Checklist

Separation / ETS

Start a year out. Several of these are one-way doors that close the day you're out.

Transfer the GI Bill to spouse/kids IF you ever might — it can ONLY be done while still serving (6+ years in, adds a 4-year commitment)⏰ Only while servingThe most permanent miss on this list. Even undecided? Transferring 1 month preserves the option.
Take the TAP class early and build the real plan (not the checkbox version)12 months out (required)Late TAP = rushed everything else.
SkillBridge: research programs and get command approval early — windows and per-branch caps changed recentlyLast 180 days (rules vary by branch/rank)Approvals are discretionary and policies tightened; late asks get denied.
File the VA disability claim under Benefits Delivery at Discharge⏰ 180–90 days before separationBDD claims get decided fastest — file inside the window with your service treatment records.
Get a COMPLETE copy of your medical and dental records (and copies of your OMPF)Before out-processingEvery later claim, upgrade, or correction leans on records that are hardest to get after you're out.
Run the terminal-leave vs sell-back math (sell-back caps at 60 days per career; terminal leave keeps BAH/BAS running)Before you submit the separation paperworkUse our Terminal Leave Calculator — the default choice is often thousands wrong for your case.
Review the DD-214 draft line by line BEFORE signing: awards, dates, narrative reason, separation/RE codesAt out-processingFixing it later is a DD-149/DD-215 process measured in months or years.
Health coverage bridge: check TAMP (180 days for qualifying separations) and CHCBP; veterans — enroll with VA health careBefore coverage endsGaps here become ER bills.
File for unemployment (UCX) in your state if you don't walk into a jobAfter separationYou paid into it with your service; it exists exactly for this.
Create the va.gov login and file an Intent to File if any claim might come laterASAP after separationThe ITF locks your effective date for a year while you build the claim.

Windows shift

Deadlines here state the general rule — your branch or situation can differ. When a date matters, verify it with your admin shop or the free official line at 800-342-9647 before you rely on it.

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