WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:02.176 I am uh John Wright , I'm a transition 00:02.176 --> 00:04.690 services specialist . The Transition 00:04.699 --> 00:07.090 assistance program is a chance to help 00:07.099 --> 00:09.659 soldiers prepare for leaving active 00:09.670 --> 00:12.119 duty . It's a chance for us to show 00:12.130 --> 00:15.380 them what resources and capabilities 00:15.390 --> 00:18.350 are out there available for them to 00:18.360 --> 00:20.360 make their post military goals . Uh 00:20.360 --> 00:23.690 achievable . So the go early go off and 00:23.700 --> 00:26.850 motto of tap uh really relates to when 00:26.860 --> 00:29.082 you can start the transition assistance 00:29.082 --> 00:31.082 program , which is 18 months before 00:31.082 --> 00:32.971 someone who's going to just leave 00:32.971 --> 00:35.304 active duty through a normal separation , 00:35.304 --> 00:37.680 um or 24 months , two years before 00:37.689 --> 00:40.889 someone is set to retire . Now , the go 00:40.900 --> 00:42.844 early talks about going as soon as 00:42.844 --> 00:45.400 you're eligible , but soldiers do have 00:45.409 --> 00:48.290 to start tap no later than 12 months 00:48.639 --> 00:50.806 before their separ , excuse me , their 00:50.806 --> 00:52.700 separation date in order to be um 00:52.709 --> 00:55.000 within the army standard . Well , there 00:55.009 --> 00:57.419 is a long history that of , of , of the 00:57.430 --> 00:59.430 transition assistance program , you 00:59.430 --> 01:02.459 know , dating back to when the Vow Act , 01:02.470 --> 01:04.581 the Veterans Opportunity for Work Act 01:04.581 --> 01:07.639 was , was signed into law on 2012 . Um 01:07.650 --> 01:10.790 but ideally veterans , unemployment um 01:10.800 --> 01:13.669 was really a big driver . Um There 01:13.680 --> 01:15.624 throughout history , veterans were 01:15.624 --> 01:17.402 unable to find work , um at the 01:17.402 --> 01:19.624 appropriate level , they've always been 01:19.624 --> 01:21.347 underemployed or un you know , 01:21.347 --> 01:23.291 unemployed . And so the Transition 01:23.291 --> 01:25.236 Assistance Program became a way to 01:25.236 --> 01:26.624 overcome some of that uh 01:26.624 --> 01:28.847 underemployment or , or unemployment by 01:28.847 --> 01:32.379 veterans . And so as the success of tap 01:32.389 --> 01:34.611 in the transition assistance program um 01:34.611 --> 01:37.339 started to be seen , then military 01:37.349 --> 01:39.349 leaders decided , well , let's just 01:39.349 --> 01:41.959 make this a mandatory stop . Um , along 01:41.970 --> 01:44.480 the way someone leaves active duty . So 01:44.489 --> 01:46.711 the first thing that someone's gonna do 01:46.711 --> 01:48.933 is they're gonna get registered for the 01:48.933 --> 01:51.156 transition assistance program . There's 01:51.156 --> 01:53.267 an online portal that a soldier would 01:53.267 --> 01:53.099 go to and then they would get 01:53.110 --> 01:55.110 themselves registered . There is an 01:55.110 --> 01:57.054 online assessment with a number of 01:57.054 --> 01:59.277 questions and some life areas about how 01:59.277 --> 02:01.430 they feel where they are at that 02:01.440 --> 02:03.830 particular time . Once they get 02:03.839 --> 02:06.239 registered , they contact the local tap 02:06.250 --> 02:08.417 center and then we get them registered 02:08.419 --> 02:10.252 for their individualized initial 02:10.252 --> 02:12.970 counseling um and the pre separation 02:12.979 --> 02:15.729 briefing and then they come in to 02:15.740 --> 02:19.110 attend those to two events and in those 02:19.119 --> 02:21.175 events are what we are going to have 02:21.175 --> 02:23.063 the conversation about their post 02:23.063 --> 02:25.230 military goals and their post military 02:25.230 --> 02:27.230 goals . And at that point will help 02:27.230 --> 02:29.960 drive what their