WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC) and Senate Armed Services Committees (SASC), are urging the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Denis McDonough to improve connections to local resources for servicemembers transitioning to civilian life. In a letter, King and Cramer highlight the need for a “warm hand-off” where retiring service members are connected with local networks during the military’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

“Every year approximately 250,000 servicemembers transition out of military service into civilian life. Whether the servicemember is finishing their first deployment, or retiring after 20 years, transitioning back into civilian life is a precarious time full of uncertainties for themselves and their families,” wrote the Senators. “While the Department of Defense, the Veterans Affairs Administration, and others have significantly improved the program over the past decade, one area that continues to lag is the warm hand-off into the community. This does not have to be the case.”

“During the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) that all servicemembers must attend, time should be set aside to allow servicemembers to contact state bureaus of veteran services to initiate that warm hand-off in the states they are considering moving to post-separation,” the Senators continued. “Currently, the information for connecting with state bureaus of veteran services is on page 179 of 200 of the VA Benefits and Services Participant Guide, where it is lost among the deluge of information.  Given the importance of warm hand-offs and the benefit peer-navigators can have during an individual’s transition, I strongly suggest that this information be moved to the top of the guide.”

“We also recommend spending an effective amount of time of their curriculum to actively reach out to the state bureaus of veterans services in their home state to connect and log their information with such agencies,” concluded the Senators. “This will allow the servicemember to be connected with relevant information and persons in the states where they plan to move prior to separating from the military, and helps ensure that these servicemembers are welcomed back into civilian life with peers that can help them navigate that difficult transition.”

Representing one of the states with the highest rates of veterans per capita, Senator King is a staunch advocate for America’s servicemembers and veterans. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, he has previously pressed Pentagon officials on the need to prioritize the transition from active duty to veteran status. He has also been among the Senate’s most prominent voices on the need to address veterans suicide, and has repeatedly pressed for action from top Department of Defense officials on this issue. Additionally, he recently spearheaded the passage of legislation to better track and study servicemember suicides by job assignment. Senator King has also worked to properly honor and recognize the sacrifices of Purple Heart medal recipients, protect veterans from fraud, and expand veteran assisted living services.

Senator Cramer has used his seats on SASC and SVAC to secure funding authorization and language for missions both directly and indirectly benefiting North Dakota’s military community and veterans. He has met with many former and active-duty individuals and military leaders to address the top issues impacting America’s heroes. He led legislation codifying the Solid Start Program, which requires the VA to conduct outreach to veterans upon leaving active-duty service to connect them with VA programs and benefits, as well as legislation for veterans seeking mental health and substance abuse treatment. Additionally, he introduced and advanced a bill to connect service dogs with veterans experiencing mental illnesses.

The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below.

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Dear Secretary McDonough:

Every year approximately 250,000 servicemembers transition out of military service into civilian life. Whether the servicemember is finishing their first deployment, or retiring after 20 years, transitioning back into civilian life is a precarious time full of uncertainties for themselves and their families. While the Department of Defense, the Veterans Affairs Administration, and others have significantly improved the program over the past decade, one area that continues to lag is the warm hand-off into the community.

This does not have to be the case. During the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) that all servicemembers must attend, time should be set aside to allow servicemembers to contact state bureaus of veteran services to initiate that warm hand-off in the states they are considering moving to post-separation.

We understand that the VA is currently reviewing new guidelines for its one-day VA TAP curriculum that will be implemented later this year and into 2024. We strongly encourage you to pilot a section of the VA TAP curriculum that focuses on servicemembers proactively reaching out to contacts in the states they are interested in.

Currently, the information for connecting with state bureaus of veteran services is on page 179 of 200 of the VA Benefits and Services Participant Guide, where it is lost among the deluge of information. Given the importance of warm hand-offs and the benefit peer-navigators can have during an individual’s transition, we strongly suggest that this information be moved to the top of the guide.

We also recommend spending an effective amount of time of their curriculum to actively reach out to the state bureaus of veterans’ services in their home state to connect and log their information with such agencies. This will allow the servicemember to be connected with relevant information and persons in the states where they plan to move prior to separating from the military, and helps ensure that these servicemembers are welcomed back into civilian life with peers that can help them navigate that difficult transition.

We look forward to your response on the following questions:

• Will the VA pilot using at least 15 minutes of the VA TAP curriculum for servicemembers to contact the bureaus of veteran services in states where they are considering moving to post-separation?
• Will the VA move the move the “Information for Your State” page of the VA’s Benefits and Services Participant Guide to the top of the guide?

Thank you for your attention to how we can work better to assist our servicemembers as they transition to civilian life.