Whether your anticipated military transition is planned or unplanned, it is one of the biggest moments in your military career, potentially affecting every aspect of your life. Aside from classes through your local Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and from military service organizations, much of the personal guidance you’ll receive may be from friends and former servicemembers who have all kinds of useful, and sometimes not-so-useful, information.
Relying on others’ personal knowledge and experience has its benefits, but it’s important to factor in the time it takes to complete a lot of the must-do's along the way, For that reason alone, it is never too early to begin thinking about your transition. A recent LinkedIn post from Michael Quinn of HireMilitary, an AAFMAA partner, advises that if you are starting to prepare for transition one year out, you may not giving yourself enough time. Commenters on the post also advised to build in more, rather than less, time to plan and prepare — the more time you have, the smoother your transition will be.
Download Our Free Guide: Transition Timeline
AAFMAA’s Transition Timeline provides a free checklist of steps that can help you successfully prepare for your military transition — starting three years out, before your projected transition date. Evaluating your finances, determining your post-military employment, and documenting your medical information are just a few of the items you will need to consider and intentionally plan for before you leave the service.
AAFMAA Is Here to Help
If you have any questions about making your transition out of the military, contact our Member Benefits team at 703-707-1182. They can help guide you on life insurance options to consider as a replacement for the SGLI (Servicemembers Group Life Insurance) you’ll lose upon your exit, enrolling in the SBP (Survivor Benefit Plan), providing information about the VA (Veterans Affairs), and more. Plus, all AAFMAA Members receive their own secure Digital Vault, available 24/7 online, to store their essential documents, including your DD-214. It’s accessible in the AAFMAA Member Center.