Veterans and Military Spouses

If you’re a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and were separated under honorable conditions, or if you’re the spouse of an active-duty member or veteran, you may be eligible for special hiring authorities for veterans, veterans' preference or military spouse appointing authorities. Eligibility for appointment under one of these authorities doesn’t entitle you to a position, but knowledge of your eligibility for consideration under each authority can enhance your job search.

These veteran hiring authorities give you preference over other applicants in the hiring process. Veterans’ preference can be used when applying to permanent and temporary positions in both the competitive and excepted service of the executive branch.

BPA participates in the Occupational Skills Training Program in coordination with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Disabled veterans eligible for training VA vocational rehabilitation program may enroll for training or work experience at an agency under the terms of an agreement between the agency and VA. While enrolled in the VA program, the veteran is not a federal employee for most purposes but is a beneficiary of the VA.

Training is tailored to the individual's needs and goals, so there is no set length. If the training is intended to prepare the individual for eventual appointment in the agency rather than just provide work experience, the agency must focus the training on enabling the veteran to meet the qualification requirements for the position.

Upon successful completion, the host agency and VA give the veteran a Certificate of Training showing the occupational series and grade level of the position for which trained. The Certificate of Training allows any agency to appoint the veteran noncompetitively under a status quo appointment which may be converted to career or career-conditional at any time.

Only veterans discharged or released from active duty in the armed forces under honorable conditions are eligible for veterans' preference. This means you must have been discharged under an honorable or general discharge. 

Under the Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, an individual who has reason to believe they will be entitled to veterans’ preference upon discharge may apply for a position in advance of the discharge, and receive consideration as a preference eligible, if the service member is able to provide a certification that they are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions not later than 120 days from the date of the certification; the circumstances of the discharge are verified at the time of actual appointment.

Requirements for Veterans Preference Applications

• Provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility. The member four copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty" is preferable.
• If claiming 10 point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference."
• Provide a VA Civil Service Preference Letter. You may obtain a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs reflecting your level of disability for preference eligibility by visiting a VA Regional Office, contacting a VA call center or online.
  

• CareerOne Stop Skills Profiler is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration and provides resources for career exploration, training and jobs.
• Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employees Retirement Systems (FERS) Handbook for Personnel and Payroll Offices - Creditable Military Service (Chapter 22) advises federal agencies on various aspects of benefits administration; Chapter 22 covers Creditable Military Service.
• DoD Transition Assistance Program (TAP) provides information and training to ensure service members transitioning from active duty are prepared for the next step.
• FedsHireVets Virtual Classroom explains veterans' preference, how federal jobs are filled, and the unique veteran appointing authorities designed to help you find a federal job.
• Military Buyback Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Military Service Deposit provides information on how to buy back military time.
• National Resource Directory (NRD) is a database of validated resources that supports recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration for service members, veterans, family members and caregivers.
• O*Net Military Skills Crosswalk is the nation's primary source of occupational information. This link will allow users to cross reference their military skills to suggested federal occupations.
• OPM Veterans Services FAQs covers a wide range of topics related to hiring and employment of veterans in the federal government.
• The National Archives website allow veterans and their next of kin to request certain military service records for free.
• The VA’s Careers and Employment page offers information and resources to help veterans find job opportunities and build careers with the federal government.
• The VA Benefits webpage gives veterans access to benefits and VA records (DD214).
• The United States Office of Personnel Management provides job resources for veteran family members.