What Does ETS Mean and Why Should You Care Early?

ETS stands for Expiration Term of Service. It is the date your enlistment contract ends and you become a civilian. For Army soldiers, this date is printed on your contract and drives every decision you make in the months leading up to separation. Miss a deadline, and you are playing catch-up with the VA, your finances, and your job search all at once.

I built BMR specifically because my own transition was a mess. When I separated as a Navy Diver in 2015, nobody handed me a clear timeline. I figured things out by making mistakes and scrambling to fix them. This checklist exists so you do not have to repeat that process. Every milestone below comes from what actually matters, not what some PowerPoint slide says matters.

The biggest mistake I see from the 15,000+ veterans who have come through BMR: they start too late. Soldiers treat ETS like a cliff they will deal with when they get to it. But separation is a project with hard deadlines, and some of those deadlines hit 18 months before you walk off post. If you are reading this with less than a year left, you are already behind on some items. That is okay. Start now and work the list.

What Should You Do 18 to 12 Months Before ETS?

This is the planning phase. Nothing feels urgent yet, which is exactly why most soldiers skip it. Do not be most soldiers. The actions you take here set up everything that follows.

Start Your SFL-TAP Registration

The Army requires all separating soldiers to complete SFL-TAP (Soldier for Life Transition Assistance Program). You must register at least 365 days before ETS. Your installation's transition center will have specific class dates, and popular sessions fill up fast. Do not wait until 6 months out and find yourself in a cramped makeup session two weeks before clearing.

SFL-TAP gives you a starting point, but it is a standardized curriculum. The instructors are trying, and some classes are solid. But the program was not built for customization. You will walk out with a generic resume that is not tailored to any specific job. That is the gap you need to fill on your own.

Research Your Career Direction

Before you can write a resume, you need to know what you are aiming at. Are you going federal, private sector, or using your GI Bill first? Each path has different timelines and different resume requirements. Federal resumes look completely different from private sector resumes. A federal resume includes hours per week, supervisor information, and detailed duty descriptions. Start researching job postings now so you understand what employers actually want.

Use the BMR career crosswalk tool to translate your MOS into civilian job titles with salary ranges and federal position matches. Knowing your options early gives you 12+ months to fill skill gaps or earn certifications before you separate.

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What Happens Between 12 and 6 Months Out?

This is where the real work begins. You should be actively attending SFL-TAP classes, building your resume, and making decisions about benefits. The 12-to-6-month window is when most soldiers either get ahead or fall behind.

Complete SFL-TAP Requirements

Army Directive 2023-11 requires all separating soldiers to complete SFL-TAP at least 365 days before ETS when possible, but the core classes typically happen in this window. You will attend the Transition Overview, Department of Labor Employment Workshop, and VA Benefits Briefings. Take notes. Ask questions. But understand that the generic resume you create in class is a first draft, not a finished product.

Build Your Real Resume

The TAP resume is a starting point. Now you need a resume tailored to specific jobs. Pull up actual job postings for positions you want. Look at the required qualifications and preferred skills. Your resume needs to match the language in those postings, not the language in your NCOERs.

Start collecting your evaluations and turning those bullet points into civilian-readable accomplishments. If you led a team of 30 soldiers and managed $2M in equipment, that translates directly. But you need to say it in a way that a hiring manager outside the military understands without looking up acronyms.

Make Your GI Bill Decision

You have until separation to decide how to use your GI Bill benefits. Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, or transfer to dependents — each option has different rules and deadlines. If you plan to transfer benefits to a spouse or child, you must do that while still serving. You cannot transfer after separation. Talk to your installation education center now, not during your last week on post.

What Is Critical in the 6 to 3 Month Window?

This is the execution phase. You should have a career direction picked, your SFL-TAP classes done or nearly done, and a working resume. Now you are focused on VA claims, job applications, and the logistics of becoming a civilian.

File Your BDD Claim

Benefits Delivery at Discharge is the VA's program for filing disability claims before you separate. You can file between 180 and 90 days before ETS. Filing through BDD means the VA can start processing your claim while you are still on active duty, and you may have a rating decision by the time you separate. If you miss the 90-day window, you will have to file a standard claim after separation, which takes months longer.

