KMC Transition Summit offers full day-two lineup

By Mr. Stefan Alford (IMCOM)March 18, 2016

KMC Transition Summit Panel
A mixed panel of private industry representatives and U.S. Army Soldier For Life-Transition Assistance Program experts answer audience questions about preparing for post-military employment at the KMC Transition Summit at Armstrongs Club in Vogelweh ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- The keynote speaker kicking off the two-day KMC Transition Summit March 10 for service members within 12-18 months of leaving the military had an applicable message for those preparing to enter the civilian sector.

"Today, America needs a workforce that is agile, adaptive and committed to excellence, along with being able to work in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment," Michael D. Formica, the Installation Management Command-Europe Region Director, told approximately 200 Soldiers, senior leaders and family members at Armstrongs Club on Vogelweh Housing.

"Sound familiar?" He asked. "It should; it is what you have been doing for years. These are the traits that every successful U.S. service member must possess. You have proven your ability to work under pressure as part of a team to meet any mission. You are disciplined in using learned skills to accomplish tasks on time and correctly."

Those skills, he added, are highly sought after by private industries -- many of which had representatives at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce-sponsored "Hiring our Heroes" program to help transitioning Soldiers get ready for post-military employment.

The U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz-hosted event featured panel discussions and seminars that focused on developing career and professional skills with experts from the Army's Soldier for Life-Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP) and the National Transition Summit Planning Team. The NTSPT included representatives with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the DoD's Transition to Veterans Program Office, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Department of Labor.

"This is an important event because it supports transitioning service members to become career ready and self-confident by providing them with information about the knowledge, skills and competencies that most industries are seeking when recruiting and hiring," said Lew Lewis, the garrison's transition services manager with SFL-TAP.

Lewis added that the event also provided key information and resources for the spouses of transitioning service members, veterans, retirees, and command teams and senior leaders.

Day two of the summit featured workshops and panel discussions for job seekers and a career readiness fair.

"This is an amazing opportunity to take advantage of the information and resources gathered (in one location)," said Sgt. 1st Class Joaney Taylor, an equal opportunity advisor with the NATO Brigade at Sembach. "It's providing me with the tools I need to help our people at remote sites supporting NATO missions at 22 different locations. I'll be able to share some great transition tips."

"Piece of mind," is how Army spouse Amme Koehler summed up the benefit of attending the summit. "We just found out that we'll be transitioning out of the Army in a few months and it's a stressful situation. There's a lot of great information here that will help us adjust."

In addition to the resources gathered at the KMC Transition Summit, more information to help prepare service members and their families can be found at the following links.

The official Army TAP website: https://www.sfl-tap.army.mil

EBenefits: www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/

My HealthEVet: www.myhealth.va.gov/index.html

Verification of military experience and training: www.dmdc.osd.mil/tgps

Career One Stop: http://jobcenter.usa.gov/