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LTC Jon SowardsDirector, Central Region, Soldier for Life
Soldier for Life Overview
Unclassified
“Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier…A Soldier for Life!”
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“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 2010Army ACAP/Transition
USMA Study Group
Nov 2010VCSA Sends
Nov 2011VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act
2011
Mar 2015Career Skills Policy
(Army Directive 2015-12)
Jan 2014Army Campaign Plan
FY16 Program of
Record
Jun 2014Soldier for Life –
Transition Assistance Program
Unclassified
Dec 2014Army
Transition Regulation
Jul 2012SFL Inception
Background
Jul 2014Transition Campaign
Plan
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Northeast US and EuropeLTC Mark Sherkey(703) 545-6872
[email protected] Adam Martinez: (703) 545-6859
SFL Regions/Functions Director – COL Adam Rocke (703) 545-6855
Deputy Director – LTC Michael Kelly (703) 545-2643SGM Billie Jo Boersma (703) 545-6857
Southeast US, USVI, and PRLTC Jerry Wood
(703) [email protected]
MSG Shane Perret: (703) [email protected]
HI
EmploymentMAJ A. Grim
(703) 545- 2635
EducationMAJ G. Coleman(703) 545-2642
Health LTC P. Smith
(703) 545-2658
National ProgramsMAJ K. Bailey
(703) 545-2647
FUNCTIONS
Central RegionLTC Jon Sowards (703) 545-8666
[email protected] Canonico: (703) 545-8689
Western US and Pacific LTC Derwin Brown
(703) [email protected]
MSG George Palmer: (703) 545-2648
AK
Retirement Mr. J. Radke
(703) 571- 7230
Unclassified
Public AffairsLTC C. Boring
(703) 545-2657
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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.
EndstateSoldiers, Veterans, and Families leave military service “career ready” and find an established network of enablers connecting them with the employment, education, and healthcare required to successfully reintegrate into civilian society.
Army Imperative: Sustain the Premier All-Volunteer Army
Employment
Educ
atio
n Health
Army
Government
Community
Information
Unclassified
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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
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Soldier for Life MINDSET
• Title of “Soldier” is earned Complete IET, serve honorably Once earned, maintained forever
• Soldier for Life is about: Serving – during and after the Army Character, Values, Ethos Pride of service
• Continuing to make our communities, states, and Nation better Ambassadors, coach/teach, volunteer, civic leaders
Recruit the next generation• Tell your Army story• Always a part of the Soldier brotherhood• Starts with leaders…
Unclassified
We are Leaders of Character for a Lifetime of Service
“Soldier for Life” is more than a motto or a bumper sticker, it truly is life-long recognition that our Soldiers will always be a valued member of our Army Family
and Team.”- SMA Dan Dailey, 15th Sergeant Major of the Army
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SFL as a Connection Agency
Unclassified
• SFL assists in synchronizing the efforts of numerous Veteran-support stakeholders (government, non-profit, and the business sector) ensuring transitioning Soldiers, leaders, and the counselors who prepare them know the resources and opportunities to aid in their transition. By connecting stakeholders, SFL improves the Army’s ability to prepare Soldiers for transition back into communities; creating Army ambassadors that are pivotal in sustaining the Premier All-Volunteer Army.
• SFL is designed to engage and connect with communities and create unity of effort at the national level along the functional the lines of effort: Employment, Education, and Health.
• SFL helps synchronize the efforts of the 46,000+ organizations that seek to assist Soldiers, Veterans, and Families. By ensuring connectivity between the national and community-level organizations, SFL assists in articulating the impacts of policy on Veteran transition and maintains relationships between the Army, other federal agencies, and Veteran and Military Support Organizations. (VSOs and MSOs).
• SFL partners with DOL, VA, SBA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with large scale Transition Summits at CONUS and OCONUS locations bringing together National, State and Local resources and employers to connect with and support transitioning Veterans.
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SFL Reinforcing Initiatives
Unclassified
• Army University: The Army University (AU), launched in June 2015, converges numerous TRADOC institutions to a consolidated Army leader development system. AU increases institutional agility, streamlines academic governance and reduces stovepipes, fosters Credentialing, Certification, Licensing (CCLs), and promotes rapid promulgation of best practices.
