Whose names are sent forward to the Senate for confirmation?
Applicants to the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps will have their names forwarded for confirmation by the United States Senate, once they have had a prescreen by our security staff, and initially determined to be suitable, medically screened and/or deemed qualified, and recommended by an Appointment Board.
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How long will the confirmation process take?
During 2011, the confirmation process has taken roughly 3-5 months from initiation and may fluctuate depending upon many variables.
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What happens after my name is confirmed by the United States Senate?
You may be called to active duty only after meeting the following conditions:
- You have been recommended for commissioning by an Appointment Board.
- You have been found medically qualified.
- You have completed a security investigation and been found to be suitable.
- You have completed and/or submitted all additional required paperwork (such as conditional release, proof of discharge, or Interservice Transfer from the military; proof of licensure in license-required categories, etc.)
- You have or have been offered a position with an agency in which Corps officers are assigned, and the agency has submitted a request to call the individual to active duty.
- The agency, in collaboration with the individual and DCCPR, has established a call to active duty date.
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When can I expect to have my call to active duty date?
If your name is confirmed and you meet the conditions above, we will notify your agency of your confirmation so that a date for your call to active duty may be negotiated. You can expect to hear from either your agency or a staff member from the Commissioned Corps within 1 to 4 weeks. Your call to active duty date will be based on your agency’s needs, your availability and open seats in OBC. It could be relatively quick, in the next course or several months in the future.
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Who negotiates my call to active duty date?
The Instructor Cadre (Training Team) coordinates your call to duty date based on open seats in the OBC. They will negotiate a start date with the agency that you are assigned to as an officer. No action on your part is needed.
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Do I have to go to the Officer Basic Course (OBC) upon my call to active duty?
In general, yes, all active duty officers will begin their career in our OBC class that is held monthly. This class is held in Rockville, Maryland. In the rare case that this OBC date cannot accommodate your call-to-active duty date, you may be given a waiver to allow you to go to your agency first and come to OBC at a later date.
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When will I receive a copy of my Personnel Order?
All attempts are made to issue your orders 30 days or more before your call-to-active duty date. This is done so you can make arrangements for travel and movement of Household Goods, provide notice at your current place of employment and generally prepare for your call-to-active duty. However, in certain circumstances the 30 days is not possible. We ask that all requests for final documents be addressed as soon as possible so that we can complete the process as soon as possible and issue orders.
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Does my standing as a current HHS employee have any influence over my call-to- active duty date?
Your standing as a current HHS employee does not factor into a preference to a call-to-active duty date. That date is determined by your agency and open seats for OBC once all clearances are met and you are ready for call to active duty.
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I was confirmed by the Senate, but I have not passed all of my clearances yet. What happens now?
If one or more of the steps above is not yet completed we will continue to process the parts of your application that are not yet complete. Medical clearances can take several weeks to several months if additional records or tests are requested. Anything you can do to ensure that all required and requested information is received promptly will speed up the process. Preliminary security prescreens are usually complete within 60 days.
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I was confirmed by the Senate, and have all passed my clearances, but I still do not have a job offer. What happens now?
If your name is confirmed and you meet the conditions above, please continue to seek employment with an agency where Corps officers are assigned. Once we receive word that an agency is requesting you as an officer (and receive a Form 1662), we will work to notify your agency of your Senate confirmation, so that a date may be negotiated for your call-to-active duty. We must receive a request to call you to active duty into an assignment with an agency in order for you to become an officer in the U.S. PHS Commissioned Corps.
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Why do applicants’ names have to be sent to the Senate and what happens once my name is submitted?
According to Federal Law, appointments into the Regular Corps of the PHS Commissioned Corps are required to have been nominated by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate. Once your name is submitted to the Senate from the President you must be confirmed and have completed all other requirements as outlined in # 3 in order to become commissioned as an officer in the Corps. It is a privilege to become an officer in any uniformed service however it justifiably requires scrutiny above what is typical in a non-uniformed service or private corporation.
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Why doesn’t my Senate confirmation guarantee that I will be commissioned?
Senate confirmation merely means that you legally may be commissioned. It does not assure any of the other requirements for commissioning and therefore is not the last or only step in the process.
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If I have not yet been deemed eligible for commissioning why am I being nominated?
Because Senate confirmation is a mandatory and potentially lengthy process, names of applicants likely to be eligible for commissioning are included on the list while their clearances are still in progress. Neither of these simultaneous processes ensures an applicant that they will be commissioned, but both are required. Sending the names to the Senate prior to triple clearance helps decrease the length of the entire application process.
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What happens if my name is on the Senate confirmation list and I do not meet qualification standards or find a job?
Nothing. There is no penalty and no obligation for an applicant who does not meet commissioning standards.
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What if my name is on the Senate confirmation list and my application has been closed?
We will work with applicants on a case by case basis once we hear from an agency that they are interested in hiring you as a Commissioned Corps officer.
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