{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=1D40E574-87DE-4413-A298-45235B09ED81", "Fischer Questions Officials on Program Supporting Service Members During Military to Civilian Transition", "2023-10-20", "2023", "2023-10", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", "fischer", "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u00ad\u2013 U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs about the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) at a joint hearing this week with the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee. TAP is a cooperative interagency effort that provides important resources and tools to service members transitioning from military to civilian life.\n\nDuring the hearing, Senator Fischer stressed the importance of ensuring TAP offices can specifically tailor their curriculum to an individual\u2019s needs. Senator Fischer also pressed officials regarding a 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study that found nearly 25% of service members who needed maximum support did not attend a mandatory two-day class.\n\nClick the image above to watch video of Sen. Fischer\u2019s questioning\n\nClick here to download audio\n\nClick here to download video\n\nFollowing is a transcript of Senator Fischer\u2019s questioning:\n\nSenator Fischer: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Vazirani, within the [Transition Assistance Program], how much leeway is given to individual TAP offices to teach the curriculum so they can tailor it to their needs? For example, if you have a service member who's going to sign up again, but that doesn't show in their records yet, they still have to attend the weeklong class. Is that correct?\n\nUnder Secretary Vazirani: Senator, if I can clarify your question, if a service member has gone through TAP, transitioned, and then come back into service? Is that the question? I\u2019m sorry.\n\nSenator Fischer: No, No. If they are still in the service, but with the requirements and the timeline that's there, they have to start the process. But yet, their records haven't kept up with their intentions that they plan to reenlist, for example. Are the programs given any kind of flexibility there to be able to tailor it to certain instances?\n\nUnder Secretary Vazirani: Senator, the program is designed to tailor to each individual. Each individual goes through an individual assessment. They are tiered. They then have a separation counseling to help them understand which elements of the TAP program will be beneficial for them. At the end of the program, there's also a capstone which the commander will sign off on completion. If during that time period, the service member decides they want to stay in service, then there would not be a need to complete the program.\n\nSenator Fischer: Okay. Do you think you have the program appropriately staffed to handle the current number of military personnel?\n\nUnder Secretary Vazirani: Senator, we do believe we have the current level of staffing correct. I think, as we continue to learn more about the program, we'll continue to evolve that and determine whether or not additional authorizations are required to fulfill the program. But, at this point, we do believe that we have the right staffing.\n\nSenator Fischer: We've seen a GAO study from December of 2022, and it found that nearly 25% of service members who needed that maximum support didn't attend the mandatory two-day class. So, what steps do you see the department needs to take, or are you taking now that would address that?\n\nUnder Secretary Vazirani: Senator, we are taking steps to get a better understanding of why service members are electing not to participate. There are service members who, as I indicated earlier, the personal decisions why they wouldn't. So, we're trying to get a better understanding of that. We\u2019re also ensuring that \u2014\n\nSenator Fischer: What specifically are you doing?\n\nUnder Secretary Vazirani: Through the TAP assessment, we're digging into that and understanding those barriers. And then, the other thing. Through the commander's capstone, getting a better understanding of why that service member would not want to participate in that program.\n\nUnder Secretary Jacobs: Senator Fischer, if I might add, one of the things that we're doing is we\u2019re recognizing that TAP is a commander\u2019s program. We're creating a visual management tool so that commanders have greater visibility of their transitioning service members. It's work that Mr. Boerstler is leading through human design element. We're prototyping that tool. If it\u2019s appropriate, I'd love for him to share a little bit about it.\n\nSenator Fischer: That would be great. When you say you're prototyping it, do you have a pilot program in place? Are you using it?\n\nMr. Boerstler: Yes, Senator, we're currently actually testing it this week with command teams. So, this can not only include the commanders themselves with the senior enlisted personnel that are supporting the commanders\u2019 decisions. It will grow give them much greater visibility, as Mr. Jacobs mentioned, to actually see which units that they oversee are in compliance with the 12-month or 24-month requirements. This is a decision that's been co-designed from all of our agencies, plus a few more, including all six service branches. And, it has been taken through our governance process. So, it's underway, and it should be available next year.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:43:12Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=1D40E574-87DE-4413-A298-45235B09ED81"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9750418830662966, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}