tap experience will 02:29.970 --> 02:32.990 look like along with their preparedness 02:33.000 --> 02:36.210 for um separation . There are three 02:36.220 --> 02:39.000 levels of assignment when we talk about 02:39.139 --> 02:41.500 uh the tap experience , it's not just a 02:41.509 --> 02:43.731 one shoe fits , fits all anymore . It's 02:43.731 --> 02:46.250 not a one shoe fits all anymore . It is , 02:46.580 --> 02:48.839 you know , individualized to a 02:48.850 --> 02:51.399 preparedness level of separation . So 02:51.410 --> 02:54.009 tier one is someone who is the ready to 02:54.020 --> 02:56.187 just go , they've got everything lined 02:56.187 --> 02:58.409 up . They have a marketable skill set . 02:58.409 --> 03:00.520 They may already have a job . Uh They 03:00.520 --> 03:02.742 may have some sort of , you know , post 03:02.742 --> 03:04.798 military plan . Um And they've got a 03:04.798 --> 03:07.020 support network , they may already have 03:07.020 --> 03:09.076 a home , so they're ready to go with 03:09.076 --> 03:11.298 very little um adjustment . Then on the 03:11.298 --> 03:13.409 other end of the spectrum , we have a 03:13.409 --> 03:15.464 tier three , a tier three is someone 03:15.464 --> 03:14.960 who probably is gonna need the most 03:14.970 --> 03:17.192 assistance that we could give them . Uh 03:17.192 --> 03:19.081 They may have not uh as most of a 03:19.081 --> 03:21.210 marketable skill . Um They may be 03:21.220 --> 03:24.119 lacking in some ability to support 03:24.130 --> 03:26.241 themselves upon separation . They may 03:26.241 --> 03:28.463 not have a good support network , not a 03:28.463 --> 03:30.408 lot , not really unsure what their 03:30.408 --> 03:32.463 future plans will be . So that's the 03:32.463 --> 03:34.630 end of the spectrums . And of course , 03:34.630 --> 03:36.852 in the middle , we have a tier two that 03:36.852 --> 03:39.186 someone who um would may be ready to go , 03:39.186 --> 03:41.519 but they still may need some assistance . 03:41.519 --> 03:43.686 And so based on those tier three , tho 03:43.686 --> 03:45.852 those three tier assignments and their 03:45.852 --> 03:47.852 post military goal , now you have a 03:47.852 --> 03:49.797 pathway forward and then from that 03:49.797 --> 03:52.019 pathway forward , it's just a matter of 03:52.019 --> 03:53.963 then attending the classes and the 03:53.963 --> 03:56.019 seminars and the workshops that they 03:56.019 --> 03:58.186 want to as they work toward the end of 03:58.186 --> 04:00.297 that uh that tap experience being the 04:00.297 --> 04:02.850 Capstone . So when I , when I retired 04:02.860 --> 04:05.080 we had a tap week . Um I think it was 04:05.089 --> 04:06.978 called the Army Career and Alumni 04:06.978 --> 04:09.089 Program at that time or AC A P and at 04:09.089 --> 04:11.710 that time it was , you know , a lot of 04:11.720 --> 04:13.831 people thought it just as a chance to 04:13.831 --> 04:15.664 go and sit in with some civilian 04:15.664 --> 04:17.831 clothes on duty and learn a little bit 04:17.831 --> 04:19.887 of this and that . Um , and so , you 04:19.887 --> 04:21.887 know , I took the opportunity to go 04:21.887 --> 04:23.720 into a uh an ac , a workshop , a 04:23.720 --> 04:25.942 transition assistance uh workshop . And 04:25.942 --> 04:27.664 at that time , it was a little 04:27.664 --> 04:27.589 different in the fact that we had some 04:27.600 --> 04:29.709 admin stuff on the front end of that 04:29.720 --> 04:33.369 week . There was a really um a full 04:33.380 --> 04:36.160 list of employment information , uh 04:36.170 --> 04:38.281 resume writing interview techniques . 