{"id":432958,"date":"2025-05-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=432958"},"modified":"2025-05-02T15:13:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T15:13:58","slug":"usag-bavaria-tap-counselors-bring-help-turn-soldiers-civilian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=432958","title":{"rendered":"USAG Bavaria TAP counselors bring help turn Soldiers civilian"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Trey Gullick, Scott Johnson and Brett Macy transitioned from active duty and now serve as counselors at the largest TAP center in Vilseck together with transition services manager Jonelle Boye.
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ROSE BARRACKS, Germany \u2013 Though the path from active-duty service to civilian life can prove challenging, three counselors with the Transition Assistance Program at U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria have both exemplified the program\u2019s success while guiding other outgoing service members who are making the transition themselves.<\/p>\n

Scott Johnson, Trey Gullick and Brett Macy, who transitioned from active duty and now serve as counselors at the largest TAP center in the European theater, have helped thousands of enrolled service members prepare for their future careers through workshops, seminars and individual counseling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a success story for our installation because it represents a rewarding cycle of Veterans supporting one another,\u201d Jonelle Boye, transition services manager, said of the three counselors on her team. \u201cIt\u2019s inspiring to see service members who have made the shift to civilian life now helping others navigate that same journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe TAP initiative significantly strengthens the community,\u201d Boye continued. \u201cIt promotes camaraderie and creates meaningful connections, benefiting both the counselors and those participating in the program. It also provides crucial support to those transitioning to civilian life, ensuring they feel backed throughout the entire process. Ultimately, it demonstrates how veterans can continue to make a positive impact and serve in new ways after their military careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson during his time as an active-duty Soldier was a detainee operations observer, coach\/trainer for Joint Multinational Readiness Center\u2019s Raptor Team at USAG Bavaria \u2013 Hohenfels. Now he works as a transition counselor. His move to TAP in 2024 was driven by his desire to continue helping those who serve.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to work here because I wanted to stay within the military community,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI knew that helping Soldiers transition out of the military was the best way for me to keep supporting them and ensure they\u2019re on the right track.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also had personal reasons for staying in Bavaria.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wife and children wanted to stay here as much as I did,\u201d he said. \u201cThey love Germany, especially the history and culture of Bavaria. The community here is tight-knit, and everyone feels like family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gullick, another transition counselor on the TAP team, recently retired as a first sergeant from the 7th Army Training Command. He brings years of leadership experience to his new role from his active-duty career.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the only place I\u2019ve worked,\u201d Gullick said. \u201cI\u2019ve always been here, so it\u2019s near and dear to my heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to continue to help Soldiers,\u201d he continued. \u201cI wanted to be closer to the people that I knew, that I worked with in the Army, the people who I was a first sergeant for. And now I\u2019m able to work with them as a civilian, to help them transition into being a civilian. So, it\u2019s like everything is coming full circle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gullick uses his work skills and experiences from active duty, where he often counseled his Soldiers, into his new civilian career role.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy counseling skills translated perfectly,\u201d he said. \u201cNow I\u2019m helping Soldiers with their career goals and future plans to set them up for success after the Army.\u201d<\/p>\n

While both Johnson and Gullick were already in the USAG Bavaria footprint, Macy, another transition counselor, came to Germany through an internship with the Career Skills Program. CSP assists service members nearing the end of their military career by providing up to six months of internships in their chosen field. He stopped by the TAP building to talk to Veterans Affairs while he was interning with a German insurance and investment company.<\/p>\n

\u201cI walked in looking for assistance and ended up finding my next career,\u201d Macy said of his visit to TAP.<\/p>\n

Macy retired in 2024 as a sergeant first class from the Reserve Officer Training Corps in Camp Atterbury, Indiana.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a rough transition because I was far from a major base, so I had to figure everything out on my own,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s one reason I\u2019m excited to work here \u2013 so I can help younger service members have a smoother transition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Macy, Gullick and Johnson all provide one key, piece of advice to service members looking to leave service: \u201cGo early, go often!\u201d<\/p>\n

Service members are encouraged to begin the TAP process 18 months before their separation date \u2013 or 24 months for retirees \u2013 to fully benefit from the resources and services available to them. TAP offers workshops and seminars on searching for jobs, writing resumes, preparing for interviews and planning finances. They also provide one-on-one career counseling to help service members set and achieve their career goals. TAP can also connect service members with employment opportunities, training, job fairs and more.<\/p>\n

The program can also help service members work with the VA on educational benefits, home-buying and disability claims.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo other organization or industry invests the same level of time, money, effort and resources into supporting individuals as they transition out,\u201d Boye said. \u201cWorking for TAP is incredibly rewarding, and we take great pride in the impact we have on the lives of those we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boye made it clear that starting the TAP process does not automatically initiate separation from active duty.<\/p>\n

\u201cTAP is not a declaration of leaving the Army,\u201d she said. \u201cIf service members decide to reenlist, everything they\u2019ve done in the process \u2013 attending classes, briefings, or counseling \u2013 remains valid for three years. There\u2019s no issue with reenlisting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boye also encouraged service members to include their Families in the transition process.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpouses are welcome to participate in TAP,\u201d she said. \u201cWe highly encourage spouses to join their service members in the program, as it\u2019s part of their transition as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

TAP offers a vital support network for service members at a critical point in their careers and lives, and transition counselors such as Johnson, Gullick and Macy, know the challenges and can help.<\/p>\n

To learn more about TAP, visit https:\/\/home.army.mil\/bavaria\/Directorates\/dhr\/TAP<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trey Gullick, Scott Johnson and Brett Macy transitioned from active duty and now serve as counselors at the largest TAP center in Vilseck together with transition services manager Jonelle Boye. (Photo Credit: Natalie Simmel) VIEW ORIGINAL ROSE BARRACKS, Germany \u2013 Though the path from active-duty service to civilian life can prove challenging, three counselors with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":432960,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-432958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=432958"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":432961,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432958\/revisions\/432961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/432960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=432958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=432958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=432958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}