New Hiring Authority

A new hiring authority was established that makes certain military spouses eligible to apply for more jobs advertised on USAJOBS that are open to “status candidates.”

Executive Order 13473, which went into effect Sept. 11, 2009, identified three groups of spouses eligible to apply for temporary, term and permanent employment in all pay grades:

• The spouse of an Airman who has been issued orders for a permanent change of station that requires relocating.
• The spouse of an Airman who retired with a disability rating at the time of retirement of 100 percent; or retired or separated from the Air Force and has a disability rating of 100 percent from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• The un-remarried widow or widower of an Airman killed while in active-duty status. This authority is separate from the Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Program. This authority does not give a spouse preference; instead it gives the spouse an eligibility to apply for competitive service positions as a status candidate.

This authority is separate from the Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Program. This authority does not give a spouse preference; instead it gives the spouse an eligibility to apply for competitive service positions as a status candidate.

Specific details on the noncompetitive appointment of certain military spouses can be found here.

DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Program

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) is a program that was developed by the Department of Defense (DoD) to help lessen the interruption of a spouse's career when they have to move due to the service members' receipt of permanent change of station (PCS) orders. MSP applies to spouses of active duty service members of the U. S. Armed Forces, including the Coast Guard and full time National Guard. MSP provides priority in the employment selection process for relocating military spouses. Spouse preference is not limited to the branch of military of which the sponsor is serving or to only those who have previously worked for the Federal government.

Spouses of active duty service members may register in the MSP program at the losing activity 30 days prior to the sponsor's reporting date or at an activity in the commuting area of the sponsor's new duty location upon relocation, if the following conditions are met.

• They were married to the active duty service member prior to the reporting date to the new assignment
• The relocation was based on a PCS transfer and not separation or retirement
• The vacant position is within commuting distance of the new PCS location
• They are among the best-qualified group of candidates for the position

Spouses may begin exercising their preference 30 days before their sponsors' reporting date and for the duration of the tour as long as they do not decline a position considered valid for MSP under DoD policy. Spouses relocating overseas must wait until they arrive at the new duty station to begin applying for positions using military spouse preference.

Department of the Air Force Civilian Spouse Placement Program

Eligibility for this program is limited to civilian spouses who are on an appointment without time limitation in the competitive service with career or career-conditional status, or in the excepted service (with or without personal competitive status). This includes, but is not limited to, employees on Veterans Recruitment Appointments, special appointments of the severely disabled, and Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) employees covered under the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Interchange Agreement.

Eligibility is based on PCS relocation of the civilian spouse's Air Force appropriated fund civilian sponsor to another Air Force appropriated fund position in a different geographic area within the U.S. or its territories. The civilian spouse is eligible only when the sponsor's travel expenses are paid by the government and the spouse is included on the travel orders.

Eligible spouses may be registered for a maximum of 1 year. Registration may be accomplished once sponsor's PCS orders have been provided to verify the civilian spouse's eligibility. A spouse may register at any Air force A-coded activity up to 30 days prior to the sponsor's reporting date or, upon relocation, at the sponsor's new Air Force duty location. Spouses who do not initially relocate with their sponsor's cannot register until they are residing in the commuting area of the new duty station.