With military transition from active duty to the Army Guard in my rearview, I can see the hard stuff for what it was. There are plenty of unknowns with getting out of the military that you can't really do anything about. But there are also steps you can take to make it easier.
If I could back in time I'd get more upfront intel on benefits, I'd tackle some better life organization and a I'd grab a little extra know-how on what to expect from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Lucky for you there's now an app for that. The new spouse section of Military.com's Transition app, sponsored by Citi, is just the handholding we all need for getting through transition.
There are two organizational tools in the world that speak to my soul: well-timed information and checklists. I just don't have time to sift through the whole benefits world for what applies to me, but I do need specific information at exactly the right moment. And putting it on a checklist helps me make sure I've got all of my bases covered.
This Transition App upgrade does just that. With information tailored specifically to military spouses through a partnership with the National Military Family Association, the app delivers to users checklists based on a pre-transition timeline, and includes links to more information about those subjects on Military.com.
Would it be ideal if you could just attend the transition classes with your service member? Sure. But we all live in the realm of reality here. Who has time to go to all of that? You've got a job or kids. Is someone giving you time off or offering you free babysitting so you can attend? No, they are not.
Which is why we have an app.
Need to know more about transitional Tricare? The Transition app has that. What about getting a job? Picking a place to live? Knowing what happens to your benefits if you decide to go Guard? It's got all that, too.
And because the people who developed it know that the service member is getting totally overwhelmed by information at the transition classes and may not be communicating everything he or she needs to back to the homefront, the app also walks you through the service member's version. It's like highstakes app babysitting -- because anything that has to do with your paycheck really is a big deal.
