Trump wants to give every military veteran the option of becoming an Express Personnel Services officer
Trump is seeking to give military veterans the option to become the first members of their branch of the armed forces to become a full-time officer.
The move, the latest in a series of steps to expand access to the military and create more career opportunities for women, was first reported by Axios.
It would allow service members who have served more than one combat mission, and have been injured, or who have lost their legs or arms, to earn up to four years of service on an Express personnel service plan, which is designed to make it easier for people to join the armed services.
The plan would also allow service soldiers to become Express personnel officers, meaning they could work with other federal agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the Department for Veterans Affairs.
In a press release on Thursday, Trump’s administration touted the plans as part of efforts to modernize the military.
The White House has already released a list of 21 requirements for military service, which would include having a minimum of a high school diploma and having at least a bachelor’s degree, and Trump has also outlined steps to streamline the military’s workforce and expand its operations.
The military’s most recent budget request, for fiscal year 2019, proposed giving the armed service the option for a total of 4,000 more Express personnel officer positions.
In addition to Express personnel, Trump is also asking Congress to give veterans more choice in how to apply for military benefits, including the ability to pay for their own health care and pay for out-of-pocket expenses, which the military has been struggling with.
Trump’s military service-related travel restrictions have been a major source of concern for veterans, as he has tried to make veterans wait weeks and sometimes months for care at military hospitals.