Career Planning

Career Planning

Each wounded, ill and injured Soldier establishes short and long-term career goals during his or her time in the Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU)/Community Care Unit (CCU), or U.S. Army Recovery Care Coordination Directorate (ARCCD). These goals are a significant piece of their Comprehensive Transition Plan (CTP).

All SRU Soldiers should work closely with their Squad Leader, Occupational Therapist (OT), Transition Coordinator (TC) and ARCCD Advocate (if applicable) to utilize the relevant resources in planning and achieving career goals as a part of their Comprehensive Transition Plan (CTP). Career and Education Readiness (CER) activities should never interfere with medical treatment; Soldiers should pursue these options around their medical appointments.

Career and Education Readiness (CER)

CER activities are a required component of transition for all eligible SRU Soldiers. Whether on the Remain in the Army or the Transition from the Army track, Soldiers will find a great number of career and education resources available. Internships, certification programs, Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) specific training and university courses are among some of the options that Soldiers may choose from for their CER activities. Soldiers begin working with members of their CER team during in-processing. These Cadre members will help the Soldier set career goals and find meaningful CER activities that align with these desired goals. Career planning ensures that Soldiers’ CER activities are providing them with skills and knowledge that will best suit them for their future roles.

Learn more about the Career and Education Readiness program and view our Meet the SRU Career and Education Readiness Team fact sheet for more information on the Cadre team that works with every Soldier.

 

Remain in the Army

Career planning is based on each Soldier's individual career track, whether they will remain in the Army or transition from the Army. Soldiers assigned to a SRU or ARCCD who have decided to remain in the Army have the opportunity to enhance existing and/or develop new skills through training, education and/or internship opportunities. Within the Remain in the Army career track, there are three options:

  • Return to Duty
  • Return to Duty with a New Military Occupational Specialty (MOS)
  • Continue on Active Duty (COAD) / Continue on Active Reserve (COAR)
  • Working with Active Duty Wounded Warriors

Visit the Remain in the Army page for more information about these three options and details on internships, education and training.

Transition from the Army

Many Soldiers in SRUs will return to the force, but some will transition or separate from the Army. The Army and other federal agencies offer a wide variety of resources and programs to help Soldiers prepare for the next step as they transition into Veteran status. During this process, Soldiers can continue career planning through:

  • Post-Army career preparation
  • Internship options
  • Education and training

Learn more about career planning on the Transition from the Army page.

Reasonable Accommodations

In order to eliminate stigma and misconception, it is important that Soldiers and Veterans educate employers and make sure they have a basic understanding of some of the more frequently recorded injuries experienced by today’s military community. Employees should work with employers to establish and make known a process for requesting accommodations, at every point in the employment process — from application to onboarding to retention and promotion. Understand that one of the biggest challenges faced by those experiencing the impact of a non-apparent disability is whether or not to disclose this information to a prospective or current employer. Many Veterans believe disclosing such information will have negative consequences on their careers. Now more than ever, employers are making known the process for requesting and accessing workplace accommodations. By being upfront and transparent with this process, you can help employers create a more productive workforce. Visit our Reasonable Accommodations page for examples of accommodations you can discuss with your employer.

Veterans Career Planning

For additional resources on transitioning out of the Army and career planning, visit our Veterans Career and Education page.

Employers

If you are an employer interested in hiring a or ARCCD Veteran, please reference our Employer Resources page. Topics include: understanding disability, writing effective position descriptions, tips on interviewing wounded, ill and injured Soldiers, reasonable accommodations and other employer resources.