Staff Sgt. Christopher Burton oversees Soldiers conducting combatives training at the USAG Italy fitness center, May 16, 2025.
VICENZA, Italy – Spc. Ayla Bonner, a soldier at U.S. Army Garrison Italy, is taking advantage of a unique opportunity – a few months to practice skills that will help her transition to civilian life.
Bonner, who serves with the 207th Military Intelligence Brigade, is nearing the end of her time in the service. Under the Career Skills
Program, interns at the Sports, Fitness and Aquatics program, overseen by USAG Italy’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare & Recreation.
For Soldiers approaching the end of their service, the CSP offers a flexible path toward life beyond the uniform. Run by the Transition Assistance Program office, CSP allows eligible Soldiers to spend up to four months interning with approved civilian employers with the goal of gaining real world experience and developing career ready skills while still on active duty.
Soldiers intern at USAG Italy’s fitness center to prepare for post-Army life
By Sgt. Gabriel Cole, U.S. Army Garrison Italy
VICENZA, Italy – Spc. Ayla Bonner, a soldier at U.S. Army Garrison Italy, is taking advantage of a unique opportunity – a few months to practice skills that will help her transition to civilian life.
Bonner, who serves with the 207th Military Intelligence Brigade, is nearing the end of her time in the service. Under the Career Skills Program, interns at the Sports, Fitness and Aquatics program, overseen by USAG Italy’s Directorate of Family and Morale,
Welfare & Recreation.
For Soldiers approaching the end of their service, the CSP offers a flexible path toward life beyond the uniform. Run by the Transition Assistance Program office, CSP allows eligible Soldiers to spend up to four months interning with approved civilian employers
with the goal of gaining real world experience and developing career ready skills while still on active duty.
Bonner’s internship is a two-pronged approach, working as a social media assistant while earning certification as a personal trainer. For her, the draw of the program was its freedom to explore civilian career options.
“I think it’s the best program the Army has to offer for young Soldiers who are deciding to get out,” Bonner said. “It gives you the opportunity to go anywhere and intern for anything.”
The program is a proven bridge between service and civilian success, according to Greg Storch, CSP coordinator for USAG Italy.
“The program was designed to help transitioning Soldiers move into their ideal career situation,” Storch said. “Whether you want to learn a skill, gain experience, or actually lead into a job offer, CSP has a lot of options.”
Staff Sgt. Christopher Burton’s path led him straight to the mats. After recently serving with U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Burton began his CSP internship in February, focusing on martial arts and Combatives training. He started a jiu-jitsu club and works
with the fitness center to expand Combatives instruction for local units.
“The Army has a program so you can begin your transition and do something that you want to set forth for yourself,” Burton said, adding that it’s “four months to continue and prepare yourself for a transition.”
Josh Grant, a former paratrooper, manages the sports and fitness in Vicenza. He’s seen firsthand how CSP can work when Soldiers are motivated.
“We have the resources. We have the facilities. We can give you time,” he said, describing how Burton and others have fully embedded into the gym’s operations. “We were able to give him as much time as he needed to embed himself into the training he wanted
to do, so he could take it into the civilian world.”
Soldiers interested in CSP can contact the USAG Italy TAP office to learn more about available opportunities, application steps, and eligibility requirements.
https://home.army.mil/italy/about/Garrison/directorate-human-resources/soldier-life-transition-assistance-program-slf-tap
Bonner’s internship is a two-pronged approach, working as a social media assistant while earning certification as a personal trainer. For her, the draw of the program was its freedom to explore civilian career options.
Staff Sgt. Christopher Burton oversees Soldiers conducting combatives training at the USAG Italy fitness center, May 16, 2025.
“I think it’s the best program the Army has to offer for young Soldiers who are deciding to get out,” Bonner said. “It gives you the opportunity to go anywhere and intern for anything.”
The program is a proven bridge between service and civilian success, according to Greg Storch, CSP coordinator for USAG Italy.
“The program was designed to help transitioning Soldiers move into their ideal career situation,” Storch said. “Whether you want to learn a skill, gain experience, or actually lead into a job offer, CSP has a lot of options.”
Staff Sgt. Christopher Burton’s path led him straight to the mats. After recently serving with U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Burton began his CSP internship in February, focusing on martial arts and Combatives training. He started a jiu-jitsu club and works with the fitness center to expand Combatives instruction for local units.
“The Army has a program so you can begin your transition and do something that you want to set forth for yourself,” Burton said, adding that it’s “four months to continue and prepare yourself for a transition.”
Josh Grant explains how important the Career Skills Program is the USAG Italy Fitness Center May 16, 2025.
Josh Grant, a former paratrooper, manages the sports and fitness in Vicenza. He’s seen firsthand how CSP can work when Soldiers are motivated.
“We have the resources. We have the facilities. We can give you time,” he said, describing how Burton and others have fully embedded into the gym’s operations. “We were able to give him as much time as he needed to embed himself into the training he wanted to do, so he could take it into the civilian world.”
Soldiers interested in CSP can contact the USAG Italy TAP office to learn more about available opportunities, application steps, and eligibility requirements.
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