Next Steps

Get details about TAP from the:

• Department of Defense (DoD)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• Department of Labor

The DoD provides:

• Links to the transition assistance programs for each specific branch of military service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force)
• An overall Transition Timeline

The U.S. Armed Forces keep an Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) for every veteran and service member. This includes your military discharge paperwork (DD214).

• If you are a veteran or a member of the Army, Navy, Marines, or Air Force and are serving as active duty, Reserve, or Guard, or if you are retired, then you can use the Defense Personnel Records Information Retrieval System (DPRIS) page on the milConnect website to ask for and get scanned copies of documents in your OMPF.
• For OMPF records not available on milConnect and for veteran health records, or if you are a family member of a veteran or a member of the public (and cannot access milConnect), the National Archives explains how to request Military Service Records in a variety of situations.
• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) explains the type of records available and how to request them.

Learn more about the:

• Post-9/11 GI Bill
• Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)
• Montgomery Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)
• Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E)

In some cases, a veteran’s dependent or surviving spouse and children can get educational help through a GI Bill program. Learn more about education assistance for survivors or dependents.

To apply for VA education benefits, you have several options:

• Apply online
• Go to the VA's Detroit Regional Office and have a VA employee help you
• Work with your school’s certifying official (usually in the school’s registrar or financial aid office)
• Call 1-888-442-4551 (1-888-GI-BILL-1) and ask to have an application mailed to you. Fill it out and mail it to the VA Regional Processing Office nearest to the school you want to attend.

Get free copies of your credit report from the top three credit reporting agencies — Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax — by ordering them at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only website that is part of the legally mandated free credit report program. Beware of other sites that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring”.

Online Job Boards

These online resources can help you look for work.

• FedsHireVets.gov
• GovernmentJobs.com
• HiringOurHeros.org
• USAJobs.gov
• VACareers.va.gov
• VAforVets.va.gov
• Veteran and Military Transition Center at CareerOneStop.org
• Veterans’ Employment and Training Services (VETS)
• VetJobs.org

Employment Help

• The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency helps veterans and their families with a variety of services, including help getting job training and jobs. For more details, contact the Michigan Veterans Resource Service Center at 1-800-MICH-VET (1-800-642-4838) or visit the Michigan Veterans website

• The MI Apprenticeship Program can help you prepare for and find an apprenticeship. An apprenticeship lets you earn while you learn, typically through both on-the-job and classroom training in a paid job. Learn more about how to find an apprenticeship in Michigan.
  

• Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) helps individuals with disabilities prepare for, start, and keep employment. To learn more, visit a Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) office in your area, submit a comment or question online, or call customer assistance at 1-517-241-5324 or 1-800-605-6722.

• Michigan Works! One-Stop Service Centers offer free services , including specialized services for veterans and job seekers with disabilities. To find a Michigan Works! Service Center near you, call 1-800-285-9675 (1-800-285-WORKS) or visit michiganworks.org.

• The Ticket to Work Program helps people with disabilities who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits find and keep work. Call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY).

Major life changes can be stressful for you, your spouse, and your family. Fortunately, help is available:

• While you are on active duty, you can get free help with personal issues and other challenges on base through the Family Service Center, Chaplain’s Office, and military mental health care facilities. Search for available services.
• Phone help is available 24/7 from Military One Source at 1-800-342-9647 (for up to 180 days after your retirement or discharge date).
• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) REACH program links to resources for a wide variety of challenges facing veterans.
• The VA's Veterans Crisis Line offers free, confidential support 24/7 to veterans, service members, national guard and reserve members, and those who support them. Dial 988 then press 1; chat online; or text 838255. (You don't have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to use the crisis line.)

• The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency offers support for veterans and their families. For more details, contact the Michigan Veterans Resource Service Center at 1-800-MICH-VET (1-800-642-4838) or visit the Michigan Veterans website.
• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has an online database to find an accredited attorney, claims agent, or service officer from a Veterans Service Organization (VSO). It’s easier to search by state than by postal code.
• Contact the VA's Detroit Regional Office.
• The VA's Office of Survivors Assistance at 1-800-827-8000 helps family members and spouses of deceased veterans.
• Find local veterans services of all kinds in the National Resource Directory.
• Veteran Navigators can help connect you with resources for mental health, substance abuse, housing, and other common issues for veterans.

If you're currently on SSI, SSDI, or DAC benefits, and you're looking for a job, a trained Benefits Planner can help you avoid problems with your job plan. If you need help or have questions about your situation, you can call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST.

View DB101's full list of experts who can help you understand different benefits.