By Patti Geistfeld
Garrison Public Affairs
"One of the reasons I came out here was to say thank you for all you are doing for the Army and for our Soldiers," said Brig. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II, Deputy Director for Regional Operations and Force Management, the Pentagon Joint Staff who was traveling on behalf of the "Meet Your Army" program.
He was speaking at a briefing Nov. 5, at the KANSASWORKS office in Kansas City, Kansas, hosted by the Fort Riley Soldier for Life -- Transition Assistance program team and community partners
One line of effort in the Meet Your Army program is educating key community and business influencers to promote the Army. During this meeting Sims gained information about the program, met and thanked some key members who are supporting the Fort Riley SFL-TAP program and transitioning Soldiers.
The information he gains from this trip will be shared with the appropriate offices at the Pentagon. He also plans to send a note to Maj. Gen. Kolasheski, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley commanding general, and tell him what a fantastic program the Fort Riley SFL-TAP and community partnerships are and how great these guys are doing as a group.
Sims said young men and women who are walking through high schools or working in places right now might choose the Army for many reasons.
"It may be a chance to do something different, to make themselves better, to help them mature, all kinds of reasons and they want to serve … we owe something back for that," Sims said. "The beauty of this program is we're able to say, 'listen, you made an investment in us as a country and we think we owe you an investment too.' We spend a lot of time training a Soldier to go to war and do all those things we need in times of conflict, we ought to be concerned about what we pass off [to them] when they leave and go back to the civilian community. In the end, it is better for all of us as citizens of the country."
Soldiers at Fort Riley first hear about the program when they attend the newcomers brief and they are encouraged to take advantage of it throughout their time here. Master Sgt. Jason Snell, 1st Inf. Div., transition liaison briefs newcomers about the importance of planning for the future and how to bridge the gap because everyone leaves the military. It is never too early to start thinking of a plan and using the tools that the Army and the SFL-TAP program makes available.
"A plan is important because you just can't go out and do something on a whim," Snell said "You can do it, but chances are you won't be very successful. You need to think of five, 10, 15 and 20-year plan because life happens and you need to have backup plans for life. That's where it is important to get involved with all these programs and opportunities.
"You have to have those connections," Snell said. "You have to understand why things are done the way they are. It's the same thing with life."
The SFL-TAP program is about education and planning. It benefits the Soldier and the Army.
A little more than 2,000 Soldiers transition out of the Army each year from Fort Riley. If a Soldier leaves and is unemployed, the Army has to pay unemployment benefits.
"That comes directly out of the training funds," said Mitchell Foley, transition services manager. "When a Soldier is employed when they leave, the Army gets to keep that money for 'beans and bullets.'"
In addition to helping Soldiers transition out of the Army, it can also help with retention. By showing Soldiers where they are now and getting them thinking about where they want to be when they get out, some Soldiers decide the time is not right to leave. They choose to stay in the Army longer because the pay and benefits may be better than anything they can get in a civilian job. Some find they need to further their education and prepare to get the job they want.
Foley said every single person will transition out of the Army. Once they know that, the program is there to help so they can benefit by getting the best career options as soon as they get out and throughout their life.
"I've had over 1,000 Soldiers already complete [the program] and go straight into employment and I'm not talking about the Department of Labor average of $12.25-per-hour start pay," Foley said. "I'm talking they are starting more toward the $20-per-hour start pay and that's huge. For Soldiers, we take a lot of things for granted while we are in and then when we transition out, a lot of those benefits aren't there. When they transition into meaningful employment, it will greatly assist them and their family."
To find out more, visit https://home.army.mil/riley/index.php/about/directorates-staff/dhr/SFL-TAP or call 785-239-2278.
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