Photo By Nathan Rivard | Sgt. 1st. Class David Pacheco, Vermont National Guard enlisted personnel manager,...... read more read more
NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Basic Training. Advanced Individual Training. Drill weekend. Annual Training. Peace Keeping Operation. Combat Deployment.
These are chapters in Soldiers’ lives throughout their career as a National Guardsmen. Every Soldier’s path is different, but progresses toward one final intersection, transitioning from the military or extending their contract.
The Vermont Army National Guard is trying to make this decision easier for Soldiers with a program they call, “Crossroads.” January was the first time the program has ever been held in Vermont in an attempt to give Soldiers information on their path ahead.
“The purpose of the program is to bring in Soldiers who within the next 90 days are getting to their ETS [expiration term of service] or their retirement date and give the information they need at this crossroads in their life to make a decision to continue to serve, to retire, or to ETS,” said Col David Manfredi, deputy chief of staff for personnel, Vermont National Guard.
Vermont is not the first state to do a program like this, but they knew would be beneficial for Soldiers.
“There are other states that we know of that have had some success reenlisting a number of their Soldiers who they thought were going to get out because they ran a program like Crossroads,” said Manfredi.
The program focuses on details like medical, dental, and education benefits, but it also provides opportunity for career change if they have not reached retirement standing.
“Often times a soldier is not happy with their MOS or not happy in the unit that they are in, so through this program, we’re able to offer them the opportunity to extend to change their MOS [military occupation specialty] or to go into a different unit and try a different job,” said Manfredi. “Whether that’s going to an RTI [Regional Training Institute] to instruct or changing an MOS to serve in a different MTOE unit.”
The program does more than focus on Soldiers looking to switch units or careers. Information is provided for National Guard Soldiers who have reached 20 years of service. The retirement structure and benefits are different between the Active Duty Army and the National Guard. Active Duty Soldiers can receive their benefits when they reach 20 years of service, but because traditional National Guard Soldiers serve part-time, they cannot receive retirement benefits until age 60. Crossroads filled the information gaps.
For a traditional guardsmen, you cannot collect your benefits until age 60,” said Sgt. 1st Class David Pacheco, Vermont National Guard enlisted personnel manager. “So what are you going to do between the time you get out? Which is typically in the late 40s, early 50s for a lot of people to age 60.”
Pacheco asked many questions, but he filled in the answers of these questions for Soldiers. He presented information on medical and dental benefits available during the timeframe between retiring and age 60. He also spoke about the benefits available once they reach 60. One of the biggest benefits he discussed was medical.
“I like to draw correlations between Tricare and Affordable Care Act and what’s out on the economy,” said Pacheco. “Tricare is very affordable, even in the reserve capacity, not only while you’re in … but those that are retiring, they might not realize that you can insure a family of four on a retired Tricare at age 60 for $47 a month. It’s just staggering, things that they [Soldiers] don’t think about.”
Pacheco stressed enough how important it was to push information during his briefing.
“It is a crime to just watch somebody walk away after building up for 10 years and not letting them know, ‘this is what you’re walking away from.’ Money, medical, education benefits. There are a lot of benefits in the pipe for that Soldier. And then we need to reach out to those that are at the 20-year level. They’ve reached their 20 years, they’ve attained their benefits and they still want to leave, but they have a lot of good years to go and my briefing primarily wants to focus on what are you going to do in the mean time.
The Crossroads event hopes to retain Soldiers, but also to facilitate an easy transition into retirement. Two very different goals, but they share a strong commonality; informed decision-making.
“The best thing would be for any Soldier that is making a decision here today, whether it is to continue to serve or to get out is making an informed decision and if they’re staying in, they are taking advantage of all of the benefits that they are eligible for,” said Manfredi. “If they are getting out, that they have a plan to get out, to transition, whether that’s to into retirement or the civilian world and they utilize the resources that they’ve earned.”
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.10.2016 21:09 |
| Story ID: | 185991 |
| Location: | NORTHFIELD, VERMONT, US |
| Web Views: | 467 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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