Veterans
Military Community Culture: Discover the reasons why CBP is a good fit for veterans. |
Veterans Preference: Learn more about how CBP applies veterans preference. |
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National Guard/Reserve Commitment: Learn what having a military obligation means at CBP. |
Expedited Hiring Process: Find out if you are eligible for the process and how to apply. |
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Jobs and Internships for Military Skills: Explore which positions your military occupation translates well into. |
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Additional Benefits: By continuing employment with the Federal government, Veterans joining CBP may also be eligible to count their time in the military towards CBP retirement and leave accrual, and may be eligible to receive a GI-Bill monthly housing allowance benefit for On-The-Job Training.
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Military Community Culture | Back to Top | ||
Roughly a third of CBP’s staff has served in the military. If you are a veteran joining CBP, you will find many others that share your military background and principles. When it comes to principles, veterans personify CBP’s core values vigilance, integrity and service to country. Furthermore, veterans fit in well with CBP’s culture of teamwork, integrity, and innovation. Below are a series of testimonials from officers and agents that were previously in the military and transitioned into positions at CBP. |
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Meet CBP Officer Black / Army Veteran “US Customs and Border Protection was a natural transition from military service for me. CBP has allowed me to continue to serve in a uniformed, goal orientated atmosphere that respects my status as a veteran. I have found a place where my skills and experiences are not only welcomed but desired.” |
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Border Patrol Agent Adams / Army Veteran “After serving in the United States Army, first on active duty and then the reserves, I wanted a career that was structured and provided that same sense of esprit de corps. The Border Patrol has given me that and more. After 20 years in the Army and 21years in the Border Patrol, I can truly say both have been rewarding experiences that I will continue to be proud of.” |
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Air Interdiction Agent Gayle / Army Veteran “I served in the United States Army during Operation Desert Storm. During that time I took advantage of the GI Bill. Doing so helped me pay for my college and pursue my ambitions of becoming a pilot. The education I received using the GI Bill opened the door to a career with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations flying helicopters, airplanes and jets. Customs and Border Protection has given me the opportunity to utilize the training, skills and education I acquired while enlisted in the Army. I’m enjoying a great career flying and I hope to share this opportunity with others.” |
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CBP Officer Rowe / Marine Corps Veteran “There was a large time gap between my time in the Marine Corps and starting my career with US Customs and Border Protection. However, CBP afforded me the opportunity to once again serve my country and contribute to the success of our great nation. I have found that my success with CBP has been mostly attributed my experience in the Marine Corps.” |
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[Video] CBP: Serve in Federal Law Enforcement U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) needs dedicated men and women in the field to protect what matters most: our homeland. | |||
National Guard/Reserve Commitments | Back to Top | ||
CBP Officer Cannon/Army Reserves (Ret) “I was in the U.S. Army Reserve when I started my career with Customs and Border Protection, in fact I was deployed when I received the job offer. Three more deployments and one mobilization later I retired from the reserves and never once felt that my military career interfered with my CBP career. Even though I spent half of my first 10 CBP years activated for one mission or another, it never had a negative impact. My supervisors and coworkers were always supportive and the training I received in both uniforms helped me with both of my careers.” |
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Receive paid time off CBP strongly supports employees that have a national guard or reserve commitment. In fact, CBP employees whose appointment is not limited to one year are entitled to time off from their Federal position, at full pay, to perform certain types of active or inactive duty in the Reserves or National Guard. Return to your job, as if you never left CBP employees who complete their national guard/reserve commitments are covered under The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). USERRA protects service members' reemployment rights when returning from a period of service in the uniformed services, to include:
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Veterans Preference | Back to Top | ||
Does CBP provide hiring preference to veterans? Yes! CBP is committed to supporting the employment of veterans and provides a hiring preference to eligible veterans. What is veterans preference? Preference consists of giving qualified, eligible veterans an advantage over others when recruiting under competitive external procedures (i.e., announcements open to anyone in the general public). Depending on the position being filled, veteran applicants may be placed ahead of other candidates in a ranking category. Who is eligible for veterans preference? To easily learn what preference you may qualify for, follow the step by step question service offered by the Department of Labor’s Veteran Preference Advisor CBP will provide preference at the point of selection to eligible veterans who were discharged or released from military service under honorable conditions AND must be eligible under one of the preference categories listed on the OPM site or on the Standard Form 50. Visit OPM’s page on Types of Preference for more information. ► Most common types of veterans preference (click arrow on left for details) How do I claim veterans preference?
► Example Statement of Service ► Example DD214 Member-4 Copy For more information on Veterans’ Preference please visit: https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/veterans-preference/#content. If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of Labor's Veterans' Preference Advisor at: http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/vetpref/mservice.htm. |
Expedited Hiring Process | Back to Top | ||
CBP uses a Veteran Recruitment Appointment (VRA) to streamline the hiring process for eligible veterans. To apply under the VRA process, go to the Apply Now! Page and select the VRA announcement that corresponds to the appropriate position that you are interested in. | |||
What are the features of the expedited hiring process? If you are a separating service member, your recent military fitness test and military medical examination may provide credit for successful completion of the required CBP medical qualification and fitness test requirements (which may reduce the amount of time it takes to be hired). In addition, you may meet the criteria to receive a waiver for the polygraph examination. These options could potentially allow you to complete the hiring process in approximately 90 days. |
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Medical Evaluation Requirement: VRA applicants have the option of requesting medical reciprocity by providing DoD medical records in lieu of attending a CBP Medical Examination. DoD medical exam and documentation must be dated within one year of the request from CBP. DoD applicants may be requested to submit a supplemental health history questionnaire to meet CBP medical information requirements. PFT-1 Requirements: CBP will offer reciprocity on the PFT-1 requirement if an applicant has a transportable DoD fitness exam conducted within 1 year of CBP’s request to complete the fitness requirement. **Applicants may attend CBP medical and fitness exams in lieu of requesting reciprocity. Polygraph Waiver: CBP has the authority to grant waivers to certain veterans under section 1049 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2017 as outlined below:
CBP’s Personnel Security Division (PSD) staff reviews waiver requests under this authority to ensure the applicant meets all criteria and makes a recommendation to the Assistant Commissioner, Office of Professional Responsibility for the final approval/denial determination. Polygraph Reciprocity: The CBP Reciprocity Directive allows applicants who have passed a previous federal pre-employment polygraph examination to apply for polygraph reciprocity. CBP’s Credibility Assessment Division staff reviews all reciprocity requests under this authority to ensure the applicant meets all criteria for the final approval or denial determination. All applicants will receive instruction on how to apply for the polygraph waiver or reciprocity within their background information packets. Submissions received outside of this process are not accepted. |
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Can I apply for a vacancy while I am still on active duty? Yes! You are encouraged to apply for a position at CBP while you are in your final 12 months of active duty, to ensure a smooth transition between jobs. How do I know if I am eligible? You are eligible if you separated under honorable conditions and meet one of the following conditions:
What if I am ineligible for the expedited hiring process? If you are not eligible as a VRA applicant, please apply to the competitive announcement on the apply now page. |
Jobs and Internships for Military Skills | Back to Top | ||
Whatever your military branch or occupation background, you can find a job at CBP that builds upon your existing skillset. All military occupations are welcome to apply to our positions.
Border Patrol Agent: All military occupations are welcome to apply. If selected, you will go to the Border Patrol Academy where you will be trained in how to perform all functions of the job. |