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  In Focus
  Honoring Veterans

     Honoring Veterans
Honoring Veterans - DHS Honors Those Who Served

The Department of Homeland Security is committed to engaging the skills, talents, and experience of our nation’s veterans.

We are proud to be one of the three agencies that hire the most veterans across the federal government; veterans enrich our workforce and help us meet our mission. 25.3% of our DHS workforce is made up of veterans who are continuing to serve in new ways. Veterans at DHS are our colleagues, friends, and neighbors, and they strengthen our organization and enrich our diverse workforce.
      
      DHS Headquarters
      40.7% of DHS Headquarters’ total workforce are veterans; of those veterans, 22.6% are disabled.

DHS Headquarters promotes the recruitment and hiring of veterans and veterans with disabilities through Schedule A and the Operation Warfighter program.
              Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
      40.8% of CISA’s total workforce are veterans; of those veterans, 25.4% are disabled.

As part of its mission to recruit diverse talent and build the workforce of the future, CISA collaborates with DHS HQ and AUSA to hire veterans and does targeted recruiting of military spouses and female disabled veterans through webinars and at military bases. CISA also uses the Veterans Recruitment Appointment authority to noncompetitively appoint qualified veterans and participates in SkillBridge. In addition, CISA has worked to develop cyber workforce training programs focus on traditionally underserved populations, including veterans and military spouses.
	During onboarding, CISA alerts every incoming veteran to OPM’s guidance on nonchargeable disabled veteran leave credits, participates in military buy-back credits, and ensures veterans are aware of creditable service for leave accrual. CISA’s Veterans Community Teams chat provides information to veterans on benefits, leave, and related matters.
              Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
      16.2% of FEMA’s total workforce are veterans; of those veterans, 8.5% are disabled.

FEMA has a Veteran’s Advisory Council (VAC) as part of our FEMA Employee Resource Group (FERG). In addition to being a forum for discussions, the VAC FERG provides useful information for veterans in transitioning to federal civilian careers, understanding benefits, and supporting recruitment. The Council also advises FEMA leadership on veteran issues and concerns and helps spread awareness and education to the FEMA workforce.
              Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC)
      50.1% of FLETC’s total workforce are veterans; of those veterans, 28.0% are disabled.

On a daily basis, FLETC human resources professionals advise employees and managers on the regulations and procedures for military buy-back, disabled veteran leave, and veteran and military spouse hiring authorities.
	FLETC utilizes a Voluntary Applicant File to accept applications from individuals who are eligible for non-competitive appointments to positions within its mission critical occupational series. The non-competitive appointing authorities FLETC utilizes include veteran-specific appointing authorities such as the 30% or more disabled veteran appointing authority.
	The FLETC Military/Veteran Services Program (MVSP) offers genuine support not only for FLETC staff, but for the staff and students of FLETC’s Participating Organizations who are veterans. The MSVP assists veterans by fielding benefits-related inquiries and addressing mental health challenges in partnership with FLETC’s Critical Incident and Stress Management Program.
	FLETC maintains a 10-point veteran file utilized for internal and external recruitment hiring. FLETC HCO also participates in various veteran recruitment and career fairs throughout the year.
              Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
      16.6% of Transportation Security Administration (TSA)’s total workforce are veterans; of those veterans, 4.8% are disabled.

TSA manages the standard Federal policies and projects such as providing guidance for military buy-back, disabled veteran leave, veteran and military spouse appointments, and other benefits provided to federal employees. Additional topics include assistance with USERRA cases, promoting the annual USERRA and Veteran Preference training, developing the DoD SkillBridge intern program within TSA, promoting the iShare Veteran and Military Families content, and working with the TSA AFGE Veteran Committee.
	TSA’s Federal Air Marshall Service has a Military Veterans Assistance Program that supports active veteran employees and their families while they are deployed, when they return, and during reintegration back to the workforce.
              U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
      25.6% of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)’s total workforce are veterans; of those veterans, 18.0% are disabled.

USCIS has a Military Veterans Council that advises leadership on how USCIS can make employees who are veterans aware of services/benefits available to them and feel more connected to the agency. USCIS has also made great strides in assisting service members and their families who are eager to become naturalized U.S. citizens and is partnering with the Department of Defense to offer naturalization services early in their military career. Since March 2021, USCIS has been administering the Oath of Allegiance by video for overseas military members and their qualifying family members stationed overseas, allowing us to perform the entire naturalization process outside the United States.
              U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
      58.3% of United States Coast Guard (USCG)’s total workforce are veterans; of those veterans, 25.9% are disabled.

The Coast Guard provides a number of services and resources for our Veterans and their families – such as – Coast Guard Retiree Services Program, Coast Guard National Retiree Help Desk Line, and the Coast Guard Retiree Mentoring Program. Additionally, the Coast Guard also stays connected with their Veterans through social media and other communication channels.
              U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
      28.2% of CBP’s total workforce are veterans; of those veterans, 9.3% are disabled.

CBP continues to be a leader in the Department when it comes to hiring veterans. The agency directs a large percentage of its recruitment efforts toward hiring veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses. To promote CBP jobs, CBP regularly attends military conferences, advertises in military publications and military-oriented websites, and hosts LinkedIn Chats where veterans and the CBP Veteran Employment Program Manager speak directly about the agency’s hiring process and specific opportunities tailored to veterans (Non-Paid Work Experience Program, Department of Defense SkillBridge, Operation Warfighter and Military Spouse Employment Partnership).
	CBP has also established the Veteran Support Program (VSP) for its employees. The VSP is a network of 300 national and international coordinators who offer support and guidance on CBP employment benefits, along with the mental, physical and emotional health resources available. Specifically, the VSP helps CBP’s veterans with issues such as buying back military time, disability claims, counseling support, education benefits and understanding VA claims and benefits forms.
              U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
      31.4% of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s total workforce are veterans; of those veterans, 14.6% are disabled.

ICE’s focus on bringing veterans to the workforce includes initiatives such as the HSI HERO Child-Rescue Corps program, which recruits, trains, and equips disabled veterans to combat sexual predators as computer forensic analysts. ICE actively recruits veterans through the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge and Operation Warfighter programs, and via the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Non-Paid Work Experience, On-the-Job Training and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VA Chapter 31) programs. The agency also uses Veterans Recruitment Appointment authority to noncompetitively appoint qualified veterans.
	ICE proudly provides nonchargeable veteran leave credits, participates in the military buy-back credit, and runs the Military Liaison Officer Program to help service members in reserve status identify, prevent, and resolve issues arising from military activation.
  
    
    KeywordsVeteran

    Last Updated: 11/17/2022
  
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