This is the accessible text file for GAO report number GAO-15-24 entitled 'Military and Veteran Support: DOD and VA Programs That Address the Effects of Combat and Transition to Civilian Life' which was released on November 7, 2014. This text file was formatted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to be accessible to users with visual impairments, as part of a longer term project to improve GAO products' accessibility. Every attempt has been made to maintain the structural and data integrity of the original printed product. Accessibility features, such as text descriptions of tables, consecutively numbered footnotes placed at the end of the file, and the text of agency comment letters, are provided but may not exactly duplicate the presentation or format of the printed version. The portable document format (PDF) file is an exact electronic replica of the printed version. We welcome your feedback. Please E-mail your comments regarding the contents or accessibility features of this document to Webmaster@gao.gov. This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without further permission from GAO. Because this work may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately. United States Government Accountability Office: GAO: Report to Congressional Committees: November 2014: Military and Veteran Support: DOD and VA Programs That Address the Effects of Combat and Transition to Civilian Life: GAO-15-24: GAO Highlights: Highlights of GAO-15-24, a report to congressional committees. Why GAO Did This Study: DOD and VA play key roles in offering post-combat support to servicemembers and veterans through various programs and activities. Congress mandated that GAO identify DOD and VA programs designed to address the effects of combat on servicemembers who have served during recent conflicts, assist servicemembers and veterans with the transition to civilian life, and raise public awareness of these issues. In this report GAO identified the number of programs, including the types of services offered that: 1) address the effects of combat on post-9/11 active-duty servicemembers and their families, 2) help post- 9/11 servicemembers and veterans transition to civilian life, and 3) help raise public awareness and understanding of servicemembers' and veterans' combat and transition experiences. Also, GAO examined how the lists of programs identified compare with program inventories prepared by DOD and VA pursuant to law. To address these objectives, GAO established and applied its definition of “program.” In general, GAO defined programs as federally funded, organized sets of activities agencies undertake that are directed toward specific purposes or goals and are being administered in fiscal year 2014. GAO also searched publicly available sources that contain lists of programs; sent preliminary lists of programs to DOD and VA for verification; and reviewed relevant reports and 2013 program inventories for DOD and VA. What GAO Found: GAO identified 99 programs provided by the Department of Defense (DOD) to help address the effects of combat on post-9/11 servicemembers, their families, or both. These programs often offer multiple types of services. The services most common are mental health and substance abuse (50), information and referral (37), and case management or care coordination (15). GAO identified 87 programs administered either by DOD or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to help post-9/11 servicemembers and veterans transition to civilian life. Some of the 87 programs offer more than one type of service, such as the Transition Assistance Program, which offers employment, education, and information on veterans ' benefits, among other services (see figure). Figure: Transition to Civilian Life: Number of DOD and VA Programs by Type of Service: [Refer to PDF for image: Bubble graph] Disability: 18; Employment assistance: 17; Case management/care coordination: 16; Physical health: 15; Counseling: 13; Education: 12; Information/referral: 11; Mental health/substance abuse: 11; Caregiver support: 5; Other: 5; Spiritual health: 1. Source: GAO analysis of Department of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) programs. GAO-15-24. Note: The numbers of programs by type of service do not equal 87 because some programs provide more than one service. The frequency of a type of service does not necessarily indicate its utilization. [End of figure] GAO identified 12 programs administered by either DOD or VA to raise public awareness and understanding of servicemembers' and veterans' experiences in combat, coming home, and transitioning to civilian life. For example, among the nine DOD programs identified, the Briefings with the Boss program convenes employers and National Guard and Reserve members to discuss issues linked to military service and civilian employment. The lists of programs that GAO developed using its definition are not comparable with those in DOD's 2013 program inventory and have only limited comparability with VA's 2013 program inventory. This limited comparability is primarily due to differing contexts in which the lists were compiled. While GAO's lists address specific mandated questions, DOD's and VA's lists were developed following Office of Management and Budget guidance, which generally provides flexibility in how agencies define their programs. Both DOD and VA chose to identify programs at a broad level. For example, DOD's inventory is partially organized by its strategic goals. One goal is “preserving and enhancing the all-volunteer force,” for which wounded warrior care is cited as a high priority. Under this goal, DOD lists “hospitals” and “regional defense facilities” as programs. In contrast, GAO identified individual programs, such as the Army Wounded Warrior Program and Warrior Transition Units, which were not listed in DOD's inventory. What GAO Recommends: This report contains no recommendations. View GAO-15-24 and a detailed list of programs at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-24]. For more information, contact Andrew Sherrill at (202) 512-7215 or sherrilla@gao.gov. [End of section] Contents: Letter: Background: We Identified 99 DOD Programs That Address the Effects of Combat: We Identified 87 DOD and VA Programs That Help Servicemembers Transition and Veterans Readjust to Civilian Life: We Identified 12 DOD and VA Programs That Raise Awareness and Understanding of Servicemembers' and Veterans' Experiences: Variation in Definitions Limits the Ability to Compare Our Lists with DOD and VA Inventories: Agency Comments and Our Evaluation: Appendix I: Scope and Methodology: Appendix II: Programs Addressing the Effects of Combat (Objective 1): Appendix III: Programs for Transitioning and Readjusting to Civilian Life (Objective 2): Appendix IV: Comments from the Department of Defense: Appendix V: Comments from the Department of Veterans Affairs: Appendix VI: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments: Tables: Table 1: Selected DOD Programs Addressing the Effects of Combat: Table 2: Selected DOD and VA Programs for Transitioning and Readjusting to Civilian Life: Table 3: Transitioning and Readjusting to Civilian Life: Number of Programs Offering Each Type of Service by Agency: Table 4: DOD and VA Programs for Raising Civilian Public Awareness of Servicemembers' Combat and Veterans' Readjustment Experiences: Table 5: Sources Used to Identify Programs for Objectives 1-3: Figures: Figure 1: Addressing the Effects of Combat: Number of DOD Programs by Type of Service: Figure 2: Transitioning and Readjusting to Civilian Life: Number of DOD and VA Programs by Type of Services Provided: Abbreviations: CFDA: Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: DOD: U.S. Department of Defense: GPRAMA: GPRA Modernization Act of 2010: IC3: Interagency Care Coordination Committee: IDES: Integrated Disability Evaluation System: OEF/OIF/OND: Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn: OMB: Office of Management and Budget: Post-9/11 GI Bill: Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008: PTSD: Posttraumatic stress disorder: TAP: Transition Assistance Program: TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury: VA: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: [End of section] United States Government Accountability Office: GAO: 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548: November 7, 2014: Congressional Committees: To help meet the needs of post-9/11 servicemembers, veterans, and their families, various federal agencies administer a number of programs, many of which may experience increased demand following more than a decade of war and as the United States military looks toward reducing the overall size of its forces. After they leave the military, some veterans' readjustment to civilian life will go smoothly, while others may struggle with health problems related to their service, employment, and relationships.[Footnote 1] In addition, researchers, media outlets, and others have reported on a gap in public awareness and understanding of the challenges many post-9/11 veterans face while transitioning from the military to civilian life. The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) play key roles in offering various types of post-combat assistance to servicemembers and veterans. DOD offers, among other things, (1) care to wounded and injured servicemembers during their recovery, (2) mental health counseling and suicide prevention efforts, (3) support for military families, and (4) assistance to servicemembers who are transitioning out of the military. VA offers veterans a wide variety of benefits and services, including health care, counseling, education, housing, employment-related services, and disability compensation benefits. To instill a more coordinated and crosscutting perspective to federal performance, among other aims, the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) was enacted.[Footnote 2] GPRAMA requires that (1) the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) coordinate with federal agencies to develop federal government priority goals, including outcome-oriented goals covering a limited number of cross-cutting policy areas; (2) federal agencies, in developing their own performance plans, describe how they will work with other agencies to achieve their performance goals; and, (3) OMB make publicly available a list of all federal programs identified by agencies, including information about the purposes of each program, how it contributes to the agency's mission, and recent funding information. OMB published the lists of programs-- referred to as program inventories--developed by 24 federal agencies, including DOD and VA, in May 2013.[Footnote 3] Apart from the GPRAMA inventories, Congress mandated that we provide a comprehensive list of DOD and VA programs that address a range of challenges that servicemembers and veterans who have served during recent conflicts may face.[Footnote 4] This report identifies: 1. the number of DOD programs addressing the effects of combat on post- 9/11 active-duty servicemembers and their families, 2. the number of DOD and VA programs to help post-9/11 active-duty servicemembers transition and veterans readjust to civilian life, and: 3. the number of DOD and VA programs to help raise public awareness and understanding of post-9/11 active-duty servicemembers' and veterans' combat and readjustment experiences. In addition, in light of our prior work, we examined: 4. how the lists of programs identified by GAO compare with program inventories prepared by DOD and VA pursuant to the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010.[Footnote 5] This report also provides a description of the types of services provided by the programs identified in objectives 1-2. To address objectives 1-3, we identified DOD and VA programs through the following four-step process: (1) We established a definition for "program" by reviewing our prior work and other relevant studies on related programs for servicemembers and veterans who have served in recent conflicts.[Footnote 6] We also obtained input from our internal (GAO) experts as well as officials from DOD and VA. In general, we defined programs as federally funded, organized sets of activities directed toward specific purposes or goals that agencies undertake and are being administered in fiscal year 2014.[Footnote 7] Given this definition, we included activities that were not formally labeled as a program, such as the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) and the Mobile Vet Centers. [Footnote 8] We further scoped this definition for each objective as follows: [Footnote 9] * Objective 1: DOD or military services' programs that address the effects of combat--including physical, mental, or social heath--on post-9/11 active-duty servicemembers or their spouses or dependents. * Objective 2: DOD, military services, or VA programs that focus primarily on helping active duty servicemembers transition or veterans readjust to civilian life. * Objective 3: DOD, military services, or VA programs that focus primarily on raising civilian public awareness of the combat experiences of servicemembers and the readjustment experiences of veterans. (We further elaborate on these definitions in appendix I.[Footnote 10]) (2) We identified publicly available sources that contain lists of relevant programs, such as the National Resource Directory and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).[Footnote 11] We identified these sources based on discussions with DOD and VA officials and internal GAO experts as well as through online searches. (See appendix I for a description of the sources we used.) (3) We used the definitions and sources from steps 1 and 2 to review and identify the relevant programs for our lists. (4) We sent our preliminary lists of programs to officials at DOD and VA for comment and verification, and we modified the lists accordingly.[Footnote 12] This four-step process identified 170 separate programs, although some of them are relevant to more than one objective. Specifically, 26 programs are included in more than one objective, such as the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program (AFW2) that addresses the effects of combat and helps wounded and injured servicemembers transition to civilian life. In addition, to present our results, we developed categories to group the types of services provided by the programs. Because some programs offer more than one type of service, programs can fall into more than one category or service type.[Footnote 13] We did not analyze these DOD and VA programs to identify any instances of fragmentation, overlap, duplication, or gaps in benefits or services. Our scope for the first three objectives was limited to identifying DOD and VA programs based on the types of service provided. In addition, in carrying out this four-step process, we did not conduct an independent legal analysis of the statutory or regulatory basis or requirements for any of the programs we identified. To address the fourth objective, we compared the lists of programs that we generated under objectives 1-3 with DOD and VA's 2013 GPRAMA program inventories to identify similarities and differences between the agencies' inventories and our lists. Also, we drew upon our prior work on agencies' GPRAMA program inventories.