Military retirees have to wait 6 months to enter civil service in DoD

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you are retiring from the military and you're looking to enter civil service in the Department of Defense, you'll have to wait 180 days from your retirement date, or get a special waiver.

This 180-day waiting policy was waived after a state of national emergency was declared Sept. 14, 2001. As part of the National Defense Authorization Act of fiscal year 2017, signed Dec. 23, 2016 by President Obama, that policy was reinstated.

The 180-day civilian hiring restriction applies to all non-appropriated and appropriated fund civilian positions in the competitive and excepted service, senior executive service and senior level positions, and scientific and professional positions. It also includes all permanent, temporary, term, part-time, flexible and intermittent positions.

However, personnel who fall under a special salary rate table, such as air traffic controllers and information technology managers, are exempt from the 180-day requirement.

Waivers may be submitted when it is determined that the retired military member is more highly qualified than the other candidates on the referral certificate. Members who are separating from the military and are not entitled to receive retirement pay from the armed services are not impacted by the 180-day wait period. 

Will Amos, a Marine Corps veteran, is on a mission to help transitioning military. He's the co-founder of the free database VeteransList.US, with a goal to help veteran-owned businesses across the country be easily found and hired.

Amos tells me he thinks making veterans wait six months to get to work is unfair.

"Veterans who have honorably and dutifully served their country should not be punished. Applicants should be assessed in every instance on merit and qualification, just like every other government agency without the need for waivers, regardless of if they retired or not," explained Amos.

He worries that a 6-month gap will negatively affect veterans as they are transitioning out of the military.

"This policy puts yet another hurdle in place for transitioning veterans," Amos adds. "President Obama signed the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, to help Veterans more easily integrate into the civilian economy. How does a 180-day waiting period for highly qualified Veterans help them integrate into the civilian economy? "

For more information on the 180-day civilian hiring restriction, the Office of Civilian Human Resources with the Department of the Navy has posted this: Fact Sheet: 180-Day Retirement Waivers.