SkillBridge Explained

SkillBridge places you with a civilian employer for industry training, an apprenticeship or an internship during your last 180 days of service — and you keep your military pay and benefits throughout, because you're still serving.

That's the whole proposition, and it's unusual: the employer gets your labor without paying salary, you get real civilian experience and a foot in the door before you're job-hunting from outside. A substantial share of participants are offered roles by their host.

It's authorized under 10 U.S.C. § 1143 and DoD Instruction 1322.29. Programs cannot exceed 180 days, and your separation date will not be extended so you can do one — so this is planned inside your existing timeline, not bolted on.

Host organizations sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Military-Civilian Transition Office and generally must have been established for at least three years, with exceptions for federal, state and local government.

One naming note: the Department of Defense is now also referred to as the Department of War following Executive Order 14347 (September 2025), so you'll see both "DoD SkillBridge" and "DoW SkillBridge" on official pages. Same program.

Who is eligible?

You need to be within 180 days of separation, with your unit commander's approval — and that approval is the real gate. You cannot start earlier than 180 days out.

Approval is at your commander's discretion, and it depends on your unit being able to release you. Service-specific rules add detail on top of the DoD instruction, so your service's transition office is the authority for your case.

You'll need a host organization with an active MOU. The SkillBridge directory lists them, and it changes constantly — verify a partner is current rather than working from a list someone sent you.

How do I apply?

  • Start about a year out, not six months: The program itself sits in your last 180 days, but commander approval, finding a host and the paperwork all happen before that window opens.
  • Get your commander on side early: This is discretionary. A commander who is short-staffed can decline, and that is the end of it.
  • Search the current partner directory: At skillbridge.mil. Confirm the MOU is active rather than trusting a secondhand list.
  • Target hosts who hire from it: The point is a job offer at the end. Ask a prospective host what proportion of their SkillBridge participants they take on.
  • Plan it alongside your other benefits: The 180-day window is the same one VET TEC uses for serving members, and TAP is already mandatory in your final year.
  • Confirm you keep pay and benefits: You do — you are still serving. Anything suggesting otherwise is wrong.

Common questions

Do you get paid during SkillBridge?

Yes. You remain on active duty and keep your full military pay and benefits, because you have not separated. The civilian host does not pay you a salary.

When can you start SkillBridge?

No earlier than 180 days before your separation date, and the program cannot exceed 180 days. Your separation date will not be extended to accommodate one.

Do you need permission for SkillBridge?

Yes. Unit commander approval is required and is discretionary, which makes it the real constraint rather than the eligibility rules.

Is SkillBridge called DoD or DoW SkillBridge?

Both. Executive Order 14347 authorized "Department of War" as a secondary title in September 2025, so official pages use either. Department of Defense remains the legal name.

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