How Do Veterans Wind Up Unemployed?

How Do Veterans Wind Up Unemployed?

Brought to you by:www.GreenCollarVets.org


Here is a scenario for you, a possibility based on knowledge, experience and several relationships with fellow members of the military community who have departed in search of greener pastures.

In most cases about a year out from EAS (end of service date) that signifies you are about to complete your contractual obligation to the military, you will be flagged for an interview with your career planner and begin the process of deciding whether you are getting out, re-enlisting or going into the reserves.

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It is about this time that you might also begin learning about TAPS and TAMPS (Transition Assistance Program and Transition Assistance Management Program) which is currently a week-long and involves a multitude of resources designed to prepare you for your transition from the military.

There has been quite a buzz lately about the overhaul of the TAPS program and its design going to a "choose your own adventure" format with options being:



1. Going to college 2. Starting a business or 3. Getting technical training or a certification for entry into the work force.

In the mean time you will still see the familiar never-ending power point presentation that will inundate you with everything you need to successfully get out of the military and become a productive member of the 1st CivDiv as we call it. Here is where most of the problem lies...



Timing... what you need to do align with when you care to know it.

So many individuals hit the cruise control button as they sit through a week of TAPS classes and probably catch only the wave tops as they continue to go over their "fool-proof" plan for what they are going to do when they get out.



Now it doesn't help and it seems that no one misses this advice, that Vets are encouraged to go on unemployment for the first 4-6 months after getting out as a period of time to buffer them as they make the transition and ease back into civilian life.

This would seem like a good idea right? Why wouldn't you want to give a combat Vet a few months breather after probably several tours to Iraq or Afghanistan?



Here is where we see the start of the Veteran unemployment "spiral", this Veteran excited as anything to be getting out, growing a beard and putting their hands in their pockets whenever they want, says hey I'll get out go on unemployment, go to college and then be set.

Other variations of this half-cooked plan involve working for a family member, finding a job back in their home town or some combination of this.



Now it may even come across like a solid plan to this Veteran's chain of command who is probably doing their part to counsel and advise this individual on his options and best course of action post military life (despite not having gone through it before... ).



So this Veteran is sitting in his transition classes a year or less out from leaving the military and guess what... he doesn't even know what he should or shouldn't be remembering, because well he isn't actually in the process of getting out now...

Heck even if he was a month from getting out he isn't back in where-eversville, USA collecting unemployment and doing probably only 10% of what he or she planned to do because well laziness begets laziness.



No more 0600 formations, no more UA? Sure I'll sleep in a little, I mean I deserve it; this is my rest time, my recovery from all the years of long days and short nights.

All this is fine until now this Veteran realizes that unemployment is running out soon or the college classes that were supposed to be a breeze are actually really not so much fun or as easy as planned and the plan when encountering the first bullet or obstacle goes to hell (as all leaders in the military are taught in regard to planning).



Now the Veteran is scrambling to adjust fire and create the results that this plan was supposed to produce easily on paper, well here lies the second problem,

all the resources and chain of command advice are not nearly as easily accessible or remembered (caught only the wave tops during the power point).



As we are all told in boot camp, "you will not rise to the challenges of your situation you will fall to the level of your training" thus the Veteran falls back into doing only what they know how to,

Whether it was a high school level summer job that they had before they left for the military or any number of bad habits they may have developed to cope with stress that they can't handle and voila you have yourself an unemployed Vet living at home, an underemployed Vet living below his potential or worse and its sad to say but a homeless Veteran shacking up beneath an underpass.



So what can be done? Can we communicate the message differently to get Vets attention at the time when it is the most critical?

Can we get an excited soon to be former military member to want to make the right or even the better decisions in the face of a mountain of logistical and mental strains that any EAS provides?



I happen to believe we can and I think it will be a collaborative effort that the military, VA, and post military training programs will provide. I think that Veterans need a "reverse boot camp" both while they are in (new TAPS program might improve this) and within the first 90-180 days of exiting the military.

Veterans need the information easily accessible when they realize, as most college sophomores do, that they're major or direction in life has drastically changed and they didn't have a plan or know how to make a plan on their own that will get them there.



We here at Green Collar Vets are working on solutions to the re-training and development needs of Veterans because heck we want to see the greatest asset the USA has to be leveraged and utilized to the highest degree. Looking for employment opportunities for veterans? then don't hesitate to visit our site http://www.greencollarvets.org today!


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Brought to you by:www.GreenCollarVets.org

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How Do Veterans Wind Up Unemployed?