Aberdeen Proving Ground - Transition Assistance Program

successful in the global workforce. TAP helps Soldiers make informed career decisions through counseling and employment assistance, building upon lessons learned in the Initial and Service phases of the Soldier Life Cycle. Soldiers begin the transition process 18 months prior to transition or 24 months prior to their retirement, spreading requirements out over the course of several months using a distributive model (short-notice separations only are authorized a five-day consecutive class). Along with Soldiers, retired Army Soldiers, Army Family members, and Department of the Army Civilians are eligible for transition assistance services as well. Going early and often to TAP is statistically proven to increase the chance of post-transition success for Soldiers. A study by Hiring Our Heroes found that Service members are two times more likely to get a job before leaving active duty if they start their job search at least six months or more before transitioning. This indicates that many TAP requirements need to be completed much earlier in order to begin the job search at this six-month mark with the documents and knowledge needed to successfully search for open positions.