Top Free Resources Available During Transition

Transitioning from the military is stressful. Sure, you could pay someone to help you wade through the weeds but your money is better kept in your savings to provide a buffer for when something inevitably does not go according to plan.

Free is good when it comes to resources. What education benefits are available to veterans and service members separating from active duty? How does one go about getting a job in the civilian world? What about housing? Tried navigating the VA website and gave up in a huff? Here are the top three resources to help you with all the above-mentioned transition challenges:

Navigating the VA - Let’s start with the most arduous task. There are plenty of links to government resource pages below but one of the biggest struggles can be cutting through the bureaucratic red tape to figure out how to access the benefits you’ve earned.

1. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, or IAVA, is a non-profit organization offering free membership to Veterans. They offer assistance with all things Veteran-related including navigating the VA. https://rly.pt/3JzAUBM

2. Similarly, the National Veterans Foundation provides support to those frustrated with the many seemingly dead ends encountered when trying to work through the VA system. https://nvf.org/help-navigating-the-va/

3. The Wounded Warrior Project also offers assistance in filing VA claims and navigating through the system. https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs/benefits-service

Education Benefits

1. The American Legion offers a state-by-state listing of education benefits for Veterans as well as provides contact information for additional information. https://rly.pt/3jqhiWn

2. Once you know which benefits you qualify for (by checking out the link above), head over to Military.com for user guides designed to help you through each step of the process in obtaining your benefits. https://rly.pt/3rhdZ89

3. And for everything else, visit USA.gov for an explanation of benefits as well as a hotline to speak with a real person about how best to take advantage of what you’ve earned.
https://www.usa.gov/education-military-veterans

Employment

1. The government has a multitude of resources to assist Veterans in the employment process. The Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Labor and even the government’s USA.gov website all have information and links to assist vets with career transition. States also have their own veteran employment sections to assist locally.
https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/veterans/veterans-employment-services
https://www.usa.gov/veteran-employment

2. Obviously, one of the most beneficial resources available to veterans seeking employment is right here on RallyPoint. Just click on “Resources” from the top menu and select jobs. https://www.rallypoint.com/careers/civilian

3. There are many non-profit organizations with the mission to get vets hired. US Vets has locations in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Texas and Washington D.C. DAV (Disabled American Veterans) offers services such as job fairs, entrepreneur training programs and spouse career support (including portable career counseling). Hire Heroes USA is a soup-to-nuts resource taking you through the entire career transition process one step at a time with help at every stage.
https://usvets.org/how-we-serve/workforce-development/
https://www.dav.org/veterans/employment-resources/
https://www.hireheroesusa.org

Housing

1. For information regarding real estate loans, the VA is the best place to ensure you are getting your benefits and not being taken for a ride. There are many organizations offering memberships, agents and financing but be sure to do your due diligence. Most are more for-profit and less for-vets. https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/

2. The same can be said for assistance with disability housing grants. Take your questions right to the source at the VA when looking into buying or adapting your home for your specific disability requirements. https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants/

3. Should you find yourself facing homelessness, the VA is once again your best bet in finding the resources you need to get through the challenging situation. Find reputable charitable organizations vetted by the VA to provide you with the necessary connections. https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/for_homeless_veterans.asp