The ACAP
Process
The ACAP
process
works best
when
initiated
early.
Allowing
Soldiers to
start early
provides you
and the
Soldier the
flexibility
needed to
prevent a
conflict
between
mission
requirements
and ACAP
services. It
also ensures
compliance
with
timeliness
standards
and promotes
the
program’s
effectiveness.
As they
prepare for
transition,
Soldiers
need an
average of
40 hours,
spread over
a six-month
period of
time, to
take
advantage of
ACAP
services.
The goodness
of the
program
cannot be
realized
during
clearing.
For more
information
on
timeliness
requirements
and the need
to start
early, read
Getting
Started
Early.
Your ACAP
Center will
assist you
and your
Soldiers in
getting an
early start
through a
formal
notification
process.
Soldiers
must
register for
services
and arrange
for their
first
service.
For their
first
service,
Soldiers
will receive
preseparation
counseling,
learn more
about ACAP
and schedule
additional
services.
Soldiers
document the
counseling
by
completing a
DD Form 2648
or 2648-1,
the
Preseparation
Counseling
Checklist,
and this
document
determines
if the
Soldier and
your unit
have met the
Army's
timeliness
standard.
Many
Soldiers
will sign up
to receive
employment
assistance
training,
either by
attending a
workshop
or viewing
workshop
training
online. The
workshop
provides the
skills and
knowledge
Soldiers
need to
attain their
transition
goals. Once
they’ve
completed a
workshop,
Soldiers
will need
additional
help and
services to
select a
career
objective,
write a
resume, find
a job
opportunity,
apply for a
job and
prepare for
an
interview.
These
additional
services
can be
scheduled
and
completed
over a
number of
weeks and
months and
around
mission
requirements
using a
variety of
modalities.
In addition
to this
regular menu
of
additional
services,
many ACAP
Centers
schedule
special
events.
Throughout
the ACAP
Process, the
TSM and ACAP
Center staff
remain
accessible
to
commanders
and other
Army
Leaders. You
can always
verify a
Soldier’s
appointments
or confirm
that the
Soldier
reported for
a scheduled
appointment.
The entire
ACAP Team is
committed to
helping you
support your
Soldiers
while also
ensuring
that your
critical
mission
continues
without
interruption.
Getting
Started
Early
Each
commander,
sergeant
major and
first
sergeant is
responsible
for ensuring
that
Soldiers
initiate
ACAP
services
early on in
the
transition
process.
Recognizing
that the
effectiveness
of services
is directly
linked to
the time
Soldiers
spend
preparing
for their
transition
from active
duty,
Congress
directed
that
Soldiers can
access
transition
and job
assistance
services up
to two years
(for
retirees) or
one year
(for
non-retiring
transitioners)
prior to
departure
from active
duty. From a
leader’s
point of
view, early
is better
than late.
Soldiers who
begin their
ACAP
services
early in
their
transition
are better
able to
complete
ACAP
activities
around unit
duty
requirements.
More
importantly,
if the Army
is to
realize the
benefits of
reduced
unemployment
compensation
costs,
enhanced
active duty
retention,
enhanced
enlistment
in the
National
Guard and
Reserve and
enhanced
image of the
Army as a
great place
to start,
Soldiers
must have
time to
receive
substantive
transition
and
employment
assistance
services.
ACAP Centers
maintain
statistics
on unit
compliance
with Army,
DoD and
congressional
policies
regarding
timely
involvement
in
transition
and job
assistance
services.
Your chain
of command
will
typically
have access
to this data
and your
unit’s
compliance
rate will be
a matter of
record.
Notification
The ACAP
process
works best
when
initiated
early.
Allowing
Soldiers to
start early
provides you
and the
Soldier the
flexibility
needed to
prevent a
conflict
between
mission
requirements
and ACAP
services. It
also ensures
compliance
with
timeliness
standards
and promotes
the
program’s
effectiveness.
As they
prepare for
transition,
Soldiers
need an
average of
40 hours,
spread over
a six-month
period of
time, to
take
advantage of
ACAP
services.
The goodness
of the
program
cannot be
realized
during
clearing. As
we all know,
loss rosters
may be based
on erroneous
data. Some
of the
Soldiers
listed may
have
reenlisted
or extended.
The chain of
command
should
ensure that
transitioning
Soldiers
receive
notification
correspondence
and take
timely
action to
arrange for
their first
service.
Remember,
from a
leader’s
point of
view, early
is better
than late.
In addition
to direct
notification,
Soldiers may
be informed
of the need
to access
ACAP
services
through
pre-retirement
briefings,
ETS
briefings
and on-post
marketing
initiatives.
Registering
for Services
Notified
Soldiers can
register for
their first
ACAP service
online and
in person or
pre-register
by phone.
Once
registered,
they can
schedule
services and
print an
appointment
slip.
Soldiers can
choose to
receive
services in
the ACAP
Center or
online.
Either way,
they will be
advised what
they need to
do next. You
are always
welcome to
contact the
ACAP Center
to confirm a
Soldier’s
first
appointment
or to
confirm that
the Soldier
actually
reported to
the ACAP
Center as
scheduled or
completed
preseparation
counseling
online.
First Visit
The first
step in the
ACAP process
is a
two-hour
preseparation
counseling
session,
most often
presented as
an automated
presentation
delivered by
the ACAP
On-Line
website or
at the ACAP
Center. The
contents of
the
counseling
are defined
by DoD and
Army
guidance and
provide
Soldiers
valuable
information
on
transition
benefits and
programs
designed to
assist their
smooth
transition
from active
duty.
