BLM Fire and Military Veterans
There are over 21 million armed forces Veterans in the U.S., of which nearly 2 million have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq (2014 U.S. Census). As outlined in the Department of Interior’s Operational Plan for Veterans' Employment, BLM Fire and Aviation is committed to serving the Veteran community by promoting recruitment, employment, training/development, and utilization of special hiring authorities available for Veterans.
Hiring Americas Veterans also provides a diverse array of candidates who bring unique, innovative ideas and strong work ethic to our organization. Plus, military Veterans have the necessary skills for wildland firefighting, such as communication, team work, decisive leadership, risk mitigation and management, logistical abilities, and emergency medicine.
Currently, there are eight BLM veteran wildland fire crews located in Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, California, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and Washington. People who work with these Veterans report that they are dedicated, first-rate fire crews who have transferred their love of public service to protecting America’s public lands.
One of the BLM’s most successful partnerships involves Team Rubicon, a non-profit disaster response organization that engages military veterans as volunteers, and the BLM. Team Rubicon’s mission involves providing disaster relief and at the same time, assisting veterans as they return to civilian life after their military service.
The BLM has partnered to train Team Rubicon veterans in wildland firefighting.
