Veterans Hiring Information
Air Force Civilian Services (AFCS) is, and has always been, committed to hiring veterans. While there are Federal laws providing hiring preference and special appointing authorities for veterans, more than ever, OO-ALC recognizes that hiring veterans just makes sense. By actively recruiting veterans, AFCS gains the value of their experience and provides them with a means to continue their service to our country. To meet veterans' employment information needs, the US Office of Personnel Management created a website to act as the preeminent source for Federal employment information for Veterans. Visit FedsHireVets.gov for post-military career information.
Veterans’ Recruitment Appointment (VRA)
VRA is an excepted hiring authority that allows OO-ALC to hire eligible veterans without competition, who meet any of the following requirements:
Served on active duty and received a campaign badge for service during a war or in a campaign or expedition
Served on active duty and received an Armed Forces Service Medal for participation in a military operation
Have recently separated (within the last three years), and separated under honorable conditions (an honorable or general discharge)
Are disabled
Veterans can be given an excepted service appointment under this authority at any grade level up to and including a GS-11 or equivalent. After an individual successfully completes two years of service, that individual will be converted noncompetitively to a career-conditional or career appointment in the competitive service.
Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA)
VEOA gives eligible veterans access to jobs that otherwise would have been available only to current competitive civil service (status) employees. Veterans are not accorded preference as a factor in the application process, but they are allowed to compete for job opportunities that are being filled under internal merit promotion procedures—they are not available to the general public. A VEOA-eligible who has competed under Air Force merit promotion announcements open to status individuals outside the AF workforce, and who is selected, will be given a career or career-conditional appointment. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran’s latest discharge must be issued under honorable conditions (an honorable or general discharge), and the veteran must be either a preference eligible OR have substantially completed three or more years of continuous active service.
Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW)
Under the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, active duty service members are treated as veterans and given preference-eligible status (when applicable) for purposes of appointment in the competitive service for up to 120 days prior to their actual discharge/release from active duty service. Along with the job application, a service member in this situation submits a “certification,” which is any written document from the armed forces that certifies he or she is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.
30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans
This hiring authority can be used to make appointments of eligible candidates to any position for which they are qualified, without competition. Unlike the VRA there are no grade-level limitations. Initial appointments are time-limited, lasting more than 60 days; however, the veteran can be converted to permanent status at any time during the time-limited appointment without competition.
Eligibility applies to the following categories of veterans:
Disabled veterans who were retired from active military service with a disability rating of 30 percent or more; and
Disabled veterans rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as having a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more.
180-day Waiver
The 180-day waiver to appoint retired military members to civilian positions is back in effect as of December 23, 2016, when President Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of fiscal year (FY) 2017. This does not mean retired military members cannot apply for federal positions. In fact, we highly encourage retired military members to seek employment with us. By law, retired military members have the right to seek and be considered for federal civilian employment to include our disabled veterans. This statute simply is in place to mandate documentation to show the superiority of the military members qualifications to other referred candidates.
Additionally, consideration must be in compliance with merit system principles. Which require selection and advancement predicated solely on the basis of relative ability, knowledge, and skills after fair and open competition, thus ensuring all applicants receive equal opportunity.
Military members coming up on retirement or just recently retired bring to the table a work ready wealth of knowledge and experience that we want to capitalize on and retain for continuity and to proactively assure the success of our mission capabilities. They have displayed years of dedication, professionalism, outstanding work ethic and have embodied the team player orientation to cement our total Air Force concept.
As they transition from active duty to the private sector, they can take comfort in knowing that their past experience can easily transform to the many disciplines utilized in civil service today. Conversely, they can realistically vie for compensation commensurate with their military benefits and earnings.
They have served their country with pride and distinction and they need to know that they are still a valuable asset to our great nation and we gladly welcome them into continued service with federal employment opportunities!
Additional tips can also be found on USA Jobs
Thank you again for your interest in a career within OO-ALC.
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