WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), has joined a bipartisan group of colleagues and introduced legislation to strengthen the civilian defense workforce in Maine and address workforce shortages. Their bill, the Defense Workforce Integration Act would leverage existing programs and best practices within the Department of Defense (DoD) to retain the talent and motivation of those who desire to serve but are classified as “medically disqualified.”

“The armed services and the State of Maine have worked together for generations to protect our nation and — in Maine — maintain the best built ships in the fleet for the fight,” said Senator King. “But our continued shared success relies on the many hundreds of Maine men and women that work the docks and in support of our defense. Changing Department of Defense best practices to allow more Maine people to contribute is not only good for our state’s economy, but also critical for our national security. Through the Defense Workforce Integration Act, we will continue to support our shipbuilders and civilian defense workforce so we can maintain superiority on the world stage.”

As defense workforce shortages grow in crucial areas like manufacturing, cybersecurity and defense logistics, the Defense Workforce Integration Act would activate a pool of candidates who are ineligible for military service for reasons ranging from diseases of organs to mental health conditions:

For applicants who cannot join the military, the legislation directs DoD to enable military personnel managers to provide individuals that are medically disqualified with information about civilian employment opportunities in the following areas: the defense industrial base, cybersecurity, intelligence, research and development of defense technologies, national emergency and disaster preparedness and any other non-military role the Secretary of Defense considers in the national security interest. 

For servicemembers disqualified early in their careers, the legislation expands on existing Air Force best practices by establishing Army and Navy personnel management programs to execute “warm hand-offs” to DoD civilian hiring authorities for personnel who become medically disqualified during their initial accession and training pipelines. 

For personnel leaving the military after serving honorably, the legislation leverages existing Navy transition assistance programs to expand awareness of critical civilian roles at Military Sealift Command and workforce training programs for shipbuilders to enhance our civilian maritime workforce. 

In addition to Senator King, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Seapower Subcommittee, Senator King has championed funding for both Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). Recently, Senator King and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan discussed the importance of utilizing lessons from the private sector to maintain best practices for ship designing, building, and maintenance. They also discussed the top three priorities for our nation’s shipbuilding capacity: “workforce, workforce, workforce.”

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