Tides Are Turning For Military Spouse

TIDES ARE TURNING FOR MILITARY SPOUSE

By Janine Scianna NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Fellow military spouses, no one can truly understand the sacrifices we make personally and professionally unless you have been in our shoes. We take our jobs seriously and know that ultimately, to support the mission, we must be 100% supportive of our service member husbands and wives.

But so many of us also have our own professional aspirations and have the credentials to pursue them if given the opportunity. Yet, the near-constant PCS cycle means that we have limited means to do that. Military spouse unemployment is more than six times the national rate at 24%, and underemployment (defined as working less hours or earning less than our non-military spouse counterparts) is at 31%. Here at Sigonella alone, I’ve met spouses that are physical therapists, lawyers, marketing specialists, engineers, and professors. Anecdotally, we can all be categorized as unemployed or underemployed. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.

Thankfully, the tides are turning. Defense officials, policymakers, and the media are starting to take notice of our plight. Because, let’s face it, the average military family of today isn’t the same as those of the past. When we think strategically about maintaining a talented, agile, and stable U.S. military workforce, it also means we need to ensure that the family unit as a whole is healthy. Recruiting and retaining the best military talent also means taking notice of the professional aspirations of their spouses.

I have three great pieces of news to share that will help less our burden. These are all very recent developments and everyone should be aware of them. Even if you are unable to take advantage of these policy changes at Sigonella, you’ll want to consider them when you PCS stateside.

First is the Navy’s recent policy change that will allow up to $500 in reimbursement for military spouse license fees. Lawyers, nurses, teachers, and doctors: every time you cross state lines when you PCS and shell out money to become a licensed professional in your new state, the Navy will pay you back. Check out NAVADMIN 134-19 to read all of the details. That’s in addition to several professions that are (state by state) advocating for regulations that allow reciprocity of licenses across state lines.

Second, and perhaps the most noteworthy, is a major modernization of the Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Preference Program. You might know it as “Program S” or simply “PPP.” This program (specific to DOD jobs ONLY) allows spouses— if deemed qualified—preference over other candidates in the hiring process. Until recently, the registration process was pretty cumbersome. But DOD recently overhauled the program to make it nearly painless.

Now, all you need to do is create a USAJOBS.gov account, submit a simple checklist to prove your spousal status, and start applying to vacancies that fit your background. Again, only if you are qualified for the position will you be able to receive preferential treatment. Also, you can only use this program once per PCS. If you accept OR turn down a job offer, you may no longer utilize the program. The good news is that contrary to the previous program, there is no time clock associated with using it—you may use it at any time during your spouse’s tour.

Finally, you should be aware of President Trump’s Executive Order 13832, “Enhancing Noncompetitive Civil Service Appointments of Military Spouses.” This EO applies across the spectrum of federal positions, not just DOD ones. Under it, military spouses— without any previous federal employment experience—can be considered for the same positions that are advertised to tenured federal employees. These are also the vacancies that only consider your qualifications for the job—no preference is given for any applicant type. You can apply to these “closed” vacancies once you prove your spousal status—look for the green interlocking rings on the “This job is open to” section.

This noncompetitive authority already existed, but the most recent EO mandates that agencies better advertise the authority and report on its use. In conjunction with the EO, the most recent National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (the law that dictates current DOD policy) broadens eligibility for when spouses can use the authority. Through August 2023, spouses do NOT have to PCS with their spouse to apply to these vacancies. So you can take advantage of this special hiring authority even if you “geobach” or are otherwise geographically separated from your active duty spouse.

Spousal employment will continue to be an uphill challenge as we frequently PCS and are sometimes seen as transient employees by hiring managers. But slowly, policies are now catching up to meet the needs of the modern military family. With these recent policy changes, we now have a better chance of being gainfully employed while continuing to support the mission at hand.