Get all your medical issues documented now. Every visit to sick call, every physical therapy appointment, every hearing test goes in your record. If it is not documented, it did not happen — at least as far as the VA is concerned.

Start Applying for Jobs

Do not wait until after separation to start applying. Many employers understand military timelines and will wait 60 to 90 days for the right candidate. Federal jobs on USAJOBS can take 3 to 6 months from application to start date, so if you want a federal position lined up for day one, you should be applying now. Check your veterans preference eligibility and make sure you understand how to claim it on federal applications.

What Goes on Your 90-Day Checklist?

Ninety days out is when separation becomes real. You are clearing post, finalizing benefits, and making sure nothing slips through the cracks. This is not the time to start your transition planning. If you are just beginning now, focus on the highest-impact items first: VA claim, resume, and job applications.

Medical and Dental

Complete your separation physical. Get copies of your entire medical and dental record. If you filed a BDD claim, attend all scheduled C&P (Compensation and Pension) exams. Missing a C&P exam can delay or deny your claim. Schedule any final appointments for conditions you want documented before you lose access to military healthcare.

Documents to Collect

Before you lose CAC access, download or print everything you will need. Your ERB, all NCOERs/OERs, ATRRS transcript, DD-214 worksheet, any awards or commendations, and security clearance verification. Once your CAC is deactivated, getting these documents becomes significantly harder. Some require formal requests through the National Archives, which can take weeks or months.

Clearing Post

Your unit will give you a clearing packet. This includes stops at CIF (Central Issue Facility), finance, housing, transportation, and every other office that needs to sign off. Start early. CIF alone can take multiple trips if you have damaged or missing gear. Finance needs to process your final pay, travel entitlements, and any separation pay you are owed. Give yourself at least two weeks for clearing. Trying to do it all in the final days leads to missed steps and delayed pay.

What Should the Final 30 Days Look Like?

Your final month should be about confirming everything is in order, not starting new tasks. If you have followed this timeline, the last 30 days are relatively calm. If you have not, they will be chaotic.

Verify your DD-214 worksheet is accurate. Every entry matters — your MOS, awards, service dates, and discharge characterization. Errors on your DD-214 can cause problems with VA benefits, veterans preference for federal jobs, and employer background checks. Review it line by line. If something is wrong, push back now. It is far easier to correct before separation than after.

Set up your healthcare transition. You have 180 days of TRICARE coverage after separation through TAMP (Transitional Assistance Management Program) if you are eligible. After that, you will need VA healthcare enrollment, employer insurance, or a marketplace plan. Do not let your coverage lapse.

Make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated and your resume is tailored for the specific jobs you are targeting. If you are applying to multiple types of positions, you need multiple versions of your resume. One generic resume sent to every opening is the most common mistake I see. BMR's Resume Builder lets you paste a job posting and get a tailored resume for that specific role — the free tier includes two tailored resumes, which is enough to test the approach and see the difference it makes.

How Do You Handle Separation Day and the Week After?

Separation day itself is mostly paperwork. You will sign out, turn in your ID card, and receive your DD-214. Keep multiple certified copies. You will need them for VA claims, federal job applications, education benefits, and more. Store at least one copy somewhere safe outside your home — a bank safe deposit box or with a trusted family member.

The first week after separation is when reality hits. Your routine is gone. Your paycheck schedule changes. You are no longer part of the unit. This is normal, and it catches almost everyone off guard. Have a plan for week one: apply to specific jobs, attend a networking event, or start your first college course. Structure keeps the transition from feeling like freefall.

If you filed a BDD claim, check its status on VA.gov. If you applied to federal jobs, check USAJOBS for updates. If you are using your GI Bill, confirm enrollment and housing allowance processing with your school's veterans certifying official. The transition is not over on separation day. It is just entering a new phase. Stay on top of your deadlines, keep applying, and keep tailoring each resume to each specific job. That single habit — customizing instead of mass-sending — is what separates soldiers who land jobs quickly from those who spend months waiting for callbacks that never come.

More transition guides: DD Form 2648 worksheet guide, realistic transition timelines, military vs civilian workplace culture, biggest culture shocks, coping with identity loss, and post-government ethics rules.