Post-Sept. 11 veterans given edge in federal hiring

Military personnel who have served in the post-Sept. 11 period now qualify for preference in hiring for federal jobs, agencies were informed recently.

The Office of Personnel Management issued a regulation June 9 giving hiring preference to anyone who served on active duty for at least 180 days, any part of which was between Sept. 11 and whenever Operation Iraqi Freedom ends, either by presidential proclomation or law. Military personnel need not have spent time in Iraq or Afghanistan to qualify.

The last period designated for veterans' preference was the Gulf War -- specifically for military members who served between Aug. 2, 1990, and Jan. 2, 1992. Without this designation, the rules are much stricter for military members to benefit from veterans' preference, and can require 24 months in service, permanent positions and a campaign badge.

OPM has not completed any formal studies on the number of job applicants that the new rule, which implements part of the fiscal 2006 National Defense Authorization Act, may bring. Mark Doboga, the agency's deputy associate director for talent and capacity policy, said he believes it will have a substantial impact, depending on agency hiring budgets and other external factors.

The broadened rules qualify members of the National Guard and Reserves for veterans' preference, though none of the 180 days can be spent in training.

"The main point that we would like to make is that OPM is committed to ensuring veterans are treated properly," Doboga said.

In an uncommon move, the rules announced by OPM in the Federal Register last week went into immediate effect. Usually agencies publish draft rules and give stakeholders a few months to comment before finalizing them.

"We wanted to get a regulation on the books as quickly as possible to make sure there wasn't any confusion," Doboga said.

Agencies, individuals and outside groups still can submit comments until Aug. 8, and OPM can change the rules after that point.

"In light of the sacrifices being made by individuals who do not serve full time in the armed forces, but who have been called to active duty for significant periods of service, the public interest lies with immediate publication," OPM Director Linda Springer said in an addendum to the regulation.

Members of the Guard or Reserves who are already federal employees cannot use veterans' preference for in-house promotions, although it would give them leg up during agency reductions in force.