Soldiers
complete a
DoD Form
2648 or
2648-1 to
acknowledge
receipt of
this
counseling
and indicate
their desire
for
additional
information
and
services.
The date of
this
briefing is
recorded in
the
automated
ACAP system
and, along
with the
Soldiers ETS
date, is the
basis for
all
statistical
reports on
unit
compliance
with Army,
DoD and
congressional
directives.
At the
conclusion
of the
briefing,
Soldiers
will be
provided
information
on other
service
providers
and given
the
opportunity
to schedule
follow-on
ACAP
services. If
Soldiers do
schedule a
follow-on
activity,
they can
print an
appointment
slip. As
always, unit
commanders
and leaders
can always
verify an
appointment
by calling
the ACAP
Center.
Timeliness
Standards
Congress
mandated
that all
transitioning
Soldiers
receive a
preseparation
briefing no
later than
90 days
prior to
separation
from active
duty. ACAP
Centers
maintain
compliance
statistics
for all
units, and
the TSM may
provide
commanders
at all
levels with
information
on how well
their unit
and their
subordinate
units are
doing. The
current Army
standard for
timeliness
is 85%. The
TSM can
provide the
names of
Soldiers who
did not
receive a
timely
preseparation
briefing.
While
Congress
requires all
transitioning
Soldiers to
receive the
preseparation
briefing no
later than
90 days
before
separation,
they have
also
recognized
the value of
an early
start.
Consequently,
retiring
Soldiers can
start
receiving
services as
early as two
years before
retirement
and
non-retiring
Soldiers can
start
receiving
services as
early as one
year before
separation.
Workshops
The next
step in the
ACAP process
is
attendance
at a
workshop.
Department
of Labor
Transition
Assistance
Program (DoL
TAP)
Employment
Workshops
are
conducted by
Department
of Labor
sponsored
TAP
facilitators.
The
workshops
generally
last from
two to three
days and
provide
attendees
the
knowledge,
information
and skills
they need to
achieve
their
post-transition
occupational
or
educational
goals. A
schedule of
your
installation’s
workshops
can be found
on ACAP
On-Line.
Often,
Veterans
Administration
representatives
and other
service
providers
also
participate.
Workshop
supports
retention by
helping
Soldiers
compare
their
current
salary,
benefits and
opportunities
with those
they might
be able to
attain in
the Private
Sector.
Additionally,
the workshop
helps
Soldiers
explore how
enlistment
in the
National
Guard or
Reserves can
play an
important
role in
attaining
financial
stability
and career
development
after they
leave active
duty.
Service
members who
are
separating
or retiring
for medical
reasons can
receive
information
about the
Department
of Veterans
Affairs (VA)
Vocational
Rehabilitation
Program and
the
application
process. The
Disabled
Transition
Assistance
Program
(DTAP)
provides a
half-day
seminar,
usually
presented by
the
Department
of Veterans
Affairs in
conjunction
with the
Department
of Defense,
in
conjunction
with the
three-day
Transition
Assistance
Program.Each
Soldier can
print an
appointment
slip
containing
information
on the date
and duration
of the
workshop.
You can
always
confirm a
Soldier’s
workshop
reservation
and
attendance
by
contacting
the ACAP
Center.
Additional
Services
No one
ever found a
job just by
attending a
class. The
real work of
preparing
for
transition
success
begins where
the workshop
ends.
Soldiers,
even those
going to
school after
separation,
will need to
begin the
process of
setting a
career
objective.
Objective
setting
requires a
careful
assessment
of
occupations,
the job
market and
the
Soldier’s
own skills,
aptitudes,
experience,
education
and
training.
Once the
Soldier has
set an
objective,
the tough
task of
achieving
that
objective
begins.
Typically,
job seekers
must create
a resume,
network,
identify job
opportunities,
apply for
jobs,
prepare for
interviews
and prepare
to negotiate
salary and
benefits.
These are
difficult
tasks and
few Soldiers
have ever
performed
them prior
to their
entry on
active duty.
ACAP staff
members are
qualified
professionals
who have the
training and
resources to
help
Soldiers
perform
these
critical
tasks.
Counselors
can be
contacted
through ACAP
On-Line or
counseling
sessions can
be scheduled
for
individual
attention.
Soldiers can
also go to
ACAP On-Line
or schedule
time in the
ACAP Center
to use the
automated
job
assistance
training
program,
JATA, as a
means of
supplementing
workshop
instruction
as well as
career
exploration
tools,
resume
writers and
Internet job
search
resources.
Generally,
Soldiers can
print an
appointment
slip and
commanders
and leaders
can always
contact the
ACAP Center
to verify an
appointment
or
attendance
at an
appointment.
Special
Events
Your ACAP
Center may
schedule
special
events to
enrich ACAP
services.
Job fairs
may be held
to help
transitioners
meet and
interview
with hiring
employers.
Local
employers
may be
invited into
the ACAP
Center to
help
Soldiers
understand
the local
job market
and better
appreciate
what
employers
are looking
for in
successful
job
applicants.
The ACAP
Center also
might hold
short
classes for
those who
want to
learn more
about a
specific job
search topic
such as
resume
writing or
interviewing.
A schedule
of these
special
events can
be found on
ACAP
On-Line.