Your VA Transition Assistance Program (TAP)

About 200,000 service members transition to civilian life each year. The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) provides information, resources, and tools to service members and their loved ones to help prepare for the move from military to civilian life. Service members begin TAP one year prior to separation, or two years prior to retiring. Watch the video above to see how VA TAP helps service members transition from military to civilian life.

The VA portion of TAP is a one-day, in-person course called VA Benefits and Services. Led by VA Benefits Advisors, the course helps you understand how to navigate VA and the benefits and services you’ve earned through your military career. The course offers interactive exercises, real examples, and covers topics important to you like family support, disability compensation, education, and health care benefits.

Online Course Instructions

You can access the web-based TAP Curriculum, including VA Benefits and Services, any time through Joint Knowledge Online (JKO).

These former participants in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) describe their realities of transitioning to civilian life and anecdotal lessons learned to promote the value of the program. TAP helps transitioning service members become more adaptable to civilian life, offers resources for emotional, employment and financial stability and creates a support network that can provide a smooth transition for a Veteran and their family.

VA Benefits and Services Participant Guides

Download the VA Benefits and Services Participant Guide to reference resources, make checklists, and find important contact information.

Guides for the members of the Reserve components

We recognize the unique challenges that members of the reserve components experience in their dual citizen-service member role. The VA Benefits and Services course calls out resources specifically tailored to members of the reserve components. The course also highlights separation documents specific for reserve component-specific eligibility information.

Download the VA Benefits and Services Participant Guide to reference resources, make checklists, and find important contact information.