[Footnote 14] We conducted our work from March 2014 to November 2014 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings based on our audit objectives. Background: During the last decade of U.S. military operations, servicemembers have experienced numerous deployments, which increase the risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), two common conditions that many post-9/11 servicemembers and veterans suffer.[Footnote 15] Additionally, more seriously wounded servicemembers survive their injuries--injuries that in previous wars would have been fatal--given improvements to body armor and military medicine, but may be left with significant disabilities. Less than 1 percent of the American population has served on active duty in an all-volunteer, professional military--an historic low-- resulting in a so-called "military-civilian" gap. While Americans generally hold the military in high regard, there is a reported lack of awareness and understanding of the difficult challenges many post- 9/11 servicemembers have faced while transitioning from the military to civilian life.[Footnote 16] Federal Assistance to Servicemembers, Veterans, and Their Families: DOD and VA play key roles in offering assistance to servicemembers, veterans, and their families. In particular, DOD has a role in preparing servicemembers, including those who have served from 9/11 onward, for careers beyond the military and helping them transition from active duty to veteran status. After servicemembers separate from the military, VA's role is generally to help veterans readjust to civilian life. VA provides health care and other benefits to veterans who have served in all conflicts and wars, such as World War II; Vietnam; and Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn or OEF/OIF/OND. DOD and VA have coordinated in assisting servicemembers and veterans and have jointly developed and implemented policies for the care, management, and transition of recovering servicemembers. These policies address certain issues such as care coordination and the disability evaluation process. In a subsequent but related effort, in May 2012, a joint entity known as the DOD/VA Warrior Care & Coordination Task Force began an inventory of DOD and VA programs and established the Interagency Care Coordination Committee (IC3) to guide the development of shared care coordination policies and practices. Additionally, DOD, VA and other agency partners administer the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), which provides counseling to departing servicemembers, and offers employment assistance and information on federal veteran benefits, among other things.[Footnote 17] VA refers to the revised TAP as Transition, Goals, Plans, Success (Transition GPS). Our past reports, as well as reports by others, have highlighted issues surrounding DOD and VA programs, including issues concerning fragmentation, overlap, and duplication; lack of coordination; and challenges in providing some benefits and services.[Footnote 18] For example, we have recommended in two GAO reports that DOD and VA need to better integrate care coordination and case management programs to reduce duplication and better assist recovering servicemembers, veterans, and their families by helping to ensure the continuity of their care. In response, a joint DOD-VA council approved the implementation of specific initiatives that are intended to improve care coordination procedures by facilitating communication between departments and eliminating duplicative efforts. As of September 2014, the departments had not fully implemented these initiatives, according to a senior DOD official. As previously noted, this report does not address fragmentation, overlap, and duplication in benefits or services. Other federal agencies also offer assistance to servicemembers and veterans and bring to bear a variety of policy tools. For example, as we have previously reported, the Department of Labor administers four employment programs targeted to veterans.[Footnote 19] In addition, the Department of Housing and Urban Development provides permanent housing and case management for eligible homeless veterans; and the Internal Revenue Service administers tax expenditures, such as tax credits for businesses hiring veterans, as well as other special tax benefits. GPRA Modernization Act and Agency Coordination: With various federal programs spread across multiple federal agencies, concerns have been raised that no full accounting of the breadth and effectiveness of these programs exists. Among its aims, GPRAMA seeks to instill a more coordinated and crosscutting perspective to federal performance; that is, improving connections across organizations and policy tools. As we have noted in our past work and OMB states in its guidance, effective implementation of GPRAMA could play an important role in clarifying desired outcomes, addressing program performance spanning multiple organizations, and facilitating future actions to reduce duplication, overlap, and fragmentation.[Footnote 20] Some of the GPRAMA requirements and related OMB guidance that emphasize collaboration include: * Federal government priority goals: GPRAMA requires OMB to coordinate with agencies to establish federal government priority goals that include outcome-oriented goals covering a limited number of policy areas, as well as goals for needed management improvements across the government. * Agency priority goals: Certain agencies are required by GPRAMA to identify from among their performance goals a limited number of priority goals every 2 years. Each agency's priority goals are to reflect the agency's highest priorities, as identified by the head of the agency, and be informed by the federal government priority goals, as well as input from relevant congressional committees.[Footnote 21] * Agency performance plans: Agencies' performance plans are required to describe how the performance goals (including priority goals) are to be achieved, including a description of how the agency is working with other agencies to achieve its performance goals. * Strategic reviews: In its 2012 guidance (and subsequent updates) for implementing GPRAMA, OMB guidance directs agencies to conduct annual strategic reviews of progress toward strategic objectives to inform their decision making, beginning in 2014.[Footnote 22] Agency leaders are responsible for assessing progress on each strategic objective established in the agency strategic plan, including mission, as well as management or crosscutting objectives. Among other things, the reviews are intended to strengthen collaboration on crosscutting issues by identifying and addressing crosscutting challenges or fragmentation. * Federal program inventory: As previously noted, GPRAMA requires OMB to make publicly available a list of all federal programs identified by agencies, and to include the purposes of each program, how it contributes to the agency's mission and goals, and recent funding information. GPRAMA also requires OMB to issue guidance to ensure that this information presents a coherent picture of all federal programs. OMB is taking a phased approach to implement this provision and published the inventories developed by 24 agencies in May 2013. We Identified 99 DOD Programs That Address the Effects of Combat: Using our definition of "program," we identified 99 healthcare and benefit programs administered by DOD and the military services that address the effects of combat on servicemembers, their families, or both. Some of these 99 programs we identified share a common name, but are independently implemented by each branch of the military service. For example, each military service administers wounded warrior programs. These programs provide care coordination for recovering servicemembers and their families as they transition to and readjust to civilian life. This population includes servicemembers and veterans who suffer from TBI, amputations, burns, spinal cord injuries, visual impairment, and PTSD. Over a third of the 99 programs that we identified offer multiple types of services. A sample of programs we identified is contained in table 1, which we categorize by type of service to illustrate the range of services provided. The full array of programs is listed in appendix II. In addition, a detailed, interactive list of programs is available at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-24]. Table 1: Selected DOD Programs Addressing the Effects of Combat: Program: Air Force Wounded Warrior Program (AFW2); Type of Service: Case management/care coordination; Program Description: Coordinates care to servicemembers from the point of injury, through separation or retirement, for life. The program provides a range of services, such as transition, employment, and moving assistance as well as financial counseling; and seeks to integrate servicemembers and their families into their local communities. The program also coordinates benefits provided by the other agencies; Agency: DOD - Air Force. Program: Combat and Operational Stress Control Program; Type of Service: Mental health and substance abuse; Program Description: Provides content and resources to help Army soldiers, leaders, and family members endure the stress of combat and military operations; Agency: DOD - Army. Program: Command Suicide Prevention Program; Type of Service: Mental health and substance abuse; Program Description: Provides services including training to increase awareness of suicide concerns, improve wellness, and techniques that could be used to intervene when someone needs help and assistance to families and servicemembers affected by suicidal behaviors; Agency: DOD - Navy. Program: Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP); Type of Service: Disability; Program Description: Provides assistive technology and reasonable accommodations to servicemembers and veterans with disabilities who work at DOD and other federal agencies; Agency: DOD. Program: Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP); Type of Service: Counseling; Information and referral; Program Description: Provides support for families who are far from a military installation, working with National Guard and reserve military and family programs to augment existing family programs. Service providers offer information on military programs, military partnerships in the civilian community and short-term, confidential non-medical counseling to individuals, couples and families; Agency: DOD. Program: Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) Chaplain; Type of Service: Spiritual health; Program Description: Provides for the free exercise of religion by all servicemembers and provides ministry that helps enhance the moral, personal, and spiritual growth of servicemembers. Counseling of servicemembers' dependents is also provided; Agency: DOD - Marine Corps. Program: Military Adaptive Sports Program (MASP); Type of Service: Physical health; Disability; Program Description: Enhances recovery by engaging ill, injured, and wounded servicemembers in individualized physical and cognitive activities and competitive athletics outside of traditional therapy settings, inspiring recovery, physical fitness, and encouraging new opportunities for growth and achievement; Agency: DOD. Program: Operation: Military Kids (OMK); Type of Service: Information and referral; Program Description: Connects military children and youth with local resources to help achieve a sense of community support and enhance their well-being. OMK objectives are to raise community awareness and understanding about how deployment affects military children and to provide education and training to community organizations to better support military children; Agency: DOD - Army. Program: Special Compensation for Assistance with Activities of Daily Living (SCAADL); Type of Service: Caregiver support; Disability; Program Description: Helps offset the loss of income by a primary caregiver who provides non-medical care, support, and assistance for the servicemember. This special monthly compensation is for servicemembers who incur a catastrophic injury or illness; Agency: DOD - all military services. Program: Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline; Type of Service: Information and referral; Program Description: Offers recovering servicemembers and their families a way to share concerns on the quality of patient care. The hotline is used to gather information about medical care as well as suggest ways to improve medical support systems; Agency: DOD - Army. Source: GAO analysis of publicly available sources and Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs information. GAO-15-24. Source: GAO analysis of Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs. GAO-15-24. Note: Some of these 99 programs we identified share a common name but are independently implemented by each service branch of the military, such as the Wounded Warrior Program. In these instances, we separately counted each military service's program. [End of table] The three services most common in the 99 programs are support for mental health and substance abuse (50), information and referral (37), and case management or care coordination (15). The number and types of services in the DOD programs are presented in figure 1.