Ms. Duren,
Thank you for the blog entry.
We encourage you to continue to apply for the positions that you feel you qualify for, and to ensure the record is clear: veteran's preference is the only hiring preference allowed in federal hiring law.
But if you have 15 years as a civil servant (tenure), you are eligible for reinstatement. It is important to note that reinstatement eligibility is not a guarantee for a job.
Please visit this USAJOBS information page for all the details you'll need: http://www.usajobs.gov/resourcecenter/index/interactive/reinstatementeligibility
I hope this is helpful.