Factors Influencing the Perceived Effectiveness of the Transition Assistance Program among Exiting Military Servicemembers at Military Installations in Louisiana

As proven in the aftermath of World War II, whenever the U.S. government shifts its efforts from wartime mobilization to peacetime demobilization, the Department of Defense (DoD) faces the complex task of transitioning military personnel to civilian life. In March of 2015, the researcher began an exploratory evaluation of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) employment workshops. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected personal and professional demographic characteristics on the perceptions of the effectiveness of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) in accomplishing its stated purposes among exiting military servicemembers at military installations in Louisiana. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified “Education level,” “Job Search Skills/Counseling” and “Military Occupational Specialty” (MOS) in the literature as indicators of exiting military servicemembers (EMS) toward the TAP. A total of 67 EMS participated in the study and a sample of 53 exiting military servicemembers provided useable responses from a researcher-designed survey and reported the perceptions of the effectiveness of the TAP. Based on this study, 86.8% of EMS reported having at least a four-year degree. Of the 53 study participants who provided useable data for the survey, the majority reported “Yes” to whether or not “Job Search Skills/Counseling” was covered in the TAP. Of the 53 respondents, 38 (71.7%) reported “Yes.” No relationship was found between whether or not “MOS” was transferable to the civilian labor force” and the perceived effectiveness of TAP. Study participants indicated all survey items had a mean rating of “Agree.” Four of the 11 correlations were found to be statistically significant. The highest correlation was EMS’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the TAP and “Job Search Skills/Counseling,” which asked study participants “Was your Job Search Skills/Counseling covered in the TAP?” The remaining three correlations were “Income level,” “Active Duty Status” and “Length of Service.” Based on these findings, the researcher found the systems are currently in place to explore more personal and professional demographic characteristics and that more accountability is needed among the federal agencies to provide more quantifiable research on EMS’ perceptions toward the effectiveness of the TAP. Keywords: Transition Assistance Program, perceptions, exiting military servicemembers, conflict, war, military drawdowns and demobilizations