[Footnote 23] Figure 1: Addressing the Effects of Combat: Number of DOD Programs by Type of Service: [Refer to PDF for image: illustration] Active-duty servicemembers (and their families): Mental health and substance abuse: 47; Information and referral: 35; Case management/care coordination: 14; Counseling: 13; Spiritual health: 11; Disability: 8; Other: 7; Physical health: 5; Caregiver support: 3. Source: GAO analysis of Department of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) programs. GAO-15-24. Notes: Numbers of services do not add up to 99 because some programs provide more than one type of service. In addition, under type of service, the "Spiritual health" category includes services such as religious ministry, pastoral care, and counseling. For example, the Strong Bonds program provides chaplain-sponsored couple and family events to help servicemembers reconnect with family after deployments. The frequency of a type of service does not necessarily indicate its utilization. A detailed, interactive list of programs is available at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-24]. [End of figure] In addition, for 73 of the 99 programs (about 75 percent), a servicemember's or veteran's family is also eligible for the services or benefits provided. Also, one of these 99 programs--the Federal Recovery Coordination Program--is jointly administered by DOD and VA. We Identified 87 DOD and VA Programs That Help Servicemembers Transition and Veterans Readjust to Civilian Life: Using our definition of "program," we identified 87 programs administered by DOD and VA that help servicemembers transition and veterans readjust to civilian life. Some of these programs share a common name, but are independently implemented through their respective military service branch, such as the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. As a result, we separately counted each military service's program. A sample of the programs we identified is contained in Table 2, which we categorize by type of service. The full array of programs is listed in appendix III. In addition, a detailed, interactive list of programs is available at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-24]. Table 2: Selected DOD and VA Programs for Transitioning and Readjusting to Civilian Life: Program: Clothing Allowance; Type of Service: Disability; Program Description: Provides clothing allowances to veterans with service-connected disabilities that require prosthetic or orthopedic appliances, or skin conditions requiring medication that irreparably damages outer garments; Agency: VA - Veteran Health Administration (VHA). Program: Coaching Into Care; Type of Service: Caregiver support; Program Description: Provides a free and confidential coaching service to friends and family members of veterans to help them learn new ways to talk about their concerns and ways to motivate veterans to seek assistance; Agency: VA. Program: Federal Recovery Coordination Program; Type of Service: Case management/care coordination; Program Description: Provides care coordination by tracking care, management and transition of a recovering servicemember or veteran through recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration; Agency: DOD and VA. Program: inTransition; Type of Service: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse; Program Description: Provides information and referrals to servicemembers receiving mental health treatment. Specifically, this program aims to ease the transition between health care systems and providers; Agency: DOD - Defense Centers of Excellence (DcoE) and VA. Program: Job Fairs; Type of Service: Employment assistance; Program Description: Promotes the employment of members of the National Guard and Reserves by hosting and sending representatives to attend job fairs and by maintaining a website; Agency: DOD - Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Program: Navy Returning Warrior Workshop; Type of Service: Counseling; Program Description: Provides workshops to servicemembers and their families to teach them how to overcome struggles that come from the dramatic transition from combat life to civilian life. Workshops are comprised of group presentations, small group breakout sessions, vendor informational sessions, and one-on-one counseling in a conference-style setting; Agency: DOD - Navy. Program: Post-9/11 GI Bill; Type of Service: Education; Program Description: Provides post-secondary education benefits for individuals with active-duty service after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. Benefits can be used for a range of learning programs, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, non-college degree programs, and apprecenticeship and on-the-job training. Some servicemembers can transfer their benefits to dependents; Agency: VA - Veteran Benefit Administration (VBA). Program: Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders Centers; Type of Service: Disability; Physical health; Program Description: Provides veterans with spinal cord injury with specialized rehabilitative services at one of the 24 Spinal Cord Injury Centers available through VA; Agency: VA - VHA. Program: Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA); Type of Service: Disability; Other (Housing); Program Description: Provides grants to eligible veterans and servicemembers who are temporarily residing in a home owned by a family member to help adapt the home to meet his or her special needs; Agency: VA - VBA. Program: Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Programs; Type of Service: Information and referral; Program Description: Helps servicemembers and their families connect with local resources before, during, and after deployments. Provides information, referrals, and outreach; Agency: DOD - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps. Source: GAO analysis of Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs. GAO-15-24. [End of table] The three services most common in the 87 programs are disability benefits or services (19); employment assistance (18); and, case management/care coordination, counseling, information and referral, as well as physical health (the frequency for these types of services is 16). The frequency and types of service offered across these 87 programs are portrayed in Figure 2. Figure 2: Transitioning and Readjusting to Civilian Life: Number of DOD and VA Programs by Type of Services Provided: [Refer to PDF for image: Bubble graph] Disability: 18; Employment assistance: 17; Case management/care coordination: 16; Physical health: 15; Counseling: 13; Education: 12; Information/referral: 11; Mental health/substance abuse: 11; Caregiver support: 5; Other: 5; Spiritual health: 1. Source: GAO analysis of Department of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) programs. GAO-15-24. Notes: We separately count programs that share a common name, but are independently implemented by each military service branch. In addition, the number of programs shown by type of services does not total to the 87 that we identified because some programs provide more than one type of service. The frequency of a type of service does not necessarily indicate its utilization. A detailed, interactive list of programs is available at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-24]. [End of figure] We also present the number of programs by type of service provided by each agency in table 3. Table 3: Transitioning and Readjusting to Civilian Life: Number of Programs Offering Each Type of Service by Agency: Type of service: Caregiver support; DOD: 1; Veteran's Affairs: 4. Type of service: Case management/care coordination; DOD: 12; Veteran's Affairs: 6. Type of service: Counseling; DOD: 10; Veteran's Affairs: 5. Type of service: Disability; DOD: 5; Veteran's Affairs: 16. Type of service: Education; DOD: 6; Veteran's Affairs: 9. Type of service: Employment assistance; DOD: 11; Veteran's Affairs: 8. Type of service: Information and referral; DOD: 10; Veteran's Affairs: 2. Type of service: Mental health and substance abuse; DOD: 6; Veteran's Affairs: 6. Type of service: Physical health; DOD: 5; Veteran's Affairs: 12. Type of service: Spiritual health; DOD: 1; Veteran's Affairs: 0. Type of service: Other; DOD: 0. Veteran's Affairs: 5. Source: GAO analysis of Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs. GAO-15-24. A detailed, interactive list of programs is available at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-24]. Notes: The number of programs does not total the 87 we identified because some programs provide more than one type of service. Moreover, the total number of services presented in table 3 does not match the totals in figure 2 because nine programs are jointly administered by the agencies, and we count these programs under each agency. In addition, under type of service, the "Other" category includes services such as housing. For example, the Specially Adapted Housing Grants provide financial assistance to servicemembers and veterans for constructing or modifying a home to meet their adaptive needs. The frequency of a type of service does not necessarily indicate its utilization. See appendix III for the names of these programs. [End of table] Nine of the programs are jointly administered by DOD and VA, such as the Pre-Discharge Program for active duty servicemembers or activated National Guard or Reserve members. This program affords these servicemembers the opportunity to file claims for disability compensation up to 180 days prior to separation or retirement from active duty. Many of the 87 programs we identified not only support servicemembers and veterans but also their families. Of the 87 programs, 35 offer services to the families of servicemembers and veterans, and 5 provide support to the caregivers of wounded, injured, or disabled veterans. These caregivers generally include family members and friends, according to a RAND study.[Footnote 24] We Identified 12 DOD and VA Programs That Raise Awareness and Understanding of Servicemembers' and Veterans' Experiences: Using our definition of "program," we identified 12 programs administered by DOD, the military services, and VA that raise awareness and understanding of servicemembers' and veterans' experiences in combat and coming home.[Footnote 25] DOD and the military services administer 9 of 12 programs, which are listed in table 4.[Footnote 26] A detailed, interactive list of programs is also available at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-24]. Table 4: DOD and VA Programs for Raising Civilian Public Awareness of Servicemembers' Combat and Veterans' Readjustment Experiences: Program: Are You Listening? Program Description: Helps service providers on Marine Corps installations, such as the staff of installation recreational facilities (e.g., bowling center, fitness center), understand their role in supporting servicemembers; learn methods of effective communication; obtain an awareness of distress and warning signs; learn about the resources within and outside Marine Corps available to assist servicemembers; and learn how to approach and refer an individual to available and appropriate resources; Agency: DOD - Marine Corps. Program: Army National Guard Funeral and Honors; Program Description: Renders professional military funeral honors to all eligible veterans when requested by an authorized family member. One of the program's aims is to forge positive relationships between the Army National Guard, state leadership, and local communities; Agency: DOD - Army National Guard. Program: Boss Lifts; Program Description: Transports employers via military vehicle, aircraft or vessel, to military facilities where they observe National Guard and Reserve members on duty as part of employer outreach efforts; Agency: DOD - Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Program: Briefings with the Boss; Program Description: Brings together employers, unit commanders, ESGR volunteers and community leaders to discuss issues related to service in the National Guard and Reserve; Agency: DOD - ESGR. Program: Heroes Program; Program Description: Provides community outreach by sharing the courage of servicemembers with the public, as well as recognizing noteworthy acts of bravery performed by them. The program coordinates with radio and web networks across the country to broadcast pre- recorded and live interviews of these military heroes and the situations in which they distinguished themselves; Agency: DOD. Program: Operation: Military Kids (OMK); Program Description: Connects military children and youth with local resources to help achieve a sense of community support and enhance their well-being. OMK objectives are to raise community awareness and understanding about how deployment affects military children and to provide education and training to community organizations to better support military children; Agency: DOD - Army. Program: Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS); Program Description: Intended to attract quality men and women to serve in an all-volunteer Army, positively impact local perceptions, build an environment more favorable to the Army's brand and to reconnect America with its Army through Army partnerships with America's business community and public sector employers. PaYS partners benefit through access to potential employees who bring the skills, professional work habits, and pride and personal integrity that an Army background provides; Agency: DOD - Army. Program: Post-Deployment Integrated Care Initiative; Program Description: Provides education and training on post- deployment care and support for returning combat veterans and their families through presentations and trainings for professional organizations, as well as publications and other educational material available to veterans, families, professionals, and the public at large; Agency: VA - Veteran Health Administration (VHA). Program: Spouse Ambassador Network; Program Description: Intended to broaden knowledge about military spouse education and career resources in communities where military spouses live and work through collaborations with community organizations. These efforts include creating awareness about the challenges related to military spouse employment; Agency: DOD - Military Community & Family Policy. Program: Statement of Support Program; Program Description: Aims to help increase employer support by encouraging employers to act as advocates for employee participation in the military through the National Guard and Reserve; Agency: DOD - ESGR. Program: VA Voluntary Service; Program Description: Programs include: Corporate volunteerism, National Salute to Veteran Patients, Volunteer Transportation Network, and Welcome Home events, among others; Agency: VA. Program: Veteran Justice Outreach; Program Description: Works to avoid the unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and extended incarceration among veterans by ensuring that eligible justice-involved veterans have timely access to VA services as clinically indicated. Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists are responsible for direct outreach, assessment, and case management for justice-involved veterans in local courts and jails, and liaison with local justice system partners; Agency: VA. Source: GAO analysis of Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs. GAO-15-24:. [End of table] Variation in Definitions Limits the Ability to Compare Our Lists with DOD and VA Inventories: The lists of programs that we developed are generally not comparable with DOD's and VA's 2013 GPRAMA program inventories.[Footnote 27] As we reported in October 2014, incomparability is due, in large measure, to differences in how agencies defined their programs.[Footnote 28] OMB's guidance for developing the inventories allowed agencies to define their programs using different approaches, but within a broad definition of what constitutes a "program."[Footnote 29] The guidance presents possible approaches--by outcomes, customers, products/ services, organizational structure, or budget structure--and notes that agencies could use a mix of these approaches. The guidance also notes that agencies and their stakeholders use the term "program" in different ways, and that because agencies have varying missions and achieve their missions through different programmatic approaches, such differences are legitimate and meaningful. However, as we concluded in October 2014, the flexibility afforded to agencies limits the usefulness of the resulting inventories as a tool for addressing crosscutting issues because the various approaches agencies used to define their programs prevent meaningful comparisons and connections both within and across agencies.