The Defense Workforce Integration Act of 2025: Enhancing Career Opportunities for Service Members

A new bill has been introduced to the US Senate to provide greater defense workforce integration, and for other purposes.

Section 1: Short Title

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Defense Workforce Integration Act of 2025’’

Section 2: Integration of Military and Civilian Hiring Processes

A pathway will be established for medically disqualified entry-level service members to enter civilian positions for which they are qualified in the Department of Defense or any of its components.

The Air Force’s Develop, Redistribute, Improve, Vault, Expose (DRIVE) program shall be considered sufficient to meet the requirements of subsection (a).
May, but need not, serve as a baseline from which the other military departments design their programs.

The term ‘‘entry-level service member’’ means a regular or reserve member of the Armed Forces who is currently attending or has military orders to attend within 90 days: basic training; a technical school of the Armed Forces; a service academy; the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC); or an officer accession program, including officer candidate school, officer training school, officer development school, or equivalent program.

Section 3: Provision of Information on Career Opportunities in the Defense Industrial Base

“§ 996. Provision of information on career opportunities in the defense industrial base to persons medically disqualified for military service”

The Secretary of Defense shall establish and implement a program to provide individuals who are not medically qualified for military service with information on employment opportunities in the defense industrial base or other employment opportunities in support of the national interests of the United States.

The program established under subsection (a) shall inform and refer persons described in subsection (a) to employment, apprenticeship, and training opportunities in: the defense industrial base; cybersecurity or intelligence support roles; research and development in defense technologies; national emergency and disaster preparedness; or any other non-military opportunity the Secretary considers in the national interests of the United States.

Section 4: Provision to Navy Personnel of Information on Career Opportunities at Military Sealift Command

The Secretary of the Navy shall provide information about career opportunities at Military Sealift Command and workforce training programs for shipbuilders to all Navy personnel as part of the Transition Assistance Program process.

Section 5: Report

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report describing implementation of the requirements under sections 2 and 4 of this Act and section 996 of title 10, United States Code, as added by section 3 of this Act.