04:38.281 --> 04:40.850 We had a uh panel um mock interview 04:40.859 --> 04:42.915 where they brought in employers . We 04:42.915 --> 04:45.137 had an opportunity and then we had a va 04:45.137 --> 04:47.303 day , a Department of Veterans Affairs 04:47.303 --> 04:48.970 Day . And so what I see as my 04:48.970 --> 04:51.137 experience and what we see now is it's 04:51.137 --> 04:53.359 not the one shoe fits all . It is 04:53.369 --> 04:55.760 individualized based on your level of 04:55.769 --> 04:57.769 preparedness . Because if you are a 04:57.769 --> 04:59.936 tier one and you've spent your time on 04:59.936 --> 05:02.239 active duty preparing , then there's 05:02.250 --> 05:03.972 some of those courses that are 05:03.972 --> 05:06.320 available that may not be necessary for 05:06.329 --> 05:08.450 you to sit in . And so I think that's 05:08.459 --> 05:10.348 the difference because we all sat 05:10.348 --> 05:12.237 through the same class whenever I 05:12.237 --> 05:14.403 retired . Uh versus now there are some 05:14.403 --> 05:16.570 things that I may not have to have sit 05:16.570 --> 05:18.792 in if I would have prepared myself . So 05:18.792 --> 05:21.109 I think we pride ourselves in the fact 05:21.119 --> 05:23.470 that we have a way to connect with a 05:23.480 --> 05:26.190 service member no matter their status 05:26.200 --> 05:28.450 or where they are in their transition 05:28.459 --> 05:30.570 experience . If they are someone who 05:30.579 --> 05:33.299 has spent more than 20 years on active 05:33.309 --> 05:35.365 duty and they don't feel comfortable 05:35.365 --> 05:37.253 trying to open up to , you know , 05:37.253 --> 05:38.920 someone who may be younger or 05:38.920 --> 05:40.976 affiliated , not affiliated with the 05:40.976 --> 05:42.976 military . That's ok . We have a 30 05:42.976 --> 05:46.234 year air force retiree who can easily 05:46.244 --> 05:47.966 step in and they can make that 05:47.966 --> 05:50.765 connection . We also have retirees who 05:50.774 --> 05:52.996 have spent more than 20 years on active 05:52.996 --> 05:55.218 duty to make that connection . And then 05:55.218 --> 05:57.274 we also have someone who may come in 05:57.274 --> 05:59.385 with those 20 years that doesn't want 05:59.385 --> 06:01.274 to connect with another retiree . 06:01.274 --> 06:03.441 That's ok . We have military spouses . 06:03.441 --> 06:05.663 We have veterans , we have veterans who 06:05.663 --> 06:07.941 are military spouses who can , we , we , 06:07.941 --> 06:10.107 we've got someone who can connect with 06:10.107 --> 06:12.274 a service member and be able to engage 06:12.274 --> 06:14.330 with whatever concerns they may have 06:14.410 --> 06:16.577 and make them feel comfortable opening 06:16.577 --> 06:19.339 up to them . So tap has a number of 06:19.350 --> 06:21.619 different partner agencies that we work 06:21.630 --> 06:23.540 with , uh Department of Labor , 06:23.549 --> 06:25.549 Department of Education , the Small 06:25.549 --> 06:27.382 Business Administration and also 06:27.382 --> 06:29.327 Department of Veterans Affairs . I 06:29.327 --> 06:31.549 think our unique partnership with VA is 06:31.549 --> 06:34.140 one in the fact that the agency that is 06:34.149 --> 06:36.316 gonna be with a veteran . The most for 06:36.316 --> 06:39.000 the rest of their life is va and so we 06:39.010 --> 06:40.954 have to have that seamless working 06:40.954 --> 06:42.959 relationship . So that way with a 06:42.970 --> 06:45.026 service member going to a veteran in 06:45.029 --> 06:47.519 that transition , we have to be able to 06:47.529 --> 06:50.720 make that seamless working relationship . 