[Footnote 30] As a result, we recommended that OMB take several actions to improve the inventories, such as revising its program inventory guidance to direct federal agencies to collaborate in defining and identifying programs that contribute to common outcomes. OMB staff agreed with this recommendation and said that they will consider how to address it as they move forward with implementation of the program inventory. Once addressed, this recommendation could help facilitate the creation of a more coherent picture of all federal programs that could be used for promoting collaboration and for identifying potential fragmentation, overlap, or duplication, or gaps in services among federal programs or activities. Within this report, we defined "programs" at a more detailed level than the definition used by DOD and VA for their GPRAMA inventories; that is, we aggregate fewer activities into a program than what is used in DOD's and VA's inventories. DOD and VA described their approaches to define a program as follows: * DOD uses its budget structures and areas related to each strategic goal, such as Land Forces and Strategic Defense. DOD's program inventory is grouped and aligned to the five DOD strategic goals. The programs are aligned to the strategic goals that they support. * VA designed its approach to closely mirror the budget structure, which aligns to the way VA manages. The list of programs in the inventory is intended to be recognizable to key external stakeholders, including but not limited to Congress and veterans service organizations. None of the programs that we identified on our three lists matches any of the 91 programs that DOD identified on its GPRAMA inventory. DOD's inventory is organized by its budget and the strategic goals contained in its 2010 strategic plan.[Footnote 31] For instance, one goal is "preserving and enhancing the all-volunteer force," and as part of this goal, the strategic plan states that "wounded warrior care" is one of DOD's highest priorities. Under this goal, DOD cites "hospitals and other medical activities"--including "medical care for active-duty personnel in regional defense and non-defense facilities"--as programs. However, DOD's list does not contain any of the programs that we included on our lists, such as the Army Wounded Warrior Program, the Federal Recovery Coordination Program, or Warrior Transition Units.[Footnote 32] With regard to programs that may raise public awareness and understanding, DOD's inventory cites, "the American Forces Information Service, other personnel support activities dedicated to enhancing morale and improving community relations--including bands and choruses and ceremonial and public relations activities."[Footnote 33] In contrast, our list includes, for example, the Statement of Support Program and Army National Guard Funeral and Honors program, as noted previously in table 4. Twenty of 49 VA (or joint DOD-VA) programs we identified that help veterans readjust to civilian life are also listed in VA's GPRAMA inventory. VA's inventory contains 93 programs. Some of the programs on both lists include the Readjustment Counseling at Vet Centers, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment programs. However, VA's inventory does not include other programs on our lists, such as the Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) Care Management program and the Transition Assistance Program (a joint DOD-VA program). [Footnote 34] Only one of the programs on our list of VA programs that raise public awareness and understanding of veterans' readjustment experiences is listed in VA's GPRAMA inventory. As noted above, such differences may be due to differing contexts in which the respective lists were compiled. Such differences in how federal agencies define programs go beyond DOD and VA, as we recently reported in our review of government-wide efforts to implement the federal program inventory. Agency Comments and Our Evaluation: We are not making recommendations in this report. We provided a draft of this product to the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) for comment. DOD and VA provided written comments, which are reproduced in appendix IV and V. DOD and VA also provided technical comments that were incorporated, as appropriate. DOD and VA officials suggested that we include some additional programs. We reviewed these programs and revised the report to include nine additional programs. The following provides more details. In its comments submitted on October 29, 2014, DOD neither agreed nor disagreed with our findings. In DOD's technical comments, DOD officials suggested that we delete the Directorate of Mental Health under the first objective. We revised the report by removing this program because it is an office, not a program. DOD officials also suggested that we consider including nearly a dozen additional programs under the first or second objectives. After reviewing these programs, we decided not to include several of them because they did not meet the program definitions we had developed for the objectives. However, we revised the report to include six programs under the first or second objectives: * Under the first objective, we revised the report to include (1) the Comprehensive Soldier Family Fitness (CSF2) program, (2) pre- deployment health assessment, (3) post-deployment health assessment, and the (4) post-deployment health reassessment. * Under the second objective, we revised the report to include (5) the Army Retirement Services Program and (6) the Army Soldier for Life Program. In its comments, VA generally concurred with our findings. VA officials suggested additional programs for inclusion under the second objective and provided additional information and examples of its efforts related to employment and raising awareness of benefits available to children and spouses of veterans. Several of these efforts do not focus primarily on helping active duty servicemembers transition or veterans readjust to civilian life. However, we revised the report to include (1) the Automobile and Adaptive Equipment program, (2) Veterans Employment Center, and (3) the VA Liaison for Healthcare Program. We subsequently reviewed whether any of the nine additional programs that we added to our report were included in the DOD or VA inventories. Only one of the nine programs was included. Specifically, the Automobile and Adaptive Equipment program was included in VA's GPRAMA inventory. We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional committees, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and other interested parties. In addition, the report is available at no charge on the GAO website at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov]. If you or your staff have any questions regarding this report, please contact me at (202) 512-7215 or sherrilla@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this report. GAO staff who made major contributions to this report are listed in appendix VI. Signed by: Andrew Sherrill: Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues: List of Committees: The Honorable Carl Levin: Chairman: The Honorable James Inhofe: Ranking Member: Committee on Armed Services: United States Senate: The Honorable Howard P. "Buck" McKeon: Chairman: The Honorable Adam Smith: Ranking Member: Committee on Armed Services: House of Representatives: [End of section] Appendix I: Scope and Methodology: This appendix summarizes our work to identify Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs as well as to compare the lists of programs that we generated under objectives 1-3 with DOD and VA's 2013 program inventories that were included in the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) program inventory compiled in response to a requirement in the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA). Identifying DOD and VA Programs: To address the first three objectives, we identified DOD and VA programs through the following four-step process: 1. We established a definition for "programs" to clarify the types of DOD and VA programs and activities to be included on our lists because no standard definition of "program" exists. Past GAO work and OMB have defined "program" in very broad terms.[Footnote 35] For this report, our definitions reflect the specific area of interest specified in the mandate; therefore, we did not attempt to develop a definitive definition.[Footnote 36] We established a definition for program by reviewing our prior work and other relevant studies on related programs for servicemembers and veterans who have served in recent conflicts.[Footnote 37] We also obtained input from internal GAO experts on research methods and federal programs for servicemembers and veterans, as well as officials from DOD and VA. In general, we defined "programs or activities" as a federally funded, organized set of activities directed toward a specific purpose or goal that an agency undertakes and is being administered in fiscal year 2014. [Footnote 38] We further scoped our definition for each of our objectives as follows: * Objective 1: DOD or military services' programs or activities that address the effects of combat--including physical, mental, or social heath--on post-9/11 active-duty servicemembers or their spouses or dependents. * Objective 2: DOD, military services, or VA programs that focus primarily on helping active duty servicemembers transition or veterans readjust to civilian life. * Objective 3: DOD, military services, or VA programs that focus primarily on raising civilian public awareness of the combat experiences of servicemembers and the readjustment experiences of veterans. For the first objective, we scoped our definition of programs differently than for the second and third objectives. Specifically, for the first objective, although servicemembers and their spouses or dependents must benefit from a program or activity that addresses the effects of combat as we have defined that term, a program or activity does not have to only benefit servicemembers that directly experience combat. For example, the Joint Family Support Assistance Program supports military families who are geographically dispersed from a military installation. This program could support military families in which one or more servicemembers are serving in a combat zone or deployed to Germany (or other noncombat zone) while the family is living stateside. For the second and third objectives, we defined programs as focusing primarily on servicemember transition and veteran readjustment to civilian life as well as efforts to raise public awareness and understanding of servicemembers' and veterans' experiences in combat, coming home, and transitioning to civilian life. An example of such a program includes VA outreach and readjustment counseling services through Vet Centers. VA administers other programs that provide interventions or treatments to help certain veterans, such as the homeless and those contemplating suicide. However, we did not include those types of programs or activities because helping veterans readjust to civilian life is not their primary focus. For all three objectives we excluded the following types of programs: * Programs conducting research. * Programs in which post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan servicemembers or veterans are not eligible, such as efforts aimed only at veterans of conflicts or wars prior to Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND). * Programs developed and administered by individual military installations or VA hospitals specifically for the populations they serve at those locations. For example, for the second objective we excluded the Road to Reintegration, a program designed to serve Michigan veterans with a network of resource providers as they return to civilian life. Thus, our findings are limited to the national perspective. * Programs providing a one-way, passive transmission of information (for example, a directory that lists services available). * Programs that may have been created or revised to meet our inclusion criteria after fiscal year 2014. The following further elaborates on these definitions. General Definition of Terms for Objectives 1-3: * DOD or military services: DOD, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and all subordinate agencies, offices, and programs under DOD; departments of the Army; Air Force, and Navy (including the Marine Corps); the reserve components for each of the military services, including the National Guard. (We exclude U.S. Coast Guard programs because they are administered by the Department of Homeland Security.) * VA: All VA administrations, centers, offices, and programs. * Program or activities: Federally funded, organized set of activities directed toward a specific purpose or goal that an agency undertakes and are being administered in fiscal year 2014. These activities may include assistance for health, housing, employment, and family support, as well as various program types (e.g., direct federal programs, direct federal benefits programs, and grants). In addition, our definition included tax expenditures (credits, deductions, deferrals, or preferential tax rates) that are managed or administered by DOD or VA (and related offices and departments as defined above); however, we did not identify any such programs. * Active-duty servicemembers: Those who are currently serving on active duty in the United States armed forces. This includes activated members of the National Guard and Reserve under Title 10 (full-time duty in the armed forces) or Title 32 (duty performed for which National Guard receives pay from federal government). * Veterans: A person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. This also includes Title 10 or Title 32 active Guard and Reserve components that have deployed but are still serving in the Reserve Component. * Public: The broader civilian community in the United States, including citizens, public and private employers, police, and court systems. Specific Definition of Terms for Objective 1: I. Definition: DOD or military services' programs or activities that address the effects of combat--including physical, mental, or social heath--on post-9/11 active-duty servicemembers or their spouses or dependents. Specific definitions for this objective: IA. Effects of combat - One or more of the following that results from combat, warfare, or armed conflict: 1. Physical health - care for extremity, hearing, vision, burns, or other physical injuries and pain, as well as clinical case management and coordination support. 