Educating Wounded Warriors

The Transition Training Academy was established as a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL), Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Cisco, the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). WWP administers the program as a part of their commitment to the service men and women that have been wounded or injured on active duty.

TTA helps participants explore Information Technology (IT) as a potential career field and to develop new career skills with real-world application which may help secure future employment. Wounded warriors wishing to participate in the TTA program should complete the TTA program student application form. When completed, you may press “submit” to email the form to tta@woundedwarriorproject.org or print and fax the form to (904) 279-0262, attention: ‘TTA Program’.

As of the end of 2008, over 350 active duty military personnel have completed the TTA program. Current TTA sites are:

1. Naval Medical Center, San Diego (NMCSD);
2. Brooke Army Medical Center Hospital (BAMC) located at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX;
3. Eisenhower Medical Center, Fort Gordon, GA.

Many of the graduates have gained civilian employment following separation from the service or have returned to service in an IT-related Military Occupational Specialty (MOS).

The purpose: empower today's wounded warriors with the tools they will need to return to life, to the working world, to the competitive spirit, and to the world-class family known as the American Workforce.

There are many skills needed in order to function and compete in today's workplace. The TTA focuses on a few of these skills, including:

• Information Technology
• Basic Troubleshooting
• Intermediate Troubleshooting
• Small Office/Home Office Network Design
• Device Management
• Data Collection and Management
• Online Learning and Education Systems
• Basic and Intermediate Computing

By harnessing the power and the adaptive capabilities of the networking curriculum, students in the TTA program gain the experience and basic knowledge for positions in the IT world. Dedicated students can use the TTA program to catapult themselves into advanced-level coursework at their local colleges or study for valuable industry certifications, such as the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).

For the TTA program itself, educators are also mentors. With such a vast array of injuries as part of the experience of modern warfare, instructors work hard to provide the level and type of education every student needs. The TTA empowers every student with education so they can have an opportunity to make prosperous choices for their future.