LTC Jerry Wood

Southeast Regional Director, Soldier for Life

Soldier for Life

Overview

Unclassified

2

“Honor the service and sacrifice of our

Veterans, Retirees, Wounded Warriors

and Families by preserving the highest

possible quality of life, on our

installations, and wherever Soldiers

serve and live. Assist Soldiers

transitioning out of Army service to

return to civilian occupations

successfully. ‘Once a Soldier, Always a

Soldier.’” –GEN Raymond Odierno, July

2012

APR 2010

Army ACAP/TransitionUSMA Study Group

NOV 2010

VCSA Sends

MAR 2015

Career Skills Policy(Army Directive 2015-12)

FY16 Program of Record

JUN 2014

Soldier for Life –Transition Assistance

Program

Unclassified

DEC 2014

Army Transition Regulation

Background

JUL 2014

Transition Campaign Plan

NOV 2011

VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act 2011

JUL 2012

SFL Inception

JAN 2014

Army Campaign Plan

3

Northeast US and EuropeLTC Mark Sherkey(703) 545-6872

mark.b.sherkey.mil@mail.mil

MSG Adam Martinez: (703)-545-6859

adam.martinez8.mil@mail.mil

SFL Regions/Functions Director – COL Adam Rocke(703) 545-6855

Deputy Director – COL Michael Kelly (703) 545-2643

SGM Billie Jo Boersma (703) 545-6857

Southeast US, USVI, and PR

LTC Jerry Wood (703) 545-6858

jerry.l.wood3.mil@mail.mil

MSG Shane Perret: (703)-545-9344

shane.r.perret.mil@mail.milHI

Employment

MAJ Adam Grim

(703) 545- 2635

Education

MAJ George Coleman

703-545-2642

Retirement Services

Mr. John Radke

(703) 571-7230

Health

LTC Paula Smith

(703)-545-2658

OTSG Liaison

LTC Jacqueline Clements

(703) 545-8687

National Programs

MAJ Katresha Bailey

(703) 545-2647

Communications

MAJ Crystal Boring

(703) 545-2657

FUNCTIONS

Central Region

LTC Jon Sowards (703) 545-8666

Jon.k.sowards2.mil@mail.mil

MSG Stephen Canonico: (703) 545-8689

stephen.j.canonico.mil@mail.mil

Western US and Pacific LTC Derwin Brown

(703) 545-9343

derwin.a.brown@mail.mil

MSG Palmer:

(703)-545-2648

George.a.palmer.mil@mail.mil

AK

Strategic Initiatives

Ms. Gabriele Tyler

(703) 695-5429

4

Soldier for Life Campaign

Mission

Soldier for Life connects Army, governmental, and community efforts to build

relationships that facilitate successful reintegration of our Soldiers, Retired Soldiers,

Veterans, and their Families in order to keep them Army Strong and instill their

values, ethos, and leadership within communities.

Army Imperative: Sustain the Premier All-Volunteer Army

Employment

Army

Government

Community

Information

Unclassified

5

Start Strong• Recruit Top 29%

• HS Diploma / College

• PaYS Partner (Partnerships for

Youth Success)

• Initial Entry Training (IET)

• Future Soldier Spouse Orientation

• Army Values and Warrior Ethos

Re-integrate Strong• SFL-TAP: Soldier for Life –

Transition Assistance Program

• Retirement Services

• National Guard / Reserve

• Army Network / Mentors

• Community Action Teams

• Apprenticeships/Internships

• Military OneSource

Serve Strong• Technical and Leadership experience

• PME supports continued development

• Credentialing, Certifications and Licensing

• Family support and assistance programs MySECO: Spouse Employment Career Opportunities