2. Mental/emotional health - care for psychological and brain injuries--such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) psychotherapies and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatments--substance abuse, suicide prevention, as well as clinical case management and coordination support. 3. Social domains - support for family and caregivers, legal support, non-medical case management, support for reserve components, post- deployment reintegration support for servicemembers and their families, and spiritual support, and other related effects. 4. While servicemembers and their spouses or dependents must benefit from a program or activity that addresses the effects of combat, a program or activity does not have to only benefit servicemembers that directly experience combat. For example, the Joint Family Support Assistance Program supports military families who are geographically dispersed from a military installation. This program could support military families in which one or more servicemembers are serving in a combat zone or deployed to Germany (or other noncombat zone) while the family is living stateside. IB. Criteria for excluding programs: 1. Exclude programs that exclusively provide services to post-9/11 active-duty servicemembers who are transitioning to VA or civilian employment or civilian life (these programs are included in objective 2). Specific Definition of Terms for Objective 2: II. Definition: DOD, military services, or VA programs or activities whose primary focus is to help post-9/11 servicemembers transition or veterans or deactivated members of the reserve components readjust to civilian life, including their spouses or dependents. Specific definitions for this objective: IIA. Primary focus: Key reasons for which the program or activity was designed or created (or one of its main missions or objectives) as stated in the agency's description of the program or activity. IIB. Help: Assist transition or readjustment through services and efforts, such as: * providing physical and mental health services; * counseling and outreach; * training, job placement and support, employment benefits, and career guidance, * education benefits; * campaigns designed to raise awareness of DOD or VA resources available to post-9/11 servicemembers or veterans or their spouses or dependents; * providing technology like assistive technology, equipment; * case management, legal support; * housing benefits/support; and, * support for family or caregivers, benefits counseling, or other related efforts. IIC. Civilian Life: Time after separating from the military, including VA care, services, or benefits; nonmilitary employment; or higher education. IID. Criteria for excluding programs: 1. Exclude programs that provide services to post-9/11 servicemembers who remain in the military or transition back to active-duty. (These types of programs are covered in objective 1.) 2. Exclude programs to enhance overall coordination between DOD and VA (e.g., Joint Executive Council). Specific Definition of Terms for Objective 3: III. Definition: DOD, military services, or VA programs whose primary focus is to raise civilian public awareness of the combat experiences of post-9/11 active-duty servicemembers and the readjustment experiences of veterans. Specific definitions for this objective: IIIA. Primary focus: Key reasons for which the program or activity was designed or created (or one of its main missions or objectives) as stated in the agency's description of the program or activity. IIIB. Raise public awareness and understanding: 1. Welcome home and reintegration events in communities and college campuses as well as parades and appreciation events aimed at informing the nonservicemember population. 2. Awareness and appreciation campaigns and events as well as public service announcements aimed at civilians, and efforts to educate business leaders about the skills veterans can provide employers, and other related efforts. IIIC. Criteria for excluding programs: 1. Excludes programs and public awareness campaigns aimed specifically at providing assistance, service, or awareness to servicemembers, veterans or their families. (These types of programs are covered in objective 2.) 2. Excludes DOD and VA efforts to provide stakeholder assistance to nonfederal entities, such as nonprofits, that provide support or assistance to servicemembers, veterans, and their families. 2. We identified publicly available sources that contain lists of relevant federal programs. We identified these sources based on discussions with DOD and VA officials and internal GAO experts on research methods and federal programs for servicemembers and veterans, as well as through online searches. Table 5 provides the name and description of each source we used by objective. Table 5: Sources Used to Identify Programs for Objectives 1-3: Source: Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA); Description: The CFDA is a General Services Administration database of federal programs, projects, services, and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the American public. It contains financial and nonfinancial assistance programs administered by all agencies of the federal government. The primary purpose CFDA is to assist users in identifying programs that meet specific objectives of potential applicants and to provide general information on federal programs; GAO objective: Objectives 2 and 3. Source: DOD and military services' websites; Description: The official websites for DOD and the military services serve as a starting point for finding U.S. military information online; GAO objective: Objectives 1, 2, and 3. Source: Caregiver Resource Directory; Description: The 2014 directory provides information in a manner that is intended to enable caregivers to quickly identify many of the available government and nonprofit resources that address their particular needs and requirements; GAO objective: Objectives 1 and 2. Source: Military OneSource; Description: Military OneSource is a DOD-funded program that provides information and referral to services for military servicemembers and their families through a website as well as counseling. Information includes, but is not limited to, deployment, reunion, relationship, grief, spouse employment and education, parenting and childhood; GAO objective: Objectives 1, 2, and 3. Source: National Resource Directory (NRD); Description: The NRD is a partnership among DOD, VA, and the Department of Labor that seeks to connect wounded and other servicemembers, veterans, their families, and caregivers to programs and services that support them. Information contained within the NRD website is from federal, state and local government agencies; veteran and military service organizations; non-profit and community-based organizations; academic institutions and professional associations that provide assistance to wounded warriors and their families; GAO objective: Objectives 1, 2, and 3. Source: RAND, Hidden Heroes: America's Military Caregivers; Description: The RAND report describes the magnitude of military caregiving in the United States, as well as identifies gaps in the array of programs, policies, and initiatives designed to support military caregivers; GAO objective: Objectives 1 and 2. Source: RAND, Programs Addressing Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Among U.S. Military Servicemembers and Their Families; Description: The RAND study provides a "snapshot" of all programs sponsored or funded by DOD that address psychological health and traumatic brain injury. The report characterizes these programs; identifies barriers to implementing them fully and maximizing their effectiveness; and provides recommendations for clarifying the role of programs, examining gaps in routine service delivery that could be filled by programs, and reducing barriers that programs face; GAO objective: Objectives 1 and 2. Source: Department of Defense Recovering Warrior Task Force 2012-2013 Annual Report; Description: The Recovering Warrior Task Force (RWTF) issues annual reports on its assessment of the programs and services available to wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers and their family members, from case management through transition to VA and civilian life. The report contains a reference handbook that is intended to provide a baseline familiarity across a wide array of initiatives undertaken on behalf of wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers; GAO objective: Objectives 1 and 2. Source: VA's Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors (2013 edition); Description: The handbook explains disability, pension, health care, education and housing loans, and other benefit programs for veterans and their families, including information on survivors' benefits; GAO objective: Objectives 1 and 2. Source: VA websites; Description: The official web site for VA serves as a starting point for finding information about VA and its benefits and services online; GAO objective: Objectives 2 and 3. Source: GAO analysis of publicly available sources identified during the course of our audit work. GAO-15-24. Note: To identify tax expenditures (credits, deductions, deferrals, or preferential tax rates), we reviewed the list of tax expenditures contained in OMB's Fiscal Year 2015 Analytical Perspectives as well as the Joint Committee on Taxation's Estimates of Federal Tax Expenditures for Fiscal Years 2014-2018. However, we did not identify tax expenditures administered by DOD or VA. [End of table] 3. We used the definitions and sources from steps 1 and 2 to identify the relevant programs for our lists. For the programs included on our lists, we used the sources identified in step 2 to collect information about the (1) program/activity's name, (2) purpose/objectives, (3) the agency and/or office responsible for its administration, and (4) the population served. For a subset of the programs identified in the searches, we conducted tests to determine the degree to which analysts agreed on the same programs for inclusion. Once we compiled preliminary lists of programs, we provided the lists to internal GAO experts on research methods and federal programs for servicemembers and veterans for review and comment. We modified the lists accordingly. Next, a GAO analyst reviewed all of the sources and documented a judgment about whether the programs identified conformed to the definitions we developed in step 1. A second GAO analyst then reviewed separately the assessment and documented an agreement or disagreement with the initial decision. If any differences emerged, the two analysts discussed the differences and made changes based on a verbal resolution of those differences. For any instances in which the two analysts did not resolve differences, a third GAO analyst adjudicated and a final decision was reached. 4. We sent our preliminary list of programs to officials at DOD and VA for comment and verification. Agencies either confirmed that programs on our preliminary lists should be included, identified those that should not be on our lists, or added programs that were not included on our preliminary lists. We modified the lists accordingly. This four-step process identified 170 separate programs, although some of them are relevant to more than one objective. Specifically, 26 programs are included in more than one objective, such as the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program (AFW2) that addresses the effects of combat and helps wounded and injured servicemembers and veterans transition to civilian life. In addition, some programs share a common name but are independently implemented by each military service branch. For example, the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program provides similar services but is independently administered by each service branch. With such programs, we separately counted each military service's program. In carrying out this four step process, we did not conduct an independent legal analysis of the statutory or regulatory basis or requirements for any of the programs we identified. We used the various documentary and data sources to corroborate one another and determined that the documentary and data sources used together were sufficiently reliable for our descriptive purposes. To help convey our findings, we developed categories to group the types of service provided by the programs. The categories include (1) caregiver support, (2) case management/care coordination, (3) counseling, (4) disability, (5) education assistance, (6) employment assistance, (7) information and referral, (8) mental health and substance abuse, (9) physical health, (10) spiritual health, and (11) other. Because some programs offer more than one type of service, programs can fall into more than one category or service type. Although a service may be included in many programs or activities, the service may not or may be commonly used by servicemembers or veterans. For example, the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is one program, but the services provided through the program are widespread because all eligible, transitioning servicemembers are generally required to participate in this program. Finally, our scope for the first three objectives was limited to identifying DOD and VA programs based on the types of service provided; we did not analyze these programs to identify instances of fragmentation, overlap, duplication, or gaps in benefits or services. In addition, the programs included in our review were accurate and up- to-date when we issued the report. However, some may change over time. Comparing Lists of Programs: To address the fourth objective, we compared the lists of programs that we generated under objectives 1-3 with DOD and VA's 2013 program inventories--part of OMB's federal program inventory compiled in response to a GPRAMA requirement--to identify similarities and differences between the agencies' inventories and our lists. To help make this comparison, we drew upon prior GAO work on agencies' GPRAMA program inventories. Although this objective was not included in the mandate, we added it because of the parallels between the mandate and the GPRAMA requirement for developing program inventories. We conducted our work from March 2014 to November 2014 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings based on our audit objectives. [End of section] Appendix II: Programs Addressing the Effects of Combat (Objective 1): Program Name: Air Force Airman & Family Readiness Centers (A&FRC); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Air Force Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Air Force Chaplain Corps; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Spiritual health. Program Name: Air Force Reserve Chaplain Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Spiritual health. Program Name: Air Force Suicide Prevention Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Air National Guard Chaplain Corps (ANG/HC); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Air National Guard Psychological