HVAC Takes a Hard Look at TAP

The full committee looked at what's working and what's not, praising private entities who help veterans lost in the process.

June 24, 2025

⚡NIMITZ NEWS FLASH⚡

“Strengthening the Transition Assistance Program: Exploring Outcomes to Improve the Transition to Civilian Life”

House Veterans Affairs Committee Hearing

June 24, 2025 (recording here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked):

Keywords mentioned:

  • Mental health, employment outcomes, technology integration, data sharing, nonprofit organizations, skills-based hiring, veteran support, military transition, VA benefits, service member engagement, veteran identity, public-private partnerships, veteran support services

IN THEIR WORDS

“The answer to my colleagues on the other side of this dais is not federal dollars—it’s the application of will… You want hope? You’re going to find it in faith. You’re not going to find it in a federal dollar.”

Rep. Derrick Van Orden

“While the administration is running around, bombs out and middle fingers up, we as members of Congress still have a promise to uphold for our veterans.”

Rep. Delia Ramirez

“You can’t legislate hope, but you can legislate the things of hope.”

Ms. Rebecca Burgess

Ranking Member Mark Takano expressed disappointment that the DOD did not send any witnesses to this hearing on the Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE

  • Chairman Mike Bost reflected on his own military transition experience, humorously contrasting the current Transition Assistance Program (TAP) with the informal "tap on the shoulder" or final drinks with friends in his day. He spoke about the need to support service members transitioning out of the military, noting that only 52% currently meet the TAP timeline and that many veterans face unemployment or underemployment due to poor transitions. He claimed that unsuccessful transitions weaken the public's view of military service and ultimately affect national security by deterring voluntary enlistment. The Chairman expressed hope that innovative nonprofit programs and new legislation like the Enhancing the Transitioning Servicemember’s Experience (ETS) Act (H.R. 3387) could improve TAP outcomes and ensure that the VA prioritizes veteran services under the Trump administration.

  • Ranking Member Mark Takano began by urging everyone to keep deployed service members in mind, especially members of his own staff currently overseas. He highlighted the difficulty of the transition period and illustrated that while Congress made improvements to TAP in the 2019 NDAA, many provisions remain unimplemented. The Ranking Member sharply criticized the Trump administration for hollowing out federal agencies and for the Department of Defense’s (DOD) last-minute withdrawal from the hearing, which he called disrespectful to the Committee’s oversight role. He advocated for bipartisan efforts to shift jurisdiction over TAP fully to the House Veterans Affairs Committee and to establish clearer accountability and support structures for transitioning service members.

  • Chairman Bost responded to Ranking Member Takano’s criticism by accusing Democrats of hypocrisy, noting that the DOD frequently skipped hearings under the Biden administration without similar complaints from the Ranking Member. He defended the Trump administration’s actions in the Middle East and the appointment of VA Secretary Doug Collins to lead VA reforms. Chairman Bost asserted that reducing bureaucracy and modernizing the VA were essential, especially in times of conflict when veterans would rely heavily on those services. He reaffirmed the hearing’s purpose: to improve military-to-civilian transitions and ensure that TAP evolves to meet modern needs.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

  • Mr. Manish Gupta described his organization as a nonprofit SaaS platform that connects veterans and military families with over 1,500 social services through a customizable digital interface. He detailed how Combined Arms uses secure profiles and real-time analytics to provide personalized support, including housing, employment, and mental health services. Mr. Gupta argued that their platform could serve as a force multiplier for TAP if better integrated with DOD, VA, and Department of Labor (DOL) systems to streamline data sharing and service delivery. He asked Congress to fund technology integration, support pilot programs, and enhance interagency collaboration to modernize and personalize the transition process.

  • Mr. Ross Dickman stated that his nonprofit provides individualized career services to over 25,000 transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses each year. He highlighted that junior enlisted veterans face the steepest challenges and that underemployment remains a persistent issue long after separation. Mr. Dickman advocated for pursuing outcome-based metrics, incentivizing skills-based hiring, and supporting public-private partnerships to improve employment outcomes. He also recommended aligning federal metrics with nonprofit practices, expanding support during the first two years post-service, and offering sustainable funding to private organizations that fill the gaps in TAP.

  • Mr. Joseph Loomis shared how his personal experience navigating TAP inspired him to create a veteran-focused tech platform aimed at simplifying access to benefits. He criticized TAP as outdated and overly reliant on briefings, failing to provide tailored, technology-driven solutions for transitioning service members. Mr. Loomis favored a centralized, AI-powered one-stop platform that could automate benefit access, eliminate fraud, and integrate seamlessly with VA and DOD systems. He emphasized that technology is no longer optional and called for deep public-private collaboration to ensure veterans receive effective, lifelong support.

