Career Continuation for Veterans: What Congress Needs to Fix

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By Covenant of Courage | #ReasonableRanks Campaign

Every year, thousands of men and women enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces with the goal of building a long, meaningful career in uniform. They train, serve, and sacrifice. But for far too many, that career is cut short by injury, illness, or non-deployable status—and not because they can’t contribute, but because the system gives them no way to continue.

This isn’t just a policy oversight. It’s a national failure that wastes talent, denies dignity, and leaves veterans behind.

It’s time for Congress to fix it.

⚠️ The Career Continuation Crisis

Current military policy often forces out:

• Service members injured during training

• Troops unable to deploy due to illness, pregnancy, or mental health struggles

• Highly skilled individuals with treatable or manageable conditions

These service members are discharged, often with:

• No reassignment option

• No legal support

• Limited or no access to VA benefits

Some leave the military before reaching the 180-day threshold that qualifies them for full benefits. Others are medically separated but denied career transition support.

They didn’t choose to quit.

They were forced out—without a net.

🧩 Why It’s Broken

1. Deploy-or-Get-Out Culture:

   
   

   Policies designed for combat efficiency leave no flexibility for administrative, cyber, instructional, or leadership roles that don’t require deployment.

2. Lack of Reassignment Infrastructure:

   
   

   There is no formalized cross-branch database for matching non-deployable personnel to open billets they could fill.

3. No Clear Legal Path:

   
   

   Unlike civilian federal employees, active-duty service members don’t have legal protections under the ADA or Title VII. This creates a legal vacuum when they’re medically limited but still employable.

4. Unequal Access to Benefits:

   
   

   Early discharges—especially from training injuries—often mean no healthcare, housing, or education benefits from the VA.

🔧 What Congress Must Do

Congress has the constitutional and legislative power to correct these injustices. Here’s what they must act on now:

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Create a Career Reassignment Program

Establish a federally funded, DoD-managed system that evaluates non-deployable service members for reassignment options before discharge.

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Guarantee Due Process in Medical Separations

Mandate legal representation and appeals rights for service members facing career-ending medical evaluations.

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Recognize Training Injuries as Service-Connected

Pass legislation ensuring that injuries sustained in basic training or tech school qualify for full VA benefits.

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Fund Transition Support for Involuntary Separations

Expand TAP (Transition Assistance Program) services for all discharges, not just retirements or deployments.

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Protect Pregnant Service Members from Unjust Discharge

Strengthen pregnancy and postpartum protections by offering reassignment or temporary profiles rather than automatic separation.

📢 Why It Matters

These aren’t just personnel policies. They are civil rights issues.

The military is the largest employer of young Americans—especially from working-class communities, rural areas, and communities of color. When these individuals are injured and cast aside, we don’t just lose soldiers—we lose future leaders, educators, and contributors.

By fixing career continuation policy, Congress can:

• Lower veteran homelessness

• Reduce suicide risk

• Retain skilled personnel

• Honor service with dignity and justice

✊ The #ReasonableRanks Solution

Covenant of Courage’s #ReasonableRanks campaign is already building the policy blueprint for reform. We’ve gathered petitions, stories, and expert recommendations to push this issue to the front of the legislative agenda.

Now we need Congress to act.

📌 Take Action

📝 Sign the Petition → https://chng.it/5yXYvkBtMR

🌐 Learn More → www.covenantofcourage.com

📢 Share this message with your elected officials using #ReasonableRanks

Service shouldn’t end with injury. Congress must build a system that gives our troops a way to continue their careers—and their lives—with dignity.