Health Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Army Chaplain Corps; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Spiritual health. Program Name: Army Long Term Family Case Management; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Army National Guard Funeral and Honors; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army and Army National Guard; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Other; Brief description of “Other”: Funeral Honors and benefits. Program Name: Army National Guard Psychological Health Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Army Reserve Office of the Command Chaplain: DOD/Army National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Spiritual health. Program Name: Army Reserve Office of the Command Chaplain; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Spiritual health. Program Name: Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Army Suicide Prevention Program (ASSP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Brief description of “Other”: Program Name: Behavioral Health Optimization Project; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Behavioral Health Services in Primary Care; Consultants: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Child and Youth Behavioral Consultants; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Combat and Operational Stress Control Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Command Suicide Prevention Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Community Care Units (CCUs); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Community Counseling Program (CCP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: COSC for Families (Conquering Stress with Strength); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care Program (C5 Program); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination: Mental health and substance abuse; Physical health; Spiritual health. Program Name: Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP); Population Served: DOD; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability. Program Name: CREDO; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy and Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse; Spiritual health. Program Name: Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) Outreach Center; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/DCoE; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/DCOE; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Department of Defense and the Armed Services Young Men's Christian Association (ASYMCA) Military Outreach Initiative; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/MC&FP; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Physical health. Program Name: Deployment Transition Center (DTC); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Other; Brief description of “Other”: Skills to reintegrate. Program Name: DES Outreach Attorney Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Other; Brief description of “Other”: legal services. Program Name: Directorate of Mental Health; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: DoDEA Student Support Services Branch; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/DoDEA; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: DSTRESS Line; Program (RSP): DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: DVBIC TBI Recovery Support Program (RSP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Families Over Coming Under Stress (FOCUS); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/All services; Population Served: Servicemembers and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Federal Recovery Coordination Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD and VA; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Fort Family Outreach and Support; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: inTransition; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/DCoE and VA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Information and referral. Program Name: Marine Awareness and Prevention Integrated Training (MAPIT); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Marine Corps Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Marine Corps Family Team Building; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Marine Corps Substance Abuse Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Marine Corps Suicide Prevention Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment (WWR); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) Chaplin; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Spiritual health. Program Name: Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) Psychological Health Outreach Program (P-HOP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Military Adaptive Sports Program (MASP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/DHA; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Physical health; Spiritual health. Program Name: Military Families Learning Network: Caregiver Support; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/MC&FP; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support. Program Name: Military and Family Life Counseling Program (MFLC); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Military OneSource; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Military Community Outreach; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Information and referral. Program Name: Military Pathways; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse; Physical health. Program Name: National Guard Bureau Psychological Health Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: National Guard Family Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air and Army National Guard; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: National Guard Office of the Chaplin; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Spiritual health. Program Name: National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/NICoE; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Navy & Marine Corps Public Health Center; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy and Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse; Physical health. Program Name: Navy Chaplin Corps; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy and Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Spiritual health. Program Name: Navy MORE (My Ongoing Recovery Experience) Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Navy Wounded Warrior Safe Harbor Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Office of Airmen's Counsel (OAC); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Other; Brief description of “Other”: legal services. Program Name: Operation: Military Kids (OMK); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Operational Stress Control Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support: Employment assistance; Information and referral. Program Name: Overcoming Adversity and Stress Injury Support; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: PREP; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Pay and Allowance Continuation Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Other; Brief description of “Other”:Military pay. Program Name: Prevention, Treatment and Outreach (PTO); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army and Air National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Psychological Health Advocacy Program (PHAP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force Reserve and National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Recovery Coordination Program (RCP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/All services; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Respite Care Services; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/All services; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support. Program Name: Returning Warrior Workshop (RWW); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Soldier and Family Assistance Centers (SFACs); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Soldiers' MEB Counsel (SMEBC) Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Other; Brief description of “Other”: legal services. Program Name: Special Compensation for Assistance with Activities of Daily Living (SCAADL); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/All services; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support; Disability. Program Name: Special Psychiatric Rapid Intervention Team (SPRINT); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Strong Bonds; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Spiritual health. Program Name: Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy, Navy Reserves and Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Survivor Outreach Services; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: Traumatic Stress Response (TSR); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: U.S. Navy Reserve Psychological Health Outreach Program (USNR PHOP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Care Coalition; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/USSOCOM; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Vets4Warriors; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Defense Suicide Prevention Office; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Warrior Adventure Quest; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Other; Brief description of “Other”: Recreational. Program Name: Warrior Care and Transition Program (WTCP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Warrior Transition Units (WTUs); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline; Support Program: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Wounded Warrior Clothing Support Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember; Disability. Program Name: Wounded Warrior Regiment Medical Cell; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran, and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (Air Force); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force Reserve and National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (Army); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army Reserve and National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (Marine Corps); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (Navy); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy Reserve; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Source: GAO analysis of publicly available sources and agency information as confirmed by DOD and VA. GAO-15-24. [End of table] [End of section] Appendix III: Programs for Transitioning and Readjusting to Civilian Life (Objective 2): Programs Administered by DOD: Program Name: Air Force Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Air Force Wounded Warrior Program (AFW2); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Air Force; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Always a Soldier Program (AAS); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Employment assistance. Program Name: Are You Listening; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Caregiver; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support. Brief description of "Other": Program Name: Army Career & Alumni Program (ACAP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Employment assistance. Program Name: Army National Guard Psychological Health Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care Program (C5); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination; Mental health and substance abuse; Physical health; Spiritual health. Program Name: Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/MHS; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability. Program Name: DOD Operation Warfighter Program (OWF); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/OSD; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Employment assistance. Program Name: DOD SkillBridge; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Services; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Education; Employment assistance. Program Name: DSTRESS Line; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Education and Employment Initiative (E2I); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/OSD; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Education; Employment assistance. Program Name: Hiring Heroes Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/DCPAS; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance. Program Name: IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) Marine Outreach Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: Job Fairs; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/ESGR; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Employment assistance. Program Name: Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment (WWR); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Marine for Life; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Marine Corps; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: Medical Care Case Management (MCCM); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/MHS; Population Served: Servicemember; Case management/care coordination; Physical health. Program Name: Military Adaptive Sports Program (MASP); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/DHA; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Physical health. Program Name: Military OneSource; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Information and referral. Program Name: U.S. Navy Reserve Psychological Help Outreach Program (PHOP); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Navy Returning Warrior Workshop; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: U.S. Navy Reserve Psychological Help Outreach Program (PHOP); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Navy Returning Warrior Workshop; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: Navy Wounded Warrior Safe Harbor Anchor Program; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Navy; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Employment assistance. Program Name: Recovery Coordination Program (RCP); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/OSD/All Services; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Soldier and Family Assistance Centers (SFACs); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Survivor Outreach Services; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: Troops to Teachers Program; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/DANTES; and Education; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Education; Employment assistance. Program Name: Turbo Transition Assistance Program; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Care Coalition; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/USSOCOM; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Warrior Care and Transition