• Credentialing: The Army is researching and developing credentialing opportunities associated with all our career fields. This initiative goes beyond preparing Soldiers for transition; it increases Army readiness by remaining current with Industry standards and improving Soldiers skills, supports Soldier Life Long Learning, and increases employability, reducing Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service Members (UCX). Training Centers of Excellence currently have 100 credentialing programs affecting 66 skill sets. To date, the Army has over 21K enrollments in credentialing programs with over 18K credentials earned (85% success rate).
• Career Skills Program: SFL connects organizations to the Army to promote Job Training, Employment Skills Training, Apprenticeships, and Internships (JTEST-AI). Army Directive 2015-12 expanded Career Skills Programs (CSP) since authorized by DoDI 1322.29 in January 2014. These programs executed by IMCOM, with oversight and vetting by HRC, provide a direct link to desired skills and employment for Soldiers after transition from active service. 15 major installations have active CSPs completing over 90 classes with over 1,700 Soldiers completing the training.
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Transition Resource Crosswalk
SFL-TAP(For Transitioning Soldiers)
Services:• 5-day TAP class
• Pre-separation brief• VA Benefits I & II• DOL Employment
Workshop• Individual Transition Plan• Individual Self Assessment• Financial Planning Seminar• MOS Crosswalk• Optional Tracks
• 2 day Entrepreneur (SBA)
• 2 day Education (VA)• 2 day Career Technical
(VA)• One-on-one counseling• Resume writing • Leader involvement
mandated• Career Skills Programs for
select individuals
DOL-AJCs(For Veterans, Transitioning
Soldiers and Spouses)
Services: • Needs Assessment• One-on-one counseling• Resume writing • Mock Interviews• Federal & State money
available for training and credentialing
Advantages:• Federal funding of state
agencies• Veterans, Soldiers & Spouses
get priority• Over 2700 locations across
the USA• Networked!
• Can facilitate “warm hand-off” to Hometown USA
• Local knowledge of employment opportunities (via Workforce Investment Boards)
• Augments / compliments SFL-TAP program
Non-Profit Resources(For Veterans, Transitioning
Soldiers and Spouses)
A few examples: • USCC Hiring Our Heroes• USO Transition 360 Alliance
• RP6 & Hire Heroes USA• Easter Seals Dixon Center• Charlotte Bridge Homes• America's Warrior Project• Carolina Serves• Combined Arms (Houston)• Mission United (United Way)• MN Beyond the Yellow
Ribbon communities• Operation Reinvent• Mile of Hope (Denver, CO)• Wounded Warrior Project• Schultz Family Foundation
• Onward 2 Opportunity• Gary Sinese Foundation• Homes for Our Troops• America Serves• Corporate America Supports
You• American Legion / VFW• Student Veterans of America• Service-to-Student• American Dream University• Bunker Labs
(entrepreneurship)
DD214
Dept. of VA(For Veterans)
Benefits and Services: • Vocational
rehabilitation & employment
• Transition Assistance Program
• Veteran Employment Center
• Veteran Economic Community Initiative
• MyVA Communities initiative
• GI Bill benefits• Health care & benefits• VA home loans• Burials & Monuments• Life Insurance• Special programs
Army RSO(For Retired Soldiers)
• Retiree Council• Echoes Newsletter (3 x year)• Survivor Assistance Info• Survivor Benefit Plan (SPB)
Bottom line: there is a tremendous breadth and depth of resources available to transitioning Service Members, Veterans and their Families. The difficulty lies in successfully navigating these resources.
Army Retirement Services Office (RSO)
• Pre-Retirement Briefings• MyArmyBenefits
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Summary
What is SFL: A mindset! • “Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier… a Solider for Life”• Strategic Imperative: Sustain the All Volunteer Force• Moral Imperative: Lead well… from recruitment thru transition &
reintegration• Fiscal Imperative: Reduce Unemployment Compensation
What we do: Engage, Inform and Connect• Engage inter-agency, communities, industry, academia, non-profits• Inform (DA policy initiatives; Industry and Community Best
Practices; Career Skills Programs)• Connect Resources to Veterans, Soldiers and Families
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“Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier…A Soldier for Life!”
Questions
Unclassified
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Join the Conversation
Facebook: www.facebook.com/StrongSoldierForLife
Twitter: www.twitter.com/csaSoldier4life
@csaSoldier4Life #SoldierForLifeWebsite: soldierforlife.army.mil
Unclassified
