U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

OPM and America's Veterans

Welcome to the website of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. OPM's website offers a wealth of information, guidance and news about the agency, as well as human capital issues and policies in the Federal government.

My monthly Director's Desk column is an excellent opportunity to offer perspective about the latest developments related to major programs and initiatives at OPM. This month, I'd like to highlight OPM's special relationship with our Nation's veterans.

The men and women who have served our country in uniform are especially deserving of our gratitude and respect. Today, more than 457,000 of them serve in the Federal government. They play a vitally important role in our Nation's 1.8 million strong civilian workforce.

Our veterans possess skills and competencies essential in many mission-critical occupations, and we need them now more than ever. That's why, since becoming Director of OPM in 2005, I've made it a priority for OPM's Veteran Outreach Program to be more active and innovative than ever before in communicating with our veterans.

For example, during the past two years, we've opened three Veterans' Outreach Offices - at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C.; Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas and Fort Carson, located just south of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

At these offices, we work directly with veterans and their families, providing them with information on Federal employment opportunities and assisting them with their job search and the application process. Thousands of military personnel and their families have received information and services at these facilities.

Along with producing and distributing related brochures, posters and a veterans' preference DVD, this past summer we also held our first webcast on veterans' hiring issues, which is also permanently posted on our website at http://www.opm.gov/video_library/Recruitment/veteranspreference/index.asp.

In addition to the new Veterans' Outreach Offices, OPM is a leader in other ways. We frequently participate in job fairs for veterans and visit other military medical facilities and military installations to speak with transitioning service men and women about opportunities to continue serving their country through employment with the Federal government.

It's also worth noting we prominently feature Alvin Shell, a wounded veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, in one of the ads in our What Did You Do At Your Job Today? prime-time television Federal recruiting campaign. After he came home from Iraq, Alvin found he could continue serving his country as a security specialist at the Department of Homeland Security.

In essence, OPM takes very seriously its responsibility to administer veterans' preference in Federal employment. In practice, that means eligible veterans receive many advantages in Federal employment, including preference for initial employment and a higher retention standing in the event of layoffs. While not a guarantee, it is a way for our country to respect and honor the sacrifice of those who have answered our Nation's call to arms. Complete details about how veterans' preference works can be seen in the http://www.opm.gov/veterans/ portion of our website.

In partnership with National Veterans Service Organizations, with whom we meet regularly, OPM is determined to continue enhancing our veteran outreach efforts and ensure that veterans' preference rights are honored and protected throughout the Federal government.

OPM is indeed proud of its important role and relationship with America's veterans, and grateful for the distinguished contributions of those who serve among us in ensuring our Nation has an effective civilian workforce.

Linda M. Springer