SGM Wilder from Soldier for Life was by on 5/9/17 for a live Q&A.

Agreed SGM. We see the pin at Clothing & Sales and that it is authorized for wear on the ASUs, but that's about it.

SGM-- great points and good questions. In October 2013, the Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) was formerly renamed Soldier for Life Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP). It has definitely been a challenge getting the force to recognize this name change. Even more challenging has been getting Company and Battalion-level leadership understand how tough the transition process is, especially for first term Soldiers. We are working diligently to change the culture of the Army. We need leaders at all levels to understand the big, strategic picture, which is that the successful transition of a Soldier is directly related to readiness and the health of our force. Over 120,000 Soldiers either ETS or retire each year regardless of whether the Army is expanding or contracting. These Soldiers are going to return to their respective communities and become Army Ambassadors. They are going to share their good and bad experiences. We obviously want each Soldier to have a successful transition and land on their feet upon separation. The better transition they have the more they will speak positively about their Army experience and help us to continue to recruit the next generation of the All-Volunteer force. In terms of getting the word out, we need Retired Soldiers like yourself getting out, telling your Army story and continuing to serve your community and nation.

SGM (Join to see) - Thanks for the thoughtful reply.
Happy to do what I can in spreading the word, trying to research and devour all the info I can now so I can speak intelligently on the subject.. Not to be an SME, but just to understand what the program is and point folks in the right direction to find out more.

Thank you Sir and thank you for your service as well.

SSG Swan,
The Soldier for Life Transition Assistance Program is mandated by law so it is not going anywhere. Career Skills Programs are authorized in AR 600-81 (SFL-TAP) so they are here to stay. As with any program, it takes leaders to inform our Soldiers of these opportunities. Battalion Commanders are the approving official for participation. That’s pretty low in the Chain of Command if you think about it. Lieutenant Colonels have the great responsibility to train their units for combat, but also to take care of their Soldiers. It is a balancing act that they must weight based on the advice of their Command Sergeants Major on who and how many Soldier that they can afford to send to these CSPs. The sustainment of the All-Volunteer Force rests with the premise that Americans will continue to volunteer for service. If you think back to your last unit, how did they treat you? Did they take care of you and give you time to accomplish the tasks you needed to do before you PCS’d? if they did, I’ll be that you speak highly of that unit. If they didn’t, then that unit is probably jacked up in your view regardless of how great it was while you were there. The same goes for the Army. If your final unit in the Army takes care of you, gives you time to complete TAP, participate in a CSP and set you up for success when you leave, you are more likely to speak highly of your time in military service. Then you are an additional recruiter out in the community influencing the next generation of the All-Volunteer force. You will either influence them to join or to go into another career.

SGM (Join to see) - SGM I want to thank you first for coming, second for answering. I will not speak ill of my last unit, or the Army. Sometimes while you know something is wrong, look within and see what the problem cold be. In regard to this, I left with TAPS. It was mandated and the BN CDR made a point to ensure anyone went through. I wasn't in a traditional BN so my BN SGM was more hands on with the troops than the 1SG was....it was interesting to see. But I went to the eight hour death by powerpoint show, and there was no real focus on training, it was all check the box give me what you think a resume is, I'll look at it when I can and give corrections. The ONE thing I picked out from TAPS was LinkedIn. They gave a heads up on it, and when I went to Voc Rehab, they sent us through a more formal and individualized course with no more than ten in at a time, taught by prior service. My instructors were a former BDE CDR from 1st ID when third BDE was still in Germany, and a SF SGM who retired from the same unit I did a year before I got there. Their insight was invaluable, and I talk to the SGM to this day. They took everything TAPS was supposed to do, and took it to the next level, and made you as uncomfortable as possible when given tasks or interviews. They were your graders, instructors, mentors, and when I think of Soldier for Life the way you've cleared it up, they were running with a form of it, only given through Voc Rehab in DC. I learned through them and hands on sessions that I cannot use "we" anymore, but now it's what "I" did as a supervisor. That is a hard lesson. I learned what KSA's, Government vs. Contractor resumes are, a basic overview of how to tailor a resume for a particular job, and proper techniques for interviews, and pitfalls from them. That is what should've been taught in 2012, but I've heard from Soldiers who are now retiring that there is still the death by powerpoint, but it's a longer session and there are more instructors with the intent of being instructors to these Soldiers. In the end, being that it's still a large crowd, the personal touch isn't there, and that is where I see a problem. I want Soldier for Life to succeed maybe more than you do or could recognize. No one should retire and not know all of what I had to go through Voc Rahab to find out when it should be a basic item in TAPS. If todays form of TAPS was to take 30 days to complete, that is 30 days WELL SPENT. We invested in the Army, and while owed nothing, the Army should invest in our future beyond the click the box training. Thank you for coming and answering SGM, DUTY FIRST.