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Why Listen:

Well, normally Beyond the Uniform is hosted by Justin, but I came to him with an idea. I talk to a lot of transitioning service members, and its eye opening how many of them – regardless of branch – have never heard of the various credentialing programs that are offered.

Today is part 1 in a series where I’ll be interviewing each branch’s credentialing program manager to get the facts on that respective branch’s credentialing assistance in an effort to spread awareness to the service members who can use them.

Credentialing Assistance is a great way to leverage the transition tools and resources available to service members to accelerate their post-military careers. Certifications add professional capability and credibility and help you stand out to a hiring manager.

We’ll start with the Army and talk with Sophia Sweeney, the Program Manager for Army Credentialing Assistance (CA) and Credentialing Opportunities On Line (COOL).

In short, Army Soldiers - regardless of compo - can use up to $4,000 every year for Credentialing Assistance. Active Duty Service Obligations (ADSO) are applied for Officers and CW2 and above if they’re requesting training/books/materials, yet there is no ADSO for requesting funding for an exam only. Active Duty Officers/CW2 Above incur a 2-year concurrent ADSO; Reserve/Guard incur a 4-year concurrent ADSO. Enlisted Soldiers incur no ADSO.

About Sophia:

Sophia served for 20+ years as a member of the Army's Military Police (MP) corps, retiring as a First Sergeant. After retiring, Sophia held multiple government contracting roles in various Soldier support positions. In her current role, she serves as an Army Civilian working as the Program Manager for the Army Credentialing Assistance Program and the Army Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL). She holds a BA in Criminal Justice from Columbia College and a MA in Organizational Leadership from Brandman University.

Selected Resources: 

• Army Education Centers: - https://www.goarmyed.com/public/public_goarmyed-education_centers.aspx

• Army COOL - https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/

• Army CA - https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/costs_and_funding/army_credential_assistance.htm

  • Soldier CA Process Guide - https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/docs/soldier-ca-process-guide-28-sept-20.pdf

  • Army CA Policy Letter - https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/docs/army-ca-policy-revision-20200910.pdf

• Army IgnitED - https://www.armyignited.com/app/

• Army University - https://www.armyuniversity.edu/

Transcript & Time Stamps:

02:50

Why did you get out of the service? And what was your transition experience like?

After 20 years in the Army, my husband and I made a decision to retire for the benefit of our family. I wasn’t quite as prepared as I should’ve been or could’ve been. I thought having a Bachelors degree and military leadership experience was good enough to help me secure a job in the civilian world at the same level that I was in the Army. But I definitely received a wake up call and realized that I should’ve taken more advantage of the resources that were available to me. So to become more competitive, starting with my G.I. Bill benefits post retirement, I went on to earn my Masters degree and a certificate that helped me secure a position as an Education Counselor for my fellow Soldiers at the Education Center, as well as a role teaching the Higher Education track as a Contractor. Then eventually I was able to secure a role at Human Resources Command (HRC) as an Education Service Specialist. That said, my transition could’ve been smoother. But eventually I got where I needed to be by taking advantage of the resources at every soldier’s disposal.

04:30

Why did you want to keep serving? And what was your main drive to go work at HRC?

Well, to clarify, I used to work under HRC, but now my team falls under TRADOC (Army Training and Doctrine Command). Regardless, I continue to do what I do for soldiers. I knew that when I transitioned out of the Army that I would continue to help soldiers in some way. I was lucky enough to find my current position and be able to do it as a civilian.

05:30

What is Army C.A.? What’s the 30-second elevator pitch as to why I should care about C.A. if I’m a soldier?

The Army Credentialing Assistance (C.A.) program is an outstanding program that provides eligible soldiers from all components and of all ranks the opportunity to request funding for credentials or licenses, whether its aligned to a soldier’s MOS or not. This directly contributes to supporting their professional development. It helps with retaining quality soldiers. It also prepares soldiers for meaningful employment upon transition from military service. So, check it out on Army COOL at https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/

06:20

How much each year can soldiers use to train? And how does this work in conjunction with Tuition Assistance?

Soldiers have up to $4,000 every fiscal year towards using either Credentialing Assistance or Tuition Assistance, or both, as long as they don’t exceed to $4,000 fiscal year limit.

07:20

If I’m a soldier that’s looking to get out within a year, am I eligible still?

That’s a great question. Absolutely. However, whatever program is being pursued must be completed before their actual ETS date. As far as active duty service obligations (ADSOs), yes, officers and commissioned warrant officers do incur an ADSO, but only if they are asking for some type of training.

08:20

Can you dive deeper into each ADSO obligation?

So, active duty does incur a 2-year service obligation. National Guard and Reserves incur a 4-year service obligation.

08:36

And is that a concurrent ADSO?

So if there is already an active ADSO, then the new ADSO would run in conjunction with that.

08:48

Is there an ADSO associated with enlisted service members?

No, absolutely not.

09:15

If you could just clarify, when does the ADSO time period start?

The ADSO begins upon the last day of the course that’s been requested.

09:30

How do I submit a request? What is the process of someone who’s interested?

Great question. The process can start a few different ways. The first way is to go to Army COOL: https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/, which I recommend. There is also a Soldier CA Process Guide with instructions, including information about Army IgnitED, which is the new system that we work through for Credentialing Assistance requests.

12:20

How many credentials or programs are out there that are available through Army COOL?

Army COOL has over 1600 credentials.

13:10

Is there anything else that I need to seek from a credentialing vendor before I submit my assistance request? And, how long does the approval process typically take?

Definitely contact the vendor to confirm start and end dates, validate the cost, and request a price quote. The process can take up to 30 business days. That said, the requestor must submit the request at least 30 days prior to the start date of the credentialing program being requested.

14:30

Once a request has been approved and funded, how long is that funding good for?

The start and end dates included in the credentialing request determine the time frame in which the funding is good or valid. Soldiers have 10 days past the credentialing end date to furnish proof of completion. NOTE: the end date must be within one calendar year from the start date selected in the credentialing assistance request.

16:52

What’s the marketing effort look like on behalf of the Army regarding the Credentialing Assistance program?

The CA program is fairly new still - it just went live in January 2020. So far marketing efforts have included channels such as Army Career Tracker, GoArmyEd, Education Centers across installations, Facebook broadcasts, Army.mil articles, and Army University.

17:58

Have you seen good rapid growth? Is word getting out effectively?

In Fiscal Year 2020 we received over 4,800 Credentialing Assistance requests submit, and that’s with a very manual process in our first full year. Already in Fiscal Year 2021, thanks in big part to Army IgnitED, we’ve seen an additional 5,000 - 6,000 requests submitted. So yes, we’re definitely progressing.

19:25

Have you heard of any success stories where maybe an entire unit is carving out time and space to ensure this Credentialing Assistance resource is used to its maximum?

I will tell you, there is a program going on within the Texas National Guard currently, where groups of soldiers are electing to attend certain credentialing programs together. The program isn’t necessarily meant as a group resource, but individual soldiers are finding ways to band together and learn together.

20:33

Any Lessons Learned or Best Practices in terms of what you would recommend to soldiers that are looking to submit requests for training?

One of the biggest advisements I can offer is to please understand what it is you’re signing up for, and your responsibilities. Just like with Tuition Assistance, [under Credentialing Assistance] you have to finish and you have to pass.