged earlier and repeated TAP engagement and more spouse participation.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6108416,"Congressional witnesses highlight SkillBridge, navigators and employer partnerships as route to faster postservice employment",2645,2205000,4850000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768478-66cb63be580dfa0fa215ee3c61c9ed80&start=2205&end=4850","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768478-66cb63be580dfa0fa215ee3c61c9ed80/thumbnail_2205000.jpg","/articles/6108416/Congressional-witnesses-highlight-SkillBridge-navigators-and-employer-partnerships-as-route-to-faster-postservice-employment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108416-adbbe05aa3c4f34e0e4b88948741db83/orig.mp4?Expires=1770821780&Signature=irue8MUx5P6AVFKSgWuiAzUpW~8glf5lAtI0JR7Hz53sx-IPYnT-LnFZR88Z0x2Nvv5e8Ck9hO5DIlVmTzQ48lHBIiQbK8ABShq0do2Z~oD8ofePO-yuFGBq2-PpXmo9GiJkgzlFKUDBZHSyY5mZ2m2F~LT8EiuBA4DW8dsseWfXMdfURYK72ev35rqznwoPUhKUlhi-bB1R9V-egsXE9Q1D6QN36RI-1UEVzeAVnKhyUtwCvcR2phxXrr3CYDudG4lwhsc2eyQZDbczywILJEBCehtVJ8kMCUXTqsMGZ8nVCNyMqNlx5GNJ~~jreZcrcqqppG9SRwIHMTZhJMp9Ew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Witnesses to the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee described several workforce programs they said improve employment outcomes for transitioning service members and urged Congress and DOD to remove barriers to broader employer participation.

Margarita Devlin, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service, described the Employment Navigator and Partnership Program (EMPP), which provides one-on-one career guidance at 40 military installations. Devlin said preliminary outcome data show enlisted service members who worked with an Employment Navigator found civilian employment about two months sooner and earned roughly 11 percent more than counterparts who did not use a navigator.

Elizabeth O'Brien of Hiring Our Heroes and other witnesses highlighted DOD's SkillBridge fellowship program as a high‑impact, employer‑driven pathway. O'Brien said Hiring Our Heroes connected roughly 10,600 SkillBridge fellows with 2,500 employers over five years, reporting an 89 percent job-offer rate within three months and that 63 percent of SkillBridge fellows were employed within one month of transition in a recent survey.

Employer witnesses said businesses use internships, apprenticeships and boot camps to translate military skills to civilian jobs. Brian Lewis of Consumers Energy described company-run boot camps and seven registered apprenticeship job roles the company and partners have opened, noting demand outpaces available slots. Candy Tillman of 50 Strong urged continued use of third‑party intermediaries and recommended delaying a DOD MOU requirement that would force individual MOUs for host employers until an outcomes reporting requirement for intermediaries is fully implemented.

Witnesses urged expanding SkillBridge access, making EMPP more widely available, and improving the local handoffs from TAP offices to employers, apprenticeship programs and American Job Centers. Several witnesses said employer involvement is key to providing meaningful career outcomes for most transitioning service members, and small businesses require flexible participation models.

Committee members asked for concrete fixes to expand employer participation and to measure outcomes rather than outputs; witnesses recommended mandatory outcomes reporting for third‑party intermediaries, broader access to navigators and closer coordination between TAP and SkillBridge.

","Witnesses from the Department of Labor, Hiring Our Heroes and employers told a House subcommittee that experiential programs such as SkillBridge and the Employment Navigator and Partnership Program shorten time to employment and raise starting wages for transitioning service members.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House panel faults DOD on late TAP participation, seeks stronger commander accountability

VA Solid Start, mental health outreach and spouse inclusion highlighted as key components of TAP

Congressional witnesses highlight SkillBridge, navigators and employer partnerships as route to faster postservice employment