How to answer questions about military service

How to add your military service, service-connected disability or military spouse status to your profile

Sign into USAJOBS and go to your Dashboard.
Go to Profile.
Go down to the Experience section and select the Edit button to the right of Military service.
We will ask you to answer questions about your military service, your service-connected disability or your military spouse status to help you understand what benefits you may claim when applying to federal jobs.

You may need some documents to help you fill out this information and when applying for jobs:

DD214 or DD215
VA or DoD disability letter (if you have a service-connected disability)
Other required documents to prove your military service and eligibility
Proof of marriage if you are a military spouse

What will you use this information for?

When you apply to a job, we’ll send your military and disability rating information (if you have one) to the hiring agency. You must include your military service documents to prove your service and disability status for veterans’ preference and other veteran hiring options.

Veterans’ preference or other hiring options won’t guarantee you a job, but it may give you preference over non-veteran candidates or open other job opportunities.

What is veterans' preference?

With veterans' preference, you may receive preference over non-veteran applicants in the hiring process. You can use veterans' preference when applying to federal jobs that are open to the public. Veterans’ preference doesn’t guarantee you a job, but it may give you preference over non-veteran candidates. You must still submit your military service or disability documents when applying for jobs.

Learn more about veterans' preference.

What is a special hiring authority for veterans?

Federal agencies can use special hiring authorities to:

Hire eligible veterans non-competitively for certain jobs.
Consider eligible veterans for certain jobs that are only open to federal employees.

Knowing about these hiring authorities and whether you're eligible may increase your chances of being considered for a job. Being eligible for a special hiring authority does not guarantee you a job.

Learn more about special hiring authorities.

Can I change my answers to the military service questions?

Yes. If you want to change your answers to the military service questions, you can start over and update your information in your profile.