CEO Chris Thorne joins the bicameral Senate and House Affairs Committee roundtable on supporting transitioning service members

As you know, the North San Diego Business Chamber is a huge champion and advocate of the military. We are thrilled to share that CEO Chris Thorne was able to represent us yesterday in Washington D.C. at the bicameral Senate and House Affairs Committee roundtable discussion about?supporting transitioning service members. Important conversations took place regarding the Congressionally mandated Transition Assistance Program (TAP) administered by the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor, as well as ETS, the Expiration of Terminal Service. ?

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As the CEO of a regional business chamber in San Diego where this year’s estimated veteran population is 206,230?(Source: California Department of Veterans Affairs), it was important for Thorne, a veteran himself, to join the conversation and provide important insight from the North San Diego Business Chamber’s 800+ members.?

"The interests of serving our transitioning servicemembers, veterans, and military families IS the business of San Diego and its business community,” Thorne said. “Our thriving economy is based on our region wide support to these men and women. It is a business imperative for us to ensure that the programs and processes discussed today are informed, integrated, engaged, and successful.?In San Diego, business does not just participate in military transitions, it RELIES on successful military transitions."?

Thorne shared specific recommendations from our Members regarding legislative measures that have the potential to create a positive impact, including:?

• Recommendation 1:?Modify TAP (Transition Assistance Program) participation date requirements to use unit anticipated deployment date as the TAP participation limiting date (v. ETS) for all servicemembers in deployable units who have a prospective ETS during or less than 12 months following return from any scheduled deployment.?
• Recommendation 2:?Direct removal of all contract limitations which require minimum participation for conduct of a TAP class. (NOTE: This is an especially impactful element related to OCONUS TAP)?
• Recommendation 3: Update 10 U.S.C. §1144(d) to specifically include authority (“may”) to engage industry representatives, stipulating that such engagement shall be guided by applicable Service, DoD, and U.S.C. ethics guidelines.?
• Recommendation 4: Break up specific segments, such as VA/VBA benefits, enrollment, and care into one day training seminars which are routinely scheduled separate from TAP, yet still mandatory as part of transition readiness.?(allowing the topic to be focused on specifically, rather than lost in all other information, as well as increasing potential for military spouse participation). Authorize and encourage innovative opportunities for presentation of 1 day VA/VBA seminars in collaboration with nonmilitary programs and environments to increase participation by service members, veterans, and military families.?
• Recommendation 5: Identify key early career readiness information (i.e., SkillBridge, industry exploration, industry recognized credentialling, and other pathways to employment), and break these from the TAP process to be introduced and repeated during early and mid-career touchpoints for all servicemembers (i.e., web-based training, required training topic at first primary schooling, Professional Military Education/PME schooling leadership development, etc.).?
• Recommendation 6: Separate retirement versus ETS (Expiration of Terminal Service ) TAP in recognition of the fact that these constituencies are each approaching the end of military lifecycle with completely different perspectives.?
• Recommendation 7: Establish an “ETS Housing Allowance” which facilitates a one-time payment/supplement at separation from Active Duty for initial household costs (i.e.; rent deposit, move in costs, etc.) through the use of a separation “claim” process filed not later than 90 days following separation from Active Duty, which would require proof of actual demonstrated costs and be capped based on regional Cost of Living considerations.?This one-time allowance can be used in advance of separation from Active Duty for those relocating to a permanent post military location through terminal leave, SkillBridge participation, “PCS to home” (below), or other such events.?
• Recommendation 8: Establish a “Permanent Change of Station to Home” process for members awaiting final disposition with a requirement to affiliate with and engage in care with local VA care teams at the home of record (or selected post military location) as fulfillment of their military duties while continuing to receive military compensation.?Relieve the Services of end strength accountability for those in this program and separate members from military commands to enable military manpower processes to fill training and unit requirements.?As/if required, these members can be assigned to Guard and Reserve units in home location for accountability.?
• Recommendation 9a: Establish a Defense level management system for the application, approval, tracking, and reporting of all SkillBridge programs.?Such a system can and should retain Service level policy administration capability, while ensuring consistency of information. (if untenable, see Recommendation 9b)?
• Recommendation 9b: Establish Congressionally mandated minimum electronic management requirements for the application, approval, tracking, reporting, and accountability of SkillBridge programs at Service level, with a requirement for compatibility and consistency to DoD level tracking (in the event of 1b, it is HIGHLY recommended to adopt the USAF AFVEC standards or similar as a baseline).?
• Recommendation 10: For use of in-service TA/CA, require demonstrated need based on published military occupational standards, or a specific career pathway (industry career pathway need demonstrated ONLY by broadly published hiring requirements for specific career role).?
• Recommendation 11: For all use of GI Bill -and- all SkillBridge program utilization, establish required career outcomes tracking (post education or program employment placement, retention, and alignment) which can be used to inform best practice pathways, and GI Bill and SkillBridge provider program accountability.?
• Recommendation 12: Define via legislative action “Military Spouse” (“for the purposes of this act…”) as it relates to all or specific sections of U.S.C.?
• Recommendation 13: Require the Bureau of Labor Statistics to implement tracking of this unique and discreet element in monthly employment surveys, to be collected and reported in concert with, and as part of the monthly Employment Situation report.?
• Recommendation 14: Establish an Office of Civilian Employment at the Guard and Reserve Bureau to act as a national point of contact and clearinghouse for employment efforts.?

We are confident that these recommendations would improve the life of the military community and have a positive impact on military transition.

Do you want to join the conversation? Discuss topics affecting active-duty service members, veterans, and their families in San Diego County and more at YOUR Chamber’s Military Affairs Advisory Council.

Register for our next meeting and learn more here: Military Affairs Advisory Council - North San Diego Business Chamber (sdbusinesschamber.com).