Spouses of Wounded Warriors
When a Soldier becomes wounded, ill, or injured while on active duty, spouses also experience significant changes. Many leave their jobs or take an extended leave of absence to support their wounded warriors through recovery.
The Army, Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs provide resources to support spouses who are ready to resume an employment search.
Special Hiring Authorities for Federal Positions
Through federal law and executive orders, there are certain provisions for hiring military spouses. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulates these provisions closely, and not all spouses qualify. For more information about eligibility requirements for the following provisions, visit the FedsHireVets.gov 
website:
- Non-Competitive Appointment of Certain Military Spouses
- Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouses and Family Member
- Family Members' Preference (Derived Preference)
Career Resources
Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP)
The U.S. Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) is an integral part of the Army personnel lifecycle. ACAP provides comprehensive transition services to separating and retiring Soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, and their Family members. ACAP counselors deliver congressionally mandated pre-separation counseling, provide job search training, assist in the use of automated employment tools, conduct one-on-one employment counseling and résumé writing, and facilitate employment workshops and seminars. Spouses should attend the initial ACAP counseling session with their Soldier to receive personalized services.
Army Employment Readiness Program (ERP)
The Employment Readiness Program (ERP) offers up-to-date information on available opportunities, market and job trends, education, and volunteer resources to help individuals make informed decisions when seeking employment. ERP also offers employment-related classes and seminars on career exploration, resume writing, interviewing techniques, entrepreneurship, and other topics.
Education and Training Resources
VA Education Resources: The Department of Veterans Affairs offers financial benefits to spouses of active duty personnel and Veterans to fund higher education, provided that the servicemember allocates his/her benefits to the spouse or other Family member(s). There are many rules and regulations governing these programs, and more information can be found online.
More Resources: Online Directories
- National Resource Directory (NRD) is a website for wounded, ill, or injured servicemembers, Veterans, their Families and those who support them. The NRD is a Congressionally-mandated partnership among the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, and it contains information from more than 10,000 resources that provide assistance to wounded warriors and their Families.
- AW2 Community Support Network is a group of organizations that work closely with the Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) to support severely wounded, ill, or injured Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families. The AW2 Community Support Network also provides a list of additional online resources.