Program (WTCP); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Warrior and Family Assistance Center; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Army Reserve; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Warrior Transition Units (WTUs); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Warrior Care and Transition Program (WTCP); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Warrior and Family Assistance Center; Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Army Reserve; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Warrior Transition Units (WTUs); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Army; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (Air Force); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (Army); Administering Agency &Unit: DOD/Army Reserve and Army National Guard; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Program Name: Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (Navy); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/Navy Reserve; Population Served: Servicemember and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral. Programs Administered by VA: Program Name: Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Physical health. Program Name: Allowance for Aid and Attendance or Housebound Veterans; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support; Disability; Physical health. Program Name: Building Better Caregivers Workshops; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Caregiver; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support. Clothing Allowance: Program Name: Coaching into Care; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability. Program Name: Compensated Work Therapy; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/MIRECC; Population Served: Caregiver; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support. Program Name: Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination; Disability; Employment assistance. Program Name: Dependents Educational Assistance Program (DEA) [a.k.a: Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance]; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran and Caregiver; Type of Service/Assistance: Caregiver support; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Feds for Vets; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Education. Program Name: Feds for Vets; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VESO; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Employment assistance. Program Name: Grants for the Rural Veterans Coordination Pilot; Administering Agency & Unit: VA; Population Served: Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse; Physical health. Program Name: Gulf War Registry Health Exam for Veterans; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Physical health. Program Name: Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) Grant; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Other; Brief description of "Other": Housing. Program Name: Mobile Vet Centers; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: OEF/OIF/OND Care Management; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Outreach for OEF/OIF/New Dawn Veterans; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: Post 9/11 GI Bill; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Education. Program Name: Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) Grant; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Other; Brief description of "Other": Housing. Program Name: Mobile Vet Centers; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: OEF/OIF/OND Care Management; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Outreach for OEF/OIF/New Dawn Veterans; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: Post-Deployment Integrated Care Initiative (PDICI); Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination; Physical health. Program Name: Qarmat Ali Medical Surveillance Program; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Physical health. Program Name: Readjustment Counseling (Vet Centers); Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: Service members' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection Program (TSGLI); Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Physical health. Program Name: SimCoach; Administering Agency & Unit: VA; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Grants; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Other; Brief description of "Other": Housing. Program Name: Special Monthly Compensation (SMC); Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability. Program Name: Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grants; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Other; Brief description of "Other": Housing. Program Name: Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders Centers; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VHA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Physical health. Program Name: Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA); Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Other; Brief description of "Other": Housing. Program Name: The Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL); Administering Agency & Unit: VA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Education; Mental health and substance abuse; Physical health. Program Name: VA for Vets; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VESO; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance. Program Name: VA Work-study Program; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Education; Employment assistance. Program Name: Veterans Housing - Direct Loans for Certain Disabled Veterans; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Other; Brief description of "Other": Housing. Program Name: VetSuccess on Campus; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination; Education. Program Name: Vocational and Educational Counseling for Service members and Veterans; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Education; Employment assistance. Program Name: Vocational and Educational Counseling for Servicemembers and Veterans; Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Education; Employment assistance. Program Name: Vocational Assistance; Administering Agency & Unit: VA; Population Served: Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Employment assistance. Program Name: Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E); Administering Agency & Unit: VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Employment assistance. Programs Administered Jointly by DOD and VA: Program Name: All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance (a.k.a. Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD and VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Education. Program Name: Federal Recovery Coordination Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD and VA; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination. Program Name: Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD and VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Case management/care coordination; Disability; Physical health. Program Name: inTransition; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/DCoE and VA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Information and referral; Mental health and substance abuse. Program Name: National Guard Bureau Transition Assistance Advisor Program (NGB TAA); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/NGB and VA; Population Served: Servicemember, Veteran and Family; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling. Program Name: Pre-Discharge Program; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD and VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability. Program Name: Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD and VA/VBA; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Education. Program Name: Transition Assistance Program (TAP); Administering Agency & Unit: DOD, VA/VBA and Labor; Population Served: Servicemember; Type of Service/Assistance: Counseling; Education; Employment assistance; Information and referral. Program Name: U.S. Olympic Committee Paralympic Military & Veteran Programs; Administering Agency & Unit: DOD/OSD and VA; Population Served: Servicemember and Veteran; Type of Service/Assistance: Disability; Physical health. Source: GAO analysis of publicly available sources and agency information as confirmed by DOD and VA. GAO-15-24. [End of table] [End of section] Appendix IV: Comments from the Department of Defense: Office of The Assistant Secretary of Defense: Health Affairs: Washington, DC 20301-1200: Ms. Cathleen A. Berrick: Managing Director, Defense Capabilities and Management: U.S. Government Accountability Office: 441 G. Street N.W. Washington, DC 20548: Dear Ms. Berrick: This is the Department of Defense (DoD) response to the GAO Draft Report, GAO-15-24, "DoD and VA Programs Addressing Effects of Warfare on Service Members, Veterans, their Families, and Communities" dated September 29, 2014 (GAO Code 131299). Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the draft report. Our technical comments on the draft report are enclosed. The points of contact on this issue are Mr. Bret Stevens (functional) at (703) 428-7648 or bret.stevensl.civ@mail.mil and Mr. Gunther Zimmerman (audit liaison) at (703) 681-4360 or gunther.zimmerman@dha.mil. Sincerely, Signed by: James D. Rodriguez: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense: Warrior Care Policy Enclosures: As stated: [End of section] Appendix V: Comments from the Department of Veterans Affairs: Department of Veterans Affairs: Washington, DC 20420: October 27, 2014: Mr. Andrew Sherrill: Director, Health Care: U.S. Government Accountability Office: 441 G Street, NW: Washington, DC 20548: Dear Mr. Sherrill: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reviewed the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) draft report, "Military and Veteran Support: DoD and VA Programs That Address the Effects of Combat Transition to Civilian Life" (GAO-15-24). VA generally agrees with GAO's conclusions. The enclosure provides technical and general comments to the draft report. VA appreciates the opportunity to comment on your draft report. Sincerely, Signed by: Jose D. Riojas: Chief of Staff: Enclosure: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Response to Government Accountability Office (GAO) Draft Report "Military and Veteran Support: DoD and VA Programs That Address the Effects of Combat and Transition to Civilian Life" (GAO-15-24): General Comments: VA's Automobile and Adaptive Equipment (AAE) Program: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Automobile and Adaptive Equipment (AAE) Program was omitted from the list of VA programs, although it appears to meet GAO's definition of a program under Objective 2. The ME program allows disabled Veterans, and some Servicemembers meeting certain criteria, to purchase a vehicle and adapt it to allow them to enter, exit, and/or operate the vehicle. Servicemembers and Veterans are eligible for a one-time payment of up to $20,144.34, as of October 1, 2014, towards the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance if they have certain service-connected disabilities. Qualifying disabilities include the anatomical loss, or permanent loss of use, of one or both feet or one or both hands; or, a permanent visual impairment meeting specific criteria; or, severe burn injuries limiting motion of one or more extremities or the trunk, and precluding effective operation of an automobile. VA also provides financial assistance in purchasing Adaptive Equipment for no more than two automobiles in any 4-year period. Qualifying disabilities include those listed above for the Automobile Allowance. Veterans or Servicemembers with ankylosis of one or both knees. or one or both hips, are entitled to an Adaptive Equipment allowance, but not an Automobile Allowance. Adaptive Equipment includes, but is not limited to, power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats, and special equipment necessary to assist the eligible person into and out of the vehicle. There is no aggregate benefit limit for Adaptive Equipment, but the equipment must be medically necessary. There is a maximum reimbursable amount per occurrence for items that are considered standard equipment (e.g., cruise control, automatic transmission, air conditioning). The maximum reimbursable amounts are as follows: $1,363 for automatic transmissions; $846 for power brakes; $290 for power steering; $708 for power seats; $521 for power windows; $320 for tilt steering; $220 for cruise control; $179 for rear window defrosters; $920 for air conditioning; and $288 for power door locks. Veterans Employment Center (VEC): VA's Veterans Employment Center (VEC) was omitted from the list of VA programs, although it appears to meet GAO's definition of a program. The VEC [hyperlink, https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/jobs] is the Federal government's single authoritative internet source for connecting transitioning Servicemembers, Veterans, and their families to meaningful career opportunities. It provides job seekers the tools to translate military skills into plain language and build a profile that can be shared instantly with employers. Employers can use it to make public hiring commitments, post jobs, search a bank of verified job seeker profiles, and access other resources designed to help employers recruit and retain talented Veterans, Servicemembers, and their families. VA provides VEC demonstrations at Hiring Our Heroes job summits hosted by the U.S Chamber of Commerce as well as on military installations for Veterans, transitioning Servicemembers, and employers. VA Benefits Advisors provide training and education on the VEC at every VA Benefits I and II Briefings, potentially reaching 250,000 transitioning Servicemembers every year. Additional VA Efforts: While the following VA activities may not meet GAO's definition of a program, these efforts would be valuable for inclusion in GAO's report: Job Fairs/Summits: VA partners with the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Labor (DOL) to provide information on VA benefits and services (to include education, training, and employment) at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Hiring Our Heroes job summits. Veteran Economic Communities of Interest: In conjunction with the President's announcement on August 26, 2014, VA will kick off a 2 year Veteran economic communities of interest endeavor. