President Bush signed an executive order last week that will make it easier for spouses of service members to get federal jobs. Bush first proposed this initiative in his State of the Union address in January as a way to take better care of military families. Surveys show that employment of military spouses is a major concern to servicemembers and their families.
The order authorizes noncompetitive hiring of spouses, though officials are quick to point out that it does not waive qualification for the job. Rather, it makes the employment process easier and faster and allows them to move around the federal government with greater ease when the servicemember is relocated. Only about 10 percent of military spouses remain in the same place for five or more years, and the frequent moves make employment in the private sector more difficult.
Individuals who are the spouse of an active-duty member or of a reservist on active duty called on to relocate are eligible. Also eligible are the spouses of servicemembers listed as 100 percent disabled and separated or retired, as well as widows or widowers of servicemembers who died on active duty and who have not remarried.
Caution to all spouses ready to start work tomorrow: the regulations are not written yet and will take some time. The director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will issue the implementing regulations and the interim version is not expected until sometime after the first of the year.