Military Transition Checklist: Your 12-Month Separation Timeline

12–9 months out: decide and document

• Start Transition Assistance Program (TAP). It's mandatory and must begin no later than 365 days before separation — book it early, treat it as a floor not a ceiling.
• Pull your records. Download your full personnel file, medical record, and training transcripts while everything is one login away. Get copies of every evaluation.
• Start your budget runway. Total your monthly expenses, then build 3–6 months of savings. Your last military paycheck and your first civilian one can be months apart.
• Draft the first resume. It will be rough — that's fine. You need a working document now so the next nine months of feedback can improve it.
• Research SkillBridge. The DoD SkillBridge program lets you spend your final months (up to 180 days) interning with a civilian employer at full military pay. Slots are competitive — identifying programs early is the whole game.

9–6 months out: aim the job search

• Pick 2–3 target career paths and reverse-engineer their requirements. Read 20 job postings per path and list the certifications, keywords, and experience they repeat.
• Start one certification if your target field expects it (Security+ for IT/cyber, PMP or CAPM for project management, CDL for transportation). Many are covered by military credentialing assistance programs while you're still in.
• Build your LinkedIn profile with a civilian-translated headline. Recruiters search LinkedIn constantly; "Logistics Operations Leader | Active Secret Clearance" gets found, your rank and MOS alone don't.
• Apply for SkillBridge if you're pursuing it — applications typically go in 6+ months before your start window.
• File your VA disability claim through BDD (Benefits Delivery at Discharge) when you're 180–90 days from separation. Filing before you're out dramatically speeds the decision.

6–3 months out: execute

• Apply to real jobs now — not at 30 days out. Civilian hiring takes 4–8 weeks from application to offer, and interviews are the feedback loop your resume needs.
• Schedule your separation physical and document every condition. What isn't in your record at separation is much harder to claim later.
• Decide on healthcare. Compare employer coverage timing, VA enrollment eligibility, and transitional programs so you don't have a gap.
• Calculate terminal leave vs. selling leave back. Terminal leave means paychecks while you interview; selling back means a lump sum. Run the math for your situation.
• Line up housing. If you're relocating for work, coordinate the overlap between your last duty station, your new lease, and your report date.

3–0 months out: land

• Get your DD-214 draft reviewed before you sign it. Errors on the DD-214 create years of benefits headaches — verify every date, award, and characterization.
• Enroll in VA health care and register on VA.gov. Even if you have employer insurance, being in the system matters.
• Transfer or activate your GI Bill plans — confirm dependents' transfers were approved (transfers generally require doing this while still serving).
• Negotiate your offer. Your first civilian salary sets the baseline for every raise after it. Veterans routinely under-ask — research the market rate and add the value of your clearance and leadership.
• Keep digital and paper copies of everything: DD-214 (member-4 copy), medical records, evaluations, award citations, training certificates.

Frequently asked questions