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is building the capability for high-touch engagement with 20 communities across the country to directly address key economic growth areas and targeted at- risk Veteran populations and sub-populations through community development efforts. [End of section] Appendix VI: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments: GAO Contact: Andrew Sherrill, (202) 512-7215 or sherrilla@gao.gov: Staff Acknowledgments: In addition to the contact named above, individuals making key contributions to this report were Brett Fallavollita, Assistant Director; James Whitcomb, Analyst-in-Charge, Deitra Lee, and Joel Marus. In addition, key support was provided by Bonnie Anderson, James Bennett, David Chrisinger, Debra Draper, Alex Galuten, Kathy Leslie, Ben Licht, Sheila McCoy, Paul Schearf, Stacy-Ann Spence, Walter Vance, and Amber Yancey-Carroll. [End of section] Footnotes: [1] We use the term "readjustment" to civilian life for purposes of this report: some refer to this instead as "reintegration." [2] Pub. L. No. 111-352, 124 Stat. 3866 (2011). The acronym "GPRA" in the act's title refers to the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. Pub. L. No. 103-62, 107 Stat. 285. [3] We have reported on the implementation of the GPRAMA inventories in a separate body of published work. See GAO, Government Efficiency and Effectiveness: Inconsistent Definitions and Information Limit the Usefulness of Federal Program Inventories, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-83] (Washington, D.C.: October 31, 2014); and, Government Efficiency and Effectiveness: Views on the Progress and Plans for Addressing Government-wide Management Challenges, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-436T] (Washington, D.C.: March 12, 2014). [4] Pub. L. No. 113-66, § 4, 127 Stat. 672, 689 and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Committee Print, Legislative Text and Joint Explanatory Statement to Accompany H.R. 3304, Pub. L. No. 113-66, pp. III and 579-80. [5] Although this question was not included in the mandate, we added this objective given the parallels between the mandate and the GPRAMA program inventory requirement. [6] Included in our list of DOD programs are those administered by the military service branches, which comprise the departments of the Army, Air Force, and Navy (including the Marine Corps); and the reserve components for each of the military services, including the National Guard. We exclude U.S. Coast Guard programs because they are administered by the Department of Homeland Security. [7] Although the mandate language references "programs," we include "activities" to acknowledge the broad definition of the term "program" and the varying approaches agencies use to achieve their missions. [8] IDES provides a single set of disability medical examinations designed for determining (1) both fitness and ability to return to duty, and (2) disability for servicemembers who are inhibited from performing their assigned duties as a result of service-connected injury or illness. DOD's assessment of fitness for duty occurs concurrently with the VA disability determination process. Mobile Vet Centers provide individual, group, and family readjustment counseling to combat veterans to assist them in transitioning from military to civilian status through the use of mobile centers, particularly in rural areas. [9] We scoped our definition of programs and activities for the first objective differently than for the second and third objectives. Specifically, for the first objective, although servicemembers or their spouses or dependents must benefit from a program or activity that addresses the effects of combat as we have defined that term, a program or activity does not have to only benefit servicemembers that directly experience combat. For the second and third objectives, we defined programs and activities as focusing primarily on servicemember transition and veteran readjustment to civilian life as well as efforts to raise public awareness and understanding of servicemembers' and veterans' experiences in combat, coming home, and transitioning to civilian life. [10] For all three objectives we excluded (1) research programs/ activities; (2) programs or activities for which post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan servicemembers or veterans are not eligible; (3) programs and activities developed and administered by individual military installations or VA hospitals specifically for the populations they serve at those locations - thus our findings are limited to the national perspective; and (4) programs or activities that provide a one-way, passive transmission of information (e.g., a directory that lists services available). [11] The National Resource Directory is a partnership among DOD, VA, and the Department of Labor that seeks to connect wounded and other servicemembers, veterans, their families, and caregivers to programs and services that support them. The CFDA is a General Services Administration database of federal programs, projects, services, and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the American public. [12] We did not include state and local government programs, or other entities' programs, such as nongovernmental organizations as this was not included within the scope of the mandate. [13] In addition, some programs share a common name, but are independently implemented by each military service branch, such as the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. With such programs, we separately count each military service's program because each program may have varying features. [14] See [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-83] and [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-436T]. [15] PTSD is a trauma-and stressor-related disorder that develops in reaction to traumatic events and TBI is a physical injury to the brain, often caused by exposure to one or more explosions, or other blows to the head. [16] Pew Research Center. 2011. The Military-Civilian Gap: War and Sacrifice in the Post-9/11 Era. Washington, DC: Pew Social and Demographic Trends; and, Institute for Veterans and Military Families and Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism, "A National Veterans Strategy: The Economic, Social and Security Imperative." Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University. [17] DOD and VA recently led the Veterans Employment Initiative Task Force, which oversaw the design and development of the revised TAP. Other agencies participating on the Veterans Employment Initiative Task Force include the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Small Business Administration. A new TAP governance structure, established in October 2013, steers implementation of TAP and will modify the program, as needed, through 2016. The new governance structure is co-led by DOD in 2014 and co- chaired by VA and the Department of Labor. See GAO, Transitioning Veterans: Improved Oversight Needed to Enhance Implementation of Transition Assistance Program, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-144] (Washington, D.C.: March 5, 2014). [18] See for example, GAO, Recovering Servicemembers and Veterans: Sustained Attention and Systematic Oversight Needed to Resolve Persistent Problems Affecting Care and Benefits, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-5] (Washington, D.C.: November 16, 2012); and 2012 Annual Report: Opportunities to Reduce Duplication, Overlap and Fragmentation, Achieve Savings, and Enhance Revenue, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-342SP] (Washington, D.C.: February 28, 2012). For additional information, see our Duplication and Cost Savings key issues page at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/duplication/overview]. Veterans Affairs: Better Understanding Needed to Enhance Services to Veterans Readjusting to Civilian Life, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-676] (Washington, D.C.: September 10, 2014). For reports by others, see VA, 2013 Performance and Accountability Report. Department of Veterans Affairs (December 16, 2013); RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research, Programs Addressing Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Among U.S. Military Servicemembers and Their Families. (Santa Monica, CA: 2011); and Institute of Medicine, Returning Home from Iraq and Afghanistan: Assessment of Readjustment Needs of Veterans, Service Members, and Their Families (Washington, D.C.: 2013). [19] One of the Department of Labor's goals is to "Increase the percentage of participants who receive intensive services provided by Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialists, with a focus on improving employment outcomes for veterans." Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program Specialists serve veterans through the Jobs for Veterans State Grant Program. See GAO, Veterans' Employment and Training: Better Targeting, Coordinating, and Reporting Needed to Enhance Program Effectiveness, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-29] (Washington, D.C.: Dec. 13, 2012). [20] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-83] and [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-436T]; OMB, Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget, Circular No. A- 11, (Washington, D.C.: July 2012). OMB updated this guidance in its July 2014 revision to the Circular No. A-11. [21] One of DOD's agency priority goals is "Transition to Veterans." This goal is intended to help fully equip servicemembers for life after the military and reflects both DOD's care for wounded, ill, or injured servicemembers as well as the overall transition of servicemembers to civilian life. For its part, VA's agency priority goals are to (1) ensure access to VA benefits and services, (2) eliminate the disability claims backlog, and (3) eliminate veteran homelessness. [22] OMB, Circular No. A-11, Performance Plans, Performance Reviews, and Annual Program Performance Reports. (July 2013). [23] The number of programs providing a service is not necessarily an indication of the number of servicemembers using the service. [24] RAND, Hidden Heroes: America's Military Caregivers. (Santa Monica, CA: 2014). [25] Our definition of programs does not include DOD and VA programs that provide informational services--such as web-based or printed materials--involving a one-way transmittal of information. For example, we did not include a VA program that aims to convey to civilians, through web-based testimonials, that success is possible for servicemembers after leaving the military. [26] Entities other than DOD and VA also offer related programs. For example, Joining Forces is a White House program that asks Americans to get involved in supporting our military's needs in employment, education, wellness, and raising the public's awareness of these issues. Moreover, Veterans Service Organizations, such as the American Legion's Operation Combat Warriors, holds events that raise awareness about veteran transition issues. [27] OMB and the agencies plan to update these agencies' inventories are on indefinite hold as OMB re-evaluates next steps for how and when to update them. [28] See [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-83]. We also reported that OMB identified 12 different program types (e.g., block grants, direct federal programs) for agencies to assign their programs; however, the list of program types does not include tax expenditures, which represent a substantial federal commitment. Tax expenditures are reductions in a taxpayer's tax liability that are the result of special exemptions and exclusions from taxation, deductions, credits, deferrals of tax liability, or preferential tax rates. For example, we reported that several benefits and services provided to veterans are not taxed, such as disability compensation, Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, and pension programs. For more information, see our key issues page on tax expenditures at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/key_issues/tax_expenditures]. [29] As a starting point, OMB's guidance cites, in part, the definition of "program" contained in GAO's Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process: "an organized set of activities directed toward a common purpose or goal that an agency undertakes or proposes to carry out its responsibilities." GAO, A Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-734SP] (Washington, D.C.: September 2005). [30] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-83]. [31] DOD's 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review sets the strategic priorities for the agency, including a number of business and management improvements. [32] Warrior Transition Units provide clinical and non-clinical case management services to wounded, ill, and injured Army soldiers and their families who are expected to require 6 months or more of rehabilitative care, or those who require complex medical management. Individuals are assigned to warrior transition units while they are preparing for transition back to duty or to civilian status. [33] We excluded programs like American Forces Information Service because they provide a one-way, passive transmission of information. [34] VA's OEF/OIF/OND Care Management program provides case management and care coordination to recovering servicemembers and veterans, aimed at helping them access resources within VA and the local community. This program is available at all VA Medical Centers. [35] GAO, A Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-734SP] (Washington, D.C.: September 2005); OMB, Circular No. A-11, Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget (July 2013). [36] We do not include programs or activities of other federal agencies that may address servicemembers' transition and veterans' readjustment to civilian life and assistance for their families. For example, agencies such as the Departments of Labor, Health Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Small Business Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service administer programs that serve and support veterans, such as employment training, housing, and tax credits and deductions. We also did not identify state and local government programs, or other entities' programs, such as nongovernmental organizations because they were not included within the scope of the mandate. [37] Our list of DOD programs includes those administered by the military service branches, which comprise the departments of the Army; Air Force, and Navy (including the Marine Corps); and the reserve components for each of the military services, including the National Guard. We exclude U.S. Coast Guard programs and activities because they are administered by the Department of Homeland Security. [38] Although the mandate language references "programs", we include "activities" to acknowledge the broad definition for the term "program" and the varying approaches agencies use to achieve their missions. [End of section] GAO's Mission: The Government Accountability Office, the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress, exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and accountability of the federal government for the American people. 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