06:50.950 --> 06:52.950 So that way they can see us working 06:52.950 --> 06:54.950 close to hand in hand . So that way 06:54.950 --> 06:57.006 when a service member they move into 06:57.006 --> 06:59.228 veteran status , they feel like they're 06:59.228 --> 06:59.190 just , you know , just a seamless 06:59.200 --> 07:01.679 transition . Um , as well , the team 07:01.690 --> 07:03.912 next door in the Department of Veterans 07:03.912 --> 07:06.869 Affairs , they have continuously gone 07:06.880 --> 07:08.989 above and beyond the support , the 07:09.000 --> 07:10.667 soldiers who come through our 07:10.667 --> 07:12.889 transition center and service members , 07:12.889 --> 07:15.111 you know , in the community . And we're 07:15.111 --> 07:16.722 very thankful that we have a 07:16.722 --> 07:18.611 partnership with them . So as the 07:18.611 --> 07:20.833 transition service specialist , there's 07:20.833 --> 07:23.056 really no one favorite that I could put 07:23.056 --> 07:25.222 my finger on . There are some programs 07:25.222 --> 07:27.389 I think that are phenomenal across the 07:27.389 --> 07:29.500 board and there's a lot that we would 07:29.500 --> 07:31.500 highlight depending on whatever the 07:31.500 --> 07:33.722 service members needs were . So we have 07:33.722 --> 07:36.040 a couple of programs that really get a 07:36.049 --> 07:38.559 lot of traction these days . Uh One of 07:38.570 --> 07:40.848 them is the army career skills program . 07:40.848 --> 07:42.959 The army career skills program allows 07:42.959 --> 07:44.903 service members a chance to go and 07:44.903 --> 07:47.070 learn a marketable skill um , in their 07:47.070 --> 07:48.959 last six months before they leave 07:48.959 --> 07:51.181 active duty . And so the army continues 07:51.181 --> 07:53.348 to , the service continues to pay them 07:53.348 --> 07:55.403 and they get a chance to go learn in 07:55.403 --> 07:57.514 another skill um and potentially come 07:57.514 --> 07:59.626 out with a job before they even leave 07:59.626 --> 08:01.514 active duty . So that program has 08:01.514 --> 08:03.459 really picked up a lot of uh steam 08:03.459 --> 08:05.626 these days . And so if a soldier comes 08:05.626 --> 08:07.903 into the transition assistance program , 08:07.903 --> 08:09.792 as soon as they're eligible in 18 08:09.792 --> 08:12.014 months or 24 months before retirement , 08:12.014 --> 08:14.181 then we get a chance to start planting 08:14.181 --> 08:16.181 those seeds about the career skills 08:16.181 --> 08:18.237 program . So that way they can spend 08:18.237 --> 08:20.348 more time researching what's the best 08:20.348 --> 08:22.459 opportunity for them um to be able to 08:22.459 --> 08:24.348 take advantage of that internship 08:24.348 --> 08:26.570 opportunity that potentially could lead 08:26.570 --> 08:28.570 to a job . The other program that I 08:28.570 --> 08:30.514 think is gaining a lot of traction 08:30.514 --> 08:32.681 these days is the Employment Navigator 08:32.681 --> 08:34.903 program . The Employment Navigator is a 08:34.903 --> 08:37.070 new program that we have here at USA G 08:37.070 --> 08:40.650 Humphrey that gives us the hands on 08:40.659 --> 08:44.380 local expertise when it comes to all 08:44.390 --> 08:46.880 things , employment , we get a lot of 08:46.890 --> 08:49.739 people who are interested in , you know , 08:49.750 --> 08:52.229 uh finding that job , but they put the 08:52.239 --> 08:54.880 blinders on to one particular industry 08:55.099 --> 08:56.877 and our employment Navigator is 08:56.877 --> 08:59.043 phenomenal in the fact that she's able 08:59.043 --> 09:01.440 to help them broaden their uh site a 09:01.450 --> 09:03.339 little bit to say you're not just 09:03.339 --> 09:05.672 focused on what you did in the military , 09:05.672 --> 09:07.839 but we can actually open that aperture 09:07.839 --> 09:09.894 and look at something more um resume 09:09.894 --> 09:12.117 writing interview techniques . I mean , 09:12.117 --> 09:14.172 she does mock interviews , she helps 09:14.172 --> 09:13.929 people with a number of different 09:13.940 --> 09:16.020 things . So again , that's another 09:16.030 --> 09:17.974 program that's gaining a lot of uh 09:17.974 --> 09:20.086 momentum and we're very lucky to have 09:20.086 --> 09:22.308 that resource right in our tap center . 