Department: Department of the Army
Location(s): Fort Polk, Louisiana
Salary Range: $74678 - $97087 Per Year
Job Summary: This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. This position is included under the provisions of Special Retirement Coverage (SRC) and may have both a maximum entry age and a mandatory retirement date. Click here for more information on SRC for Firefighters (Secondary)
Major Duties:
Qualifications: Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which include (1) work that involves supervising or directing firefighting and fire protection inspection activities; (2) supervising or directing the operational maintenance of firefighting equipment and apparatus; (3) evaluating fire crew performance and implementing training plans to ensure all performance standards are met; and (4) conducting or developing training for drills and firefighting scenarios. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-10). In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirement above, applicants must also possess A. DoD FIRE OFFICER 3; B. DoD FIRE INSTRUCTOR 2; C. DoD FIRE INSPECTOR 2; D. DoD HAZMAT INCIDENT COMMANDER (IC); E. DoD AIRPORT FIREFIGHTER; certified through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board) in accordance with DoD 6055.06-M. This position has been identified by Department of Army and approved by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness as a covered primary, rigorous position for special retirement coverage as identified in 5 CFR 831 Subpart I for CSRS Retirement coverage and 5 CFR 842 Subpart H for FERS retirement coverage. The individual hired is subject to Special Retirement provisions to include additional contributions to the retirement fund, mandatory separation/retirement at age 57 with 20 years of approved special retirement provisions service, options for early retirement at any age after 25 years of approved special retirement provisions service, or at age 50 with 20 years of approved special retirement provisions service. Department of Defense (DoD), in accordance with 5 USC 3307, has determined an individual must be appointed to their first/original appointment into a DoD position that has been identified and approved as a primary firefighter no later than the last day of the month in which they become 37. Preference eligible veterans over the age of 37, may apply regardless of the age restriction. If selected, a waiver of the age restriction will be requested by the hiring official for approval by the Department of Army. An individual who is past the maximum entry age (37) who previously served in an approved primary position may be reinstated to a covered primary position provided they meet the applicable qualification requirements AND will be able to complete a total of 20 years of covered service as a firefighter by the last day of the month in which they become 57. The Department of Army may approve an exception to the maximum entry age (37) for the original entry of a non-veteran-preference-eligible applicant into a primary covered firefighter position. Exceptions shall be extremely rare and based only on a compelling hardship to the mission. Should an exception be granted, the employee shall be separated on the last day of the month in which he/she completes 20 years of special retirement provisions covered service. In addition to providing the required eligibility documentation listed elsewhere in this job announcement, you must provide sufficient documentation to determine proof of age. This documentation should be attached under Special Retirement Coverage as identified in the Required Documents section. For reentry into a primary covered position, you must also provide sufficient documentation (SF-50s) to show length of service in a previous covered firefighter position.
How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/10/2026 to receive consideration To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12891975). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
Application Deadline: 2026-03-10