Summary

Creates Department of Defense programs and pathways to move people who are medically disqualified from military service — including current service members found medically unfit — into civilian defense-related jobs, apprenticeships, and training. Requires the Department to consult industry, other federal agencies, and academia, to use existing programs as models if useful, to give Navy personnel targeted information about Maritime/shipbuilder career options, and to file a report on implementation within one year.

Key Points

• Requires DoD to create a pathway to place medically disqualified service members into appropriate civilian DoD jobs within one year.
• Establishes a DoD program to provide job, apprenticeship, and training information and referrals to people not medically qualified for military service.
• Directs program referrals toward defense-related roles supporting national interests (defense industrial base, cybersecurity, research, emergency preparedness).
• Mandates consultation with defense industry, Federal agencies, and academic institutions when designing and operating the program.
• Requires the Navy to provide information on Military Sealift Command jobs and shipbuilder training through Transition Assistance for all Navy personnel.
• Requires a DoD report to House and Senate Armed Services Committees on implementation within one year.
• Allows use of the Air Force DRIVE program as a model but does not require services to adopt it.
• Does not appropriate new funds or specify funding; implementation will rely on DoD resources and coordination.

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