09:22.308 --> 09:24.474 So I think the best thing to do to get 09:24.474 --> 09:26.474 ready is to look at what their post 09:26.474 --> 09:28.419 military goal is . Do I want to go 09:28.419 --> 09:30.641 right into the workforce ? Am I looking 09:30.641 --> 09:32.739 to , you know , go to school ? Am I 09:32.750 --> 09:35.083 going to look some , take some time off ? 09:35.083 --> 09:37.159 What are the options that you are 09:37.169 --> 09:39.289 looking to fulfill that post military 09:39.299 --> 09:41.640 goal ? Look at those and have an idea 09:41.650 --> 09:44.309 of when you come in what that is . So 09:44.320 --> 09:46.690 we're not having to try and steer you 09:46.700 --> 09:48.700 along in that conversation . You've 09:48.700 --> 09:51.033 already thought about , hey , I'm gonna , 09:51.033 --> 09:53.089 I'm , I'm gonna go to school . I'm , 09:53.089 --> 09:52.830 I'm interested in , you know , do 09:52.840 --> 09:55.630 having that experience or I need to get 09:55.640 --> 09:57.862 a job right away or I want to take some 09:57.862 --> 09:59.807 time off and then I want to tackle 09:59.807 --> 10:01.807 school and , or uh job . So I think 10:01.807 --> 10:03.807 someone preparing themselves with , 10:03.909 --> 10:06.059 what is my post military life gonna 10:06.070 --> 10:08.460 look like before you come in , then we 10:08.469 --> 10:10.191 can help achieve that with the 10:10.191 --> 10:12.469 comprehensive approach that we have um , 10:12.469 --> 10:14.747 to helping them leave back the meeting . 10:15.010 --> 10:18.799 I think unit leadership has to change 10:18.809 --> 10:20.890 the cultural mindset that if someone 10:20.900 --> 10:23.609 decides to leave active duty , they are 10:23.619 --> 10:26.059 no longer a second thought . They're , 10:26.070 --> 10:28.181 they're not an afterthought anymore . 10:28.181 --> 10:30.237 Someone who's leaving active duty is 10:30.237 --> 10:32.403 not quitting on the team , they're not 10:32.403 --> 10:34.459 giving up , you know , they're not , 10:34.459 --> 10:36.570 everyone is built to do a full career 10:36.570 --> 10:38.792 on active duty . So if someone comes to 10:38.792 --> 10:38.669 a leader and says , I'm ready to 10:38.679 --> 10:40.669 transition off active duty , they 10:40.679 --> 10:42.901 should receive the same full support as 10:42.901 --> 10:44.846 someone who says , I'm ready to re 10:44.846 --> 10:47.012 enlist and , and keep going . And so I 10:47.012 --> 10:49.068 think culturally , we have to change 10:49.068 --> 10:51.290 that mind for uh of leaders that you've 10:51.290 --> 10:53.235 got to support someone who's going 10:53.235 --> 10:55.123 through tap , just like you would 10:55.123 --> 10:57.290 support someone who has decided to ran 10:57.290 --> 10:59.457 this . If someone's going to go to the 10:59.457 --> 10:59.179 Transition Assistance program and they 10:59.190 --> 11:01.530 come to you at that 18 month mark and 11:01.539 --> 11:03.761 they say I really want to go , then you 11:03.761 --> 11:05.761 need to be able to support them and 11:05.761 --> 11:07.872 allow them to go as early as they can 11:07.872 --> 11:10.039 and as often as they want to , so that 11:10.039 --> 11:12.039 way they can take full advantage of 11:12.039 --> 11:14.206 everything that's available . Now , we 11:14.206 --> 11:16.261 understand the army has requirements 11:16.261 --> 11:18.206 and we will never go against those 11:18.206 --> 11:20.317 requirements . But we want to work in 11:20.317 --> 11:22.483 conjunction with those requirements to 11:22.483 --> 11:24.483 allow the soldier to maximize their 11:24.483 --> 11:26.706 time in tap , but also keep doing their 11:26.706 --> 11:28.928 army mission . And again , I think it's 11:28.928 --> 11:31.150 just a partnership we have to have with 11:31.150 --> 11:33.979 the soldiers desires and what the 11:33.989 --> 11:36.156 military requirements are and tap fits 11:36.156 --> 11:38.429 in there on