LEAN, MEAN, TRANSITION MACHINE
contract for staffing or support, or if they want training under [the Digital Networking Professional Program], then as a service- disabled veteran-owned small business, we’re able to support that. We’re also able to act as subcontractors for other contractors that need help filling roles or want to bring our specific experience into their team.”
IMPARTING WISDOM When asked what advice he would give to an auditorium full of active-duty service members, Quinn stressed the importance of getting an early start on the transition process. “I think the tran- sition takes longer than a year. And if you don’t start it before you get out, you’re going to face it after you get out. My advice to everyone is start early. You have to figure out what you want to do, where you want to do it, what you’re qualified to do, if you need to earn additional certifications, if you need to go finish your degree—all of that takes time.”
Te Army does provide support for transitioning and retiring Soldiers, through the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), but Quinn said it is not enough for most people. “Everyone gets ready to transition and they think that TAP is enough to get them tran- sition-ready. And that’s impossible. It is to give you the minimum that you need to transition. And I just think a lot of people don’t realize that until it’s too late,” he said. According to a 2019 Pew Research report, 75 percent of transitioning Soldiers leave the service without having a civilian job lined up, and Quinn said more than 50 percent leave their first post-Army jobs within a year. “Some of that is that they got promoted, but some is that they took a job they didn’t want. Tey took a job to get a job, not to find a career.”
MANAGING TALENT Tough Quinn is now an expert on getting out of the Army, he said he understands how the service can better support Soldiers and families to keep them in the Army. It comes down to two key points: recognizing and more effectively utilizing the many talents of Soldiers already on the force, and providing portable careers and prioritizing employment for military spouses on bases.
BELL LAP
Quinn, left, with Timothy Cochrane from American Corporate Partners at the New York Stock Exchange in July 2018. (Photo courtesy of Michael Quinn)
“First, you really need to do a better job of capturing all the skills, and I think we’re trying to do that,” he said. Te new Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A) and Army Vantage are just two such efforts to bridge those gaps, in alignment with Te Army People Strategy.
“And second, you’ve got to factor military spouses into the equa- tion,” Quinn said. “You’ve got to prioritize portable careers for
116 Army AL&T Magazine Fall 2021
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