Program offers Soldiers head start on transitioning from military to civilian service

Eligible Soldiers nearing separation will soon be able to prepare for transition through the Warrior Training Advancement Course, or WARTAC, a program that provides possible employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA.

Soldiers who complete the 12-week program have the chance to interview for jobs with the Veterans Benefits Administration, allowing them to build on the valuable training and skills they developed while serving in uniform.

“It’s a great way for Soldiers to have something in place as a Plan A leaving the military,” said Ric James, chief of transition services for Installation Management Command-Europe.

The next class is scheduled from April 13 to June 25, 2020, at Sembach Kaserne and is open to Soldiers who will be available to begin with the VA in late August. Past sessions at IMCOM-Europe have yielded dozens of job offers for separating Soldiers.

“The last time we offered WARTAC, we had 15 people go through the program and 15 got hired. VA WARTAC have greater than 95 percent placement rate across the Department of Defense,” James said.

Soldiers within 180 days of separation and who anticipate an honorable discharge, have the approval of their commander, and meet other hiring requirements of the VA and Office of Personnel Management are encouraged to apply.

Mandatory briefings will be held Feb. 10-13, and Soldiers must reach out to their garrison’s Transition Service Manager to receive information to enroll in the class.

For more information, interested Soldiers should contact their garrison’s transition service manager (TSM) or contact Mr. James at Richard.d.james4.civ@mail.mil.

The other TSMs in Europe are:

• USAG Rheinland-Pfalz:
  Dana Cozzens at DSN 541-9000
• USAG Wiesbaden:
  Barbara Barnett at DSN 548-1304
• USAG Stuttgart:
  Phillip Masterson at DSN 431-3673
• USAG Bavaria:
  Anne Fugate at DSN 476-2057
• USAG Italy:
  David Poulin at DSN 637-8151