both ends . So just like 11:38.440 --> 11:40.607 every other agency these days , we are 11:40.607 --> 11:42.718 on the information superhighway , you 11:42.718 --> 11:44.662 can go online , you can just do an 11:44.662 --> 11:46.607 internet search for the Transition 11:46.607 --> 11:48.607 assistance program and you will get 11:48.607 --> 11:50.384 landed on the army's transition 11:50.384 --> 11:52.329 assistance program page . It's got 11:52.329 --> 11:54.218 chock full of information . Um If 11:54.218 --> 11:56.107 you're not in the army and you're 11:56.107 --> 11:58.384 another service again , you could just , 11:58.384 --> 11:58.109 you know , find your service transition 11:58.119 --> 12:00.849 assistance page um by an online search 12:00.979 --> 12:03.210 and you'll get some high level um 12:03.219 --> 12:05.330 information about what the program is 12:05.330 --> 12:07.441 and some of those key pieces . But if 12:07.441 --> 12:09.608 you're interested in specifically what 12:09.608 --> 12:11.775 your installation has when it comes to 12:11.775 --> 12:13.886 the Transition assistance program , I 12:13.886 --> 12:16.052 encourage you to reach out to that tap 12:16.052 --> 12:15.979 center . Um You know , we are on the 12:15.989 --> 12:18.809 third floor of mod hall um in building 12:18.820 --> 12:20.849 6400 . So you can come see us , you 12:20.859 --> 12:23.026 can't miss our branding . Come off the 12:23.026 --> 12:25.192 elevator , you'll see us at the end of 12:25.192 --> 12:27.248 the hallway . Um So just come by and 12:27.248 --> 12:29.470 talk with us . We're absolutely glad to 12:29.470 --> 12:29.409 share those resources and information 12:29.650 --> 12:33.419 um with you . Tap is unlike it . It , 12:33.429 --> 12:35.840 it's not like . So , so tap is just 12:35.849 --> 12:37.905 like every other army event , you're 12:37.905 --> 12:40.127 gonna get out of it , what you put into 12:40.127 --> 12:42.182 it . If you come to class and you're 12:42.182 --> 12:44.238 just sit on your phone and scroll on 12:44.238 --> 12:46.349 your phone all day or goof off , then 12:46.349 --> 12:48.571 you're not going to get the full effect 12:48.571 --> 12:50.793 of what that presenter that facilitator 12:50.793 --> 12:52.905 that instructor has been been sharing 12:52.905 --> 12:52.859 with you all day long . Um There are 12:52.869 --> 12:55.479 many times at the end of day , one of a 12:55.489 --> 12:57.489 two day workshop . Well , I will go 12:57.489 --> 12:59.656 into the classroom and I will see that 12:59.656 --> 13:01.933 the soldiers have left their workbooks , 13:01.960 --> 13:05.049 um , there on their desk knowing very 13:05.059 --> 13:07.392 well that they have homework to do . So , 13:07.460 --> 13:09.460 my advice to a soldier who could do 13:09.460 --> 13:11.682 something on their own time would be to 13:11.682 --> 13:15.669 prepare to invest some time in 13:16.210 --> 13:18.321 the workshops and classes that you're 13:18.321 --> 13:20.543 going to attend . If you're gonna go to 13:20.543 --> 13:22.710 the VA class , then maybe before maybe 13:22.710 --> 13:24.830 you go to va.gov and you just 13:24.840 --> 13:27.007 familiarize yourself with the page and 13:27.007 --> 13:28.951 some of the information . And then 13:28.951 --> 13:31.062 while you're in class , do the things 13:31.062 --> 13:33.173 that they ask you to do . If they ask 13:33.173 --> 13:35.284 you to go to va.gov and go to this uh 13:35.284 --> 13:37.340 portion of the site , go there , see 13:37.340 --> 13:39.562 what it looks like . So even though you 13:39.562 --> 13:41.784 may not be an expert on that particular 13:41.784 --> 13:41.710 page at the time , you'll have the 13:41.719 --> 13:43.886 experience with it and be able to find 13:43.886 --> 13:46.163 it again . So we talk about , you know , 13:46.163 --> 13:48.979 preparedness for employment , you've 13:48.989 --> 13:51.450 got to prepare for on your own . 