  • Ms. Rebecca Burgess mentioned that despite 250 years of producing veterans, the U.S. has never developed a comprehensive national veteran strategy. She argued that the separation between the DOD and the VA has led to fragmented support, making reintegration harder and discouraging future enlistment. Ms. Burgess recommended restoring the Chairman’s Office of Reintegration and holding joint Armed Services and VA hearings to address systemic transition gaps. She called for improved data sharing, evidence-based performance tracking, and outcome-focused oversight to ensure programs are actually helping veterans and not just generating output metrics.

  • Chairman Bost asked what the biggest gap in TAP was that Combined Arms helps fill. Mr. Gupta responded that the greatest gap was the lack of early awareness among service members about nonprofit services like Combined Arms, which help translate military experience into civilian job profiles through a unified access point. Chairman Bost then asked what feedback he had received from companies hiring veterans. Mr. Gupta explained that many employers lacked awareness of veterans' benefits and struggled to guide them through the transition due to structural shortcomings in translating military skills.

  • Chairman Bost continued, asking what Congress could do to reverse the “broken veteran narrative.” Ms. Burgess replied that Congress could reshape this narrative by framing legislation around veterans as social assets rather than as victims, promoting empowerment rather than need. The Chairman added his frustration that veterans are too often portrayed as broken, despite being among the most dependable workers. Ms. Burgess agreed and added that transition should be viewed similarly to young adults leaving college, but veterans face unique added challenges.

  • The Chairman inquired about the challenges junior enlisted veterans face compared to officers. Mr. Dickman said that junior enlisted veterans often lacked degrees, faced misperceptions about inexperience, and had trouble accessing coaching services, although they used more services and had strong hiring outcomes when supported. He elaborated, stating that women veterans and military spouses also struggled to translate experience into employment, but maintained that junior enlisted consistently faced the greatest difficulty.

  • Ranking Member Takano reiterated that the DOD has consistently deprioritized transition issues, regardless of political control, and asked how his proposal to make VA enrollment automatic during transition would help. Ms. Burgess responded that many veterans wrongly assume they are already enrolled, so an opt-out approach would reduce stress in the first 90 days and help prevent lapses in care. The Ranking Member then asked about the challenges younger and lower-ranked service members face. Mr. Gupta replied that awareness and access were the biggest obstacles, and Combined Arms helped fill that gap by providing guidance and streamlined access to services.

  • Rep. Nancy Mace asked how Combined Arms differs from traditional TAP. Mr. Gupta said that Combined Arms uses predictive analytics and AI to personalize support for each veteran’s needs. When asked how integration with VA systems would work, Mr. Gupta explained that selective data sharing allows service providers to anticipate veterans’ next needs. He underlined that AI enhances, but does not replace, human interaction in veteran care.

  • Rep. Mace then asked how TurboVets connects veterans with jobs. Mr. Loomis explained that the platform integrates personal data—including goals, skills, location, and preferences—to identify the top five employment opportunities that best match a veteran’s profile, rather than encouraging mass job applications.

  • Rep. Chris Pappas asked for suggestions to improve the SkillBridge program. Mr. Dickman explained that upstream support, such as one-on-one coaching and interview prep, led to better SkillBridge outcomes and post-service employment. Rep. Pappas then inquired about gaps in the DOD-VA mental health continuum. Ms. Burgess underscored that Congress cannot legislate hope but can fund programs that help veterans find identity and purpose, which are crucial to mental health.

  • Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks asked whether holding service members accountable for completing TAP earlier would improve transition. Mr. Gupta said that success depends not only on early participation, but also on better outreach and education in the receiving communities. Rep. Miller-Meeks then asked how technology integration would work in practice. Mr. Gupta responded that both veterans and communities need to be educated about each other’s strengths and challenges to make transition smoother.

  • Rep. Miller-Meeks asked how Hire Heroes USA helps veterans stay employed. Mr. Dickman described a personalized coaching model backed by employer engagement systems, and said that veterans placed in well-matched jobs tend to stay longer and be promoted faster. When asked if TurboVets could help close data gaps in transition outcome tracking, Mr. Loomis replied that the key was to integrate DOD and VA data to ensure a continuous view of each veteran's journey, eliminating silos and improving benefit access.

