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The two-year program for re-training early released military personnel was initiated in July 2001 to mitigate the hardships of the downsizing of the Bulgarian army from 107,000 to approx. 45,000 by 2006 in response to the NATO and EU pre-accession requirements. The program offered re-training courses, linkages with businesses on potential internships and continuing coaching and guidance to 86 released military personnel to facilitate their transition to civilian employment. Thirty more officers were enrolled in English, computers and business tracks. The partnership of the implementer — the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) — with the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense, the NGO Resource Center, and with Industry and Commerce Chambers contributed for the national coverage of the program and was essential for the internships offered and post-training monitoring and evaluation of this pilot effort.