13:51.619 --> 13:53.890 Because if you come to our employment 13:53.900 --> 13:56.609 readiness workshops , you are going to 13:56.619 --> 13:58.841 get information about a resume , but we 13:58.841 --> 14:01.063 don't write it for you . You have to do 14:01.063 --> 14:03.175 that work on your own and you have to 14:03.175 --> 14:05.341 be able to prepare that and that takes 14:05.341 --> 14:07.563 some time , some personal investment in 14:07.563 --> 14:09.675 your time to prepare for that same as 14:09.675 --> 14:11.841 if you were to prepare for a promotion 14:11.841 --> 14:11.450 board , you need to prepare for an 14:11.460 --> 14:13.682 interview and so you need just like you 14:13.682 --> 14:15.627 would not go into a soldier of the 14:15.627 --> 14:17.739 month board . Um , unprepared . You 14:17.750 --> 14:19.750 shouldn't go into a job interview . 14:19.750 --> 14:21.639 Unprepared . Same with college is 14:21.639 --> 14:23.861 college applications . They're not just 14:23.861 --> 14:26.139 an easy , you know , thing to fill out . 14:26.139 --> 14:26.119 You have to do some research on the 14:26.130 --> 14:27.979 college . And is there some 14:28.169 --> 14:30.599 requirements for you to apply ? Is 14:30.609 --> 14:32.720 there some way that , you know , they 14:32.720 --> 14:35.450 need things done for you to have a shot 14:35.460 --> 14:37.627 at getting accepted into that school ? 14:37.627 --> 14:39.793 So I totally agree . I think the , the 14:39.793 --> 14:41.904 counselors are absolutely the experts 14:41.904 --> 14:41.280 when they talk about making sure 14:41.289 --> 14:43.400 soldiers are doing their homework and 14:43.400 --> 14:45.567 they do that before work and then they 14:45.567 --> 14:47.678 can come in and have a better idea of 14:47.678 --> 14:49.845 what we're teaching them , come to see 14:49.845 --> 14:52.159 us and let us let us help you . Ok . We 14:52.169 --> 14:54.549 are going to ask you a lot of things , 14:54.750 --> 14:57.070 but you have to be open to sharing what 14:57.080 --> 14:59.247 your post military goals are so we can 14:59.247 --> 15:01.590 use our expertise to help you achieve 15:01.599 --> 15:03.821 them , you know , coming in and telling 15:03.821 --> 15:06.043 us , well , I just want to go to school 15:06.043 --> 15:08.266 and work . You know , that's really not 15:08.266 --> 15:10.210 a plan because we have to dig into 15:10.210 --> 15:12.488 those finite details of how , you know , 15:12.488 --> 15:12.400 what school are you gonna go to , um , 15:12.409 --> 15:14.940 application for financial aid ? Have 15:14.950 --> 15:17.172 you got your va education benefits ? Is 15:17.172 --> 15:19.339 there an application window ? Is there 15:19.339 --> 15:21.283 an acceptance process , you know , 15:21.283 --> 15:21.280 those kind of things . So those are the 15:21.289 --> 15:23.511 things you have to allow us to do . You 15:23.511 --> 15:25.400 have to allow us to help you work 15:25.400 --> 15:27.233 through those things and then be 15:27.233 --> 15:29.289 committed to doing what we're asking 15:29.289 --> 15:31.233 you to do . So that way , it's not 15:31.233 --> 15:33.289 overwhelming when it all hits at one 15:33.289 --> 15:35.456 time , you can spread it out over some 15:35.456 --> 15:37.456 time because if you come at that 12 15:37.456 --> 15:39.622 month mark , you're gonna see how fast 15:39.622 --> 15:41.845 it goes away . And before you know it , 15:41.845 --> 15:44.067 you're at the end of your time , you're 15:44.067 --> 15:46.345 like , oh , I'm missing so many things . 15:46.345 --> 15:48.567 But if you come early to us , let us do 15:48.567 --> 15:50.622 our job , we'll be able to then help 15:50.622 --> 15:52.780 you navigate some of those unthought 15:52.789 --> 15:55.390 about things and that you may have 15:55.400 --> 15:56.340 overlooked .