Transitioning Military Service Members

• Demographics

• Mental Health

• Challenges
Transition Overview
• Complex and dynamic relationships • Within 24 months of retirement or 12

involving: months from separation. Also known as

• The individual Service branches ETS (expiration-time of service).

• Interagency Transition Assistance

Program (TAP)

• Local government

• Private industry

• Non-profit organizations
2018 Secretary Robert Wilkie Quote

“It is clear that the Veteran population and their needs are changing faster than we

realize. For the first time in 40 years, half of our Veterans are under the age of 65. Of 20

million Veterans, 10 percent are women and the number of Women Veterans receiving

care has tripled. The new generation is computer savvy and demands 21st-century

service efficiently delivered and available when needed.”

Demographic Information
Racial demographics amongst all Veterans in 2019:

• 7.54% - Hispanic or Latino

• 1.58% - Asian

• 0.73% - American Indian or Alaska Native

• 12.45% - Black or African American

• 73.87% - Non-Hispanic White

Changes Involved in Transitioning
• Geographic Location • Homelessness

• Career • Mental Health

• Relationships

• Family Reintegration

• Support Systems

• Social Networks

• Community
Transition Challenges Statistics
In November 2015, a study of 8,500 Veterans and service members was conducted
regarding the most significant transition challenges they have had to face:

• 60% stated navigating VA programs, benefits, and services was most

challenging.
• 55% stated that finding a job was the most challenging.
• 41% stated that adjusting to civilian culture was the most challenging.
• 40% stated that financial hardships were the most challenging.
• 39% stated that applying their military-learned skills to civilian life was
the most challenging.
Finding a Job Challenges
• Learning new skills.

• Translating their military skills into civilian terms for their resume.

• Adjusting to new positions.

• Learning a new pace of life and work.

• Understanding subtle nuances in conversation and new workplace lingo that they

are unfamiliar with.

Women Transitioning to Civilian Life
• 67% of women veterans find the financial transition from the military difficult,

compared to 47% of men.

• Women who are transitioning out of the military also experience different social and

psychological experiences than civilian women.

• Likely to be single parents.

• Military service can de-feminize women.

• Lack of peer support groups dedicated to women transitioning out of the military
Mental Health
• Mental and physical health issues can have a negative impact on the

transition process.

• One-third of Veterans have experienced suicidal thoughts.

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

• Transitional Stress.

• Substance Use

• Increased Suicide Risk

References
2020 LED Webinar Series: Statistics of Army Veterans Transitioning into the Civilian Labor Market.
https://www.census.gov/data/academy/webinars/2020/led-webinar-series/army-veterans-transitioning-
into-the-civilian-labor-market.html. (2020).
Clemmensen, E. P. (2021). Challenges of Transitioning from Active Duty to Civilian Life. American Addiction
Centers. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/veterans/transitioning-civilian-life.
Mittal, A. (2019). Why leaving the military is harder for female vets.
https://www.militarytimes.com/education-transition/2019/07/18/why-leaving-the-military-is-harder-for-fe
male-vets/
.
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. (2019). Racial and Ethnic Minority Veterans.
https://www.va.gov/HEALTHEQUITY/Race_Ethnicity.asp.
U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2019). Transitioning Servicemembers: Information on Military
Employment Assistance Centers. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-19-438r.
US Department of Veteran Affairs. (n.d.). The Military to Civilian Transition 2018.
https://benefits.va.gov/TRANSITION/docs/mct-report-2018.pdf.