MyCAA: My Career Advancement Account

• Army Career Tracker

Remain Strong• Community Reception

• National Guard / Reserve

• Veteran Service Organizations

• Retired Soldiers / Veterans

• Mentor, Leader, Volunteer

• Community / Civic Leaders

Soldier & Family Life Cycle

3

2

1

4

6

Army Retirement Services

Pre-Retirement Policy• 116 Retirement Services Officers

• Career Status Bonus Counseling

• Pre-Retirement Counseling

• SBP/RCSBP Counseling

• MyArmyBenefits website

• Soldier for Life website

AR 600-8-7 – “Retirement Services Program”

Active

Army ARNG USAR

Retired

Soldiers

Surviving

Spouses Total

490,326 349,042 198,698 948,296 249,160 2.23M2015

Population

Served

http://soldierforlife.army.mil/retirement

Retirement is a process,

not an event!

Post-Retirement Policy• Lifetime benefits advice & support

• Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) assistance

• Army Echoes Newsletter & Blog

• CSA & Installation Retired Soldier Councils

• Retiree Appreciation Days

7

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Unclassified

9.5 Million (43%) of 22 Million living Veterans are Soldiers

- 945K Retired Soldiers

- 250K Surviving Spouses

- 30K Soldiers retire each year

AC End Strength Reduction increases transition

~374K (243K AC) projected to transition in the next 3 years

Unemployment Trends 2015:

Veteran rates generally lower than national average

3rd QTR CY15 unemployment was 11.1% for Vets 18-24

3rd QTR CY15 unemployment was 10.6% for non-Vets 18-24

CY15 YTD Overall unemployment:

Post-9/11 Veterans--6.0%

Non-Veterans--5.2%

Total Veterans--4.7%

6.56.0

4.4 5.2

3.04.7

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15*

Post-9/11 Veterans Non-Veterans All Veterans

28000

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

Commitments

Hires to Date

Federal, Public, Private, Partnership Examples

Companies/Organizations

Execution

White House -

Joining Forces Initiative

Overall Unemployment Rate by CY

Q UCX FY 14 UCX FY 15

1 $94.3M $69.7M

2 $84.6M $64.4M

3 $75.9M $56.0M

4 $69.5M $52.4M

Army FY UCX Payouts

Army UCX Payouts

Source: DOL

Annual UCX Payments by Service

%

Source: BLSSource: VA, October 2015 Data

Source: Website/corporate reporting

Employment Landscape

*Year to date average

25% FY14 to FY15

8

Service Member Transition Summits

Purpose: To educate businesses on best practices in hiring and retaining

military employees, while also supporting transitioning Service Members and

Military Spouses as they enter the civilian workforce.

Day One – Employer Focus

Interactive Panels & Forums

• National Perspective

• Local Perspective

• Best Practices in Hiring

Networking reception

Day Two – Service Member

Focus

Town Hall-Style Panels

Employment Workshops

• Comprehensive Presentations

• One-on-One Resume Review

Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair

Summits upcoming

JB San Antonio, TX (9 DEC)

Fort Stewart, GA (26-27 JAN)

JB Lewis McChord (9-10 FEB)

Camp Pendleton, MS (17-18 FEB)

Fort Bliss (23-24 MAR)

Fort Bragg (27-28 APR)

Fort Leonard Wood (10-11 APR)

Fort Belvoir 17-18 MAY)

Metrics to date (CY14-15)

19 Transition Summits

16,663 Service Members &

Family attendees

1,621 Employers

9,532 Interviews (at Summit)

1,518 Firm Offers (at Summit)

9

• Career Skills Program (CSP) / Job Training, Employment Skills

Training, Apprenticeships, and Internships (JTEST-AI)

• Interagency Collaboration

– Transition Summits

• Communications and Outreach

SFL Reinforcing Initiatives

Unclassified

10

“Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier…A Soldier for Life!”

Questions

Unclassified

11

Join the Conversation

Facebook: www.facebook.com/StrongSoldierForLife

Twitter: www.twitter.com/csaSoldier4life

@csaSoldier4Life

#SoldierForLife

Website:

soldierforlife.army.mil

Unclassified