The Department of State provides support to military families residing overseas under Chief of Mission authority (attached to embassies and consulates) in a wide range of areas, primarily through the Community Liaison Office (CLO) program. CLO services and programs overseas blend those normally provided by Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) and relocation managers, and include:
In Washington, the Department of State Family Liaison Office (FLO) and the Office of Overseas Schools provide valuable information and guidance to military families at no cost regarding educational options and resources for children and youth. The Overseas Briefing Center (OBC) has a wide range of resources available at no cost to military families who will be attached to an embassy or consulate, both on site and on-line, including location-specific information on housing, cultural and social information, etc.
The State Department also employs many military spouses in a range of positions in our consulates and embassies, using a hiring mechanism, the Family Member Appointment (FMA), that conveys credit toward federal service, and many benefits including the Thrift Savings Plan. This mechanism also entitles military spouses to non-competitive hiring eligibility once the spouse has worked on an FMA for 52 weeks. Approximately 17% of Department of State CLO staff are military spouses and are hired through this mechanism.
Veterans Employment Initiative
On November 9, 2009, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13518, Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government, which established the Veterans Employment Initiative. The Initiative is a strategic approach to helping the men and women who have served our country in the military find employment in the Federal Government.
In our continued effort to support the Veterans Employment Initiative, the Department of State has a human resource specialist in each bureau designated to serve as its Veterans Coordinator. This specialist is responsible for ensuring on boarding employees are identified as veterans in the personnel system and providing bureau feedback on best practices and veterans employment issues at quarterly meetings.
Wounded Warrior Internship/Career Fair
On Thursday, May 20, 2011, the Department will co-host an Intelligence Community (IC) Wounded Warrior Internship/Career Fair for approximately 250 local wounded U.S. service members and their family members. The event will honor our service men and women, and offer them a chance to discover potential civilian employment opportunities through the Operation Warfighter program. Operation Warfighter offers civilian agencies the opportunity to provide temporary/part-time internship opportunities for injured service members recovering at DC-area military medical facilities. We expect approximately 22 IC agencies to exhibit at the career fair. Providing employment opportunities to Wounded Warriors is more than just a White House priority – it is a way to reach out and support those that have already sacrificed so much for our country, and the Department of State is committed to supporting this effort.
