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Today, Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) voted in support of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 295 to 125. Latta offered an amendment to the NDAA that was approved and included in the final passage of the legislative package. 

“This year’s NDAA marks the 60th year in a row that Congress has worked in a bipartisan fashion to meet its Constitutional obligation to protect the country through passage of a Defense Authorization Act,” said Latta. “It includes a three percent pay increase and additional resources for our troops and their families, a new deterrence initiative to counter China’s growing hostility on the global stage, and funding to continue the modernization of our Armed Forces so they can maintain the highest level of readiness.”

“Our servicemembers have given their all for our country, and it is only right that we make sure they are set up for success once they have completed their service,” Latta continued. “That’s why I introduced legislation earlier this year called the Preparing Servicemembers for Success Act. This legislation is the amendment that I offered and was accepted into the final NDAA package.”

“Each service branch of the military has dedicated resources and created programs to help servicemembers transition into civilian life and obtain employment,” Latta continued. “One of these programs is the Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) program.  These COOL programs guide the servicemember through the process of obtaining credentials – certifications and licenses – that would qualify them to hold certain professional and technical jobs, such as welders, truck operators, emergency medical technicians, and more.  However, it is unclear how successful these programs are because sufficient performance measures have not been put into place to gauge their effectiveness.”

“My amendment would establish additional COOL program performance measures that will track: the percentage of members who participate in a professional credential program through the COOL program; the percentage of members who have completed one of these programs; and the percentage of members who are employed one year after separation or release from the Armed Forces,” concluded Latta. “I would like to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Thornberry for their work on this year’s NDAA.”