JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, VA – The Transition Assistance Program at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall is opening Sept. 3 in a new location inside the JBM-HH dining facility, America’s Kitchen.
Transitioning from military service to life as a civilian can be a stressful process, and the TAP staff is ready to help walk retiring service members through all the steps required to make that transition.
Until the TAP staff gets settled in their new space, they are offering virtual services to meet the needs of service members and their spouses.
Participation in TAP is congressionally mandated and JBM-HH TAP manager Juan Carlos Rodriguez said TAP currently serves between 800 and 1,000 service members every year.
With the move, TAP will have more space to offer more programs to more military families preparing to transition to civilian life.
“Where we had space for 25 people in a class before, now we have a classroom where we can accommodate a maximum of 50 people,” Rodriguez said. “It gives us more flexibility so people will not have to wait for a particular class because now we have more space.”
Being located within the dining facility also gives TAP more visibility and exposure. Rodriguez said it will be easier for people to drop by if they have questions or are looking for information.
An open house is planned for November to give people an opportunity to meet the TAP staff and see the new facilities, and Rodriguez said he’s also planning on bringing in employer discussion panels and creating other different types of engagement opportunities for transitioning service members.
TAP is an experience exploring the cultural shift many military families experience when transitioning from military life to civilian life, Rodriguez said. Whether they’re career service members or have only been in for short time, they are going from a military culture where everything was provided for them to one where they must figure things out for themselves and adjust and try to find their place in the civilian community. He believes the sooner the mindset starts shifting, the easier the transition becomes.
“One of our mottos is ‘Go early and go often’,” Rodriguez said. “We ask you to start as soon as possible because there is a lot of not only information and workshops, but there is a lot of training you will have to go through and there are a lot of resources out there. For you to experience those resources, you need time.”
For more information about the TAP Program, please visit: https://home.army.mil/jbmhh/my-fort/all-services/TAP
For more JBM-HH news, visit: www.army.mil/jbmhhnews
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