  • Rep. Nikki Budzinski asked what steps could reduce transition gaps for women, minorities, and junior enlisted veterans. Ms. Burgess claimed that the lack of demographic data was a major obstacle and emphasized that changing how mental health is discussed—so it is not viewed as a life sentence—would encourage more veterans to seek help. She recommended using Social Security data at the zip code level and connecting it to VA/DOD systems to target support geographically and demographically.

  • Rep. Morgan Luttrell reflected on how military service shelters young recruits from adult responsibilities and asked how TAP could better articulate military experience into civilian terms. Mr. Gupta called for early resume-building and personalized support that continues throughout a service member’s career.

  • Rep. Luttrell then turned to Mr. Loomis, asking how the VA and the DOD could improve communication and data sharing. Mr. Loomis advocated for a seamless digital system that tracks veterans’ goals and benefits throughout service, bridging the current disconnect between departments.

  • Rep. Julia Brownley asked about the impact of new VA bylaws that may allow care to be denied based on politics or marital status. While Ms. Burgess had not read the article, she said veterans deserve to understand their healthcare rights.

  • Rep. Brownley then asked what the potential impact on recruitment might be if transitioning service members learn they could face discrimination. Ms. Burgess responded that such changes could deter certain individuals from joining the military and worsen public perception of how veterans are treated, depending on cultural and subgroup sensitivities.

  • Rep. Kimberlyn King-Hinds asked whether there was a one-stop shop where veterans could access nonprofit services. Mr. Gupta responded that Combined Arms offered a free, open-door platform with a vetted network of organizations that ensured seamless referrals without making veterans restart the process. Mr. Dickman added that Hire Heroes USA is one of Combined Arms’ vetted partners and provides one-on-one job support, also referring veterans to a broader network of services.

  • When Rep. King-Hinds asked about support outside the continental U.S., Mr. Dickman confirmed that their services were fully remote and available to any eligible veteran or spouse, and Mr. Gupta noted that veterans from U.S. territories like Guam and Puerto Rico were already using the Combined Arms platform. Mr. Loomis then explained that TurboVets focuses on automating benefits applications and creating a unified platform for all VA and DOD benefits, aiming to reduce redundancy in nonprofit services and increase awareness of underused programs.

  • Rep. Herb Conaway asked how the year-long TAP education process could be improved, noting the low uptake and impact. Ms. Burgess proposed a 30-day “soft landing” leave period at the end of service and suggested condensing and timing TAP more effectively, as veterans often forget key information received too early in the process.

  • Rep. Conaway then expressed concern about privacy and asked how TurboVets handles veteran data. Mr. Loomis assured him that all data exchanges occur securely via the VA’s Lighthouse platform, with no reselling or repurposing of data, and that veterans control and can delete their own data at any time.

  • Rep. Derrick Van Orden criticized Democratic colleagues for politicizing the hearing and defended the VA against claims of discriminatory policy. He asked the witnesses how much federal funding their organizations received. Mr. Gupta reported that Combined Arms received some state-level support. Mr. Dickman stated that Hire Heroes USA received under $700,000 in federal funding. Mr. Loomis and Ms. Burgess both confirmed receiving no federal funding. Rep. Van Orden argued that effective programs like Mighty Oaks operate without federal dollars and claimed that success is driven by commitment, not money. He encouraged more lifelong tracking of veterans through platforms like those discussed.

  • Rep. Delia Ramirez expressed outrage over a recent airstrike ordered by President Trump and criticized the administration’s approach to veterans’ services, calling the TAP system a systemic failure. She asked about recent removals of SkillBridge providers without explanation. Ms. Burgess said that she did not run a program but inferred that such removals would impact job opportunities for veterans. Mr. Loomis urged stronger public-private partnerships and recommended that TAP begin 12 months before discharge to address financial and career preparedness. Mr. Dickman encouraged affected organizations to continue engaging with the DOD and broaden their veteran hiring efforts. Mr. Gupta agreed that continuous feedback and education-centered partnerships were essential.

  • Rep. Abe Hamadeh said that TAP felt impersonal when he went through it and asked how to improve personalization. Mr. Loomis explained that using AI and data analysis could build customized transition plans based on each veteran’s goals, strengths, and gaps, such as financial literacy or job readiness.

  • Rep. Hamadeh then asked what a modern TAP would look like. Mr. Loomis emphasized the use of digital platforms, video content, and human storytelling to replace outdated PowerPoints and make training relevant and engaging. Ms. Burgess elaborated that many veterans need help translating their communication and leadership abilities into civilian terms, particularly for job interviews.

  • Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick asked about TurboVets’ platform for connecting veterans to employers. Mr. Loomis said that the product was customizable, addressed individual transition needs, and had received positive feedback. He recommended that Congress enforce a 12-month TAP requirement and ensure command support for transitioning service members. When asked about negative feedback, Mr. Loomis replied that most users simply wanted more features. He also described how the platform addresses veterans who want career changes and protects against predatory claim sharks by restricting access to verified users through ID.me authentication.

  • Rep. Jen Kiggans highlighted the introduction of her new bill aimed at creating DOL grants for training veterans in the energy and manufacturing sectors. She asked how well veterans’ skills align with employer needs. Mr. Dickman replied that junior enlisted veterans often have strong technical skills that appeal to employers in logistics, manufacturing, and IT, but struggle with soft skill recognition and upward mobility.

  • Rep. Kiggans then asked how Hire Heroes USA supports families. Mr. Dickman responded that military spouses are also eligible for services and that transitions are especially stressful for families, so inclusive support is key. Rep. Kiggans inquired about ways to streamline veteran employment services. Ms. Burgess underscored the importance of measuring outcomes, not outputs, and urged Congress to define what success should look like before evaluating programs.

  • In his closing remarks, Chairman Bost agreed with Ranking Member Takano that both parties have struggled to get the DOD and the VA to collaborate effectively and noted the importance of involving spouses in the TAP process. He shared personal anecdotes about family members’ transitions and stressed that successful reintegration is critical for military families. He called for bipartisan cooperation to improve the TAP program and better serve service members.

SPECIAL TOPICS

🖤 Mental health and suicide:

  • Ranking Member Takano discussed the link between poor transition outcomes and suicide risk, citing research that shows a higher likelihood of suicidal ideation when transition is difficult. He argued that getting the transition period right is essential to preventing veteran suicide and called out the administration’s failure to prioritize the issue.

  • Ms. Burgess noted that enabling veterans to find renewed purpose and identity after service is essential to mental health. She cited research from the U.S., Sweden, and the U.K. indicating that identity loss is a major factor in veteran distress. She claimed that mental health care should not be perceived as a life sentence and advocated for better, tech-enabled access to services.

  • Rep. Budzinski cited reports from Wounded Warrior Project and DAV highlighting women veterans as particularly vulnerable during transition, especially regarding mental health challenges. She discussed her bipartisan VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act, which seeks to expand outreach to veterans about available VA mental health services.

  • Mr. Loomis discussed how his platform could identify and assist veterans struggling with financial or psychological challenges post-transition by offering individualized pathways that address root causes, including stressors that contribute to mental health risks.

  • Rep. Ramirez described TAP as more than a checklist and stated that it must help veterans achieve safety and peace post-service. She criticized the administration’s broader handling of veterans' care, warning that inadequate transition support puts veterans' mental health at risk.

👨‍💻 IT issues:

  • Mr. Gupta, Mr. Loomis, and Ms. Burgess spoke on the importance of technology integration and data sharing between VA, DOD, and other systems. These include linking service member profiles from enlistment through transition, allowing predictive analytics and AI to guide veterans toward needed resources like mental health support or benefits enrollment.

  • Mr. Loomis mentioned that TurboVets operates with a secure, privacy-focused system using the VA’s Lighthouse API, and is working to move the platform into FedRAMP government cloud infrastructure to better protect sensitive veteran data and facilitate interagency communication.

🏢 Veterans’ employment:

  • Mr. Dickman explained that veterans, especially junior enlisted, often face underemployment due to lack of a college degree and difficulty articulating transferable skills. He recommended promoting skills-based hiring, supporting public-private employment partnerships, and tracking outcomes like job retention and financial stability.

  • Mr. Gupta described a SaaS platform that helps veterans identify employment, housing, and health services. He advocated for early data sharing with the DOD and predictive analytics to improve job placement and long-term satisfaction.

  • Mr. Loomis argued that TAP needs to be tailored to each individual’s employment goals, especially for those with financial or credit challenges that hinder job placement. He promoted the use of AI to develop customized career pathways.

  • Rep. Kiggans promoted her new legislation, which would create DOL grants to place veterans into energy and advanced manufacturing jobs.

♀️ Women veterans:

  • Rep. Budzinski underscored that women veterans are among the most vulnerable populations during transition, citing recent reports. She mentioned mental health stigma and barriers such as childcare, caregiver responsibilities, and a lack of targeted outreach as contributing factors.

  • Ms. Burgess confirmed that women veterans are less likely to seek care, despite being more vocal about their struggles online. She stressed the need for targeted communication, online access points, and integration of demographic-level data to better serve women veterans.

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