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SkillBridge, by the actual policy
Up to 180 days working a civilian job while the military still pays you. What the rules really say, how many days your rank is allowed, and what to send the company that is reading two hundred other applications.
What it is, in plain terms
You spend your last stretch of service working at a civilian company. The military keeps paying you. The company pays you nothing, and that is the part most people get wrong.
You keep your military pay and benefits
Base pay, allowances and benefits continue for the whole program. The government keeps covering them, which is exactly why the company cannot.
The company cannot pay you
Participation is a capstone training experience at the end of a military career, so participants are not eligible for wages or other benefits from the provider. A provider offering you a salary for the SkillBridge period has misread the rules, and accepting it is an ethics problem for you, not for them.
It is optional
Nobody is required to do SkillBridge. It is encouraged, and it is one of several career skills options.
It does not come with a job
Providers have to show a high probability of employment, but you are not entitled to a job with them for finishing. Treat it as the longest interview you will ever sit.
Your unit can pull you back
Your command keeps responsibility for you the whole time and can recall you if the mission needs it. The training location becomes your place of duty, not a discharge from your unit.
Whether you are eligible
DoDI 1322.29 sets three things. That is the whole list. Anything else you have been told is a Service rule or a local one.
180 days or fewer left
The program has to run inside your last 180 days before discharge or release from active duty. If it starts earlier than that, you cannot do it.
180 continuous days already served
You need at least 180 continuous days of active service behind you.
Your unit commander approves it
The first commander in your chain at O-4 or above who can impose non-judicial punishment under Article 15. That authority cannot be handed to a designee, and the commander can say no on mission grounds.
Every rank is eligible
Enlisted, warrant and commissioned. Guard and Reserve too, under rules each Service sets for itself. Rank changes how many days you get, not whether you qualify.
TAP comes first in practice
Completing the mandatory parts of the Transition Assistance Program is strongly recommended, and your Service or command is allowed to require it before you start.
How many days your rank actually gets
The 180 days is a ceiling, not an entitlement. Each Service caps it further by rank, and the caps are not close to each other. This is the published table, not a summary of it.
| Rank | Army | Navy | Air Force | Marine Corps | Space Force | Coast Guard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 to E-5 | 120 days | 180 days | 120 days | 120 days | 120 days | 180 days |
| E-6 to E-7 | 90 days | 120 days | 90 days | 90 days | 120 days | 180 days |
| E-8 to E-9 | 60 days | 120 days | 60 days | 90 days | 120 / 90 days | 180 days |
| WO-1 to CWO-3 | 90 days | 120 days | 90 days | 90 days | Not listed | 180 days |
| CWO-4 to CWO-5 | 60 days | 120 days | 60 days | 90 days | Not listed | 180 days |
| O-1 to O-3/4 | 90 days | 120 days | 120 days | 90 days | 120 days | 180 days |
| O-4 and above | 60 days | 90 days | 90 days O-4, 60 days O-5, O-6 by exception | 90 days | 90 days | 180 days |
Reading that table before you plan around it
The Coast Guard has no rank cap at all
It is the only Service that has not written rank restrictions into policy. Participation is authorised regardless of rank, up to the full 180 days.
The Navy number includes your leave, and SkillBridge goes first
Every Navy figure covers permissive TDY, terminal leave and SkillBridge combined, measured back from your separation date. NAVADMIN 064/23 also requires SkillBridge to happen before any terminal leave or permissive TDY, not after it. A sailor planning 180 days of SkillBridge and then terminal leave on top has already overrun. Officers at O-4 and above need an endorsement from the Director, Military Personnel Plans and Procedures.
The officer tiers split at different ranks
The published table labels a tier "O-1 to O-3/4" because the boundary sits at O-3 in some Services and O-4 in others. The Navy sets its own line clearly: O-4 and below get 120 days, O-5 and above get 90. The Air Force gives an O-4 90 days. If you are an O-4, confirm which side of the line your Service puts you on before planning.
Senior ranks get the least
The Army and Air Force both drop to 60 days at E-8, and an Air Force O-6 needs an exception to policy to take part at all. Senior people are the ones most often surprised by this, usually late.
Who signs climbs with rank
A junior soldier needs an O-5. An Army E-8 needs the first general officer in the chain with court-martial convening authority. Find out which desk your packet lands on before you build a timeline around it.
Your command can still shorten it
The cap is the most your rank may take. The decision on how much of it you actually get stays with the commander who approves participation.
SourceService-Specific Policy Rank RestrictionsNAVADMIN 064/23
The defence industrial base exception
One route around the rank caps opened in June 2026, and it is the most useful thing on this page for anyone senior.
What it does
Under Project Patriot Pipeline, members in their last 180 days who request SkillBridge inside the defence industrial base will be approved by the Military Departments. It is an exception to policy against the Service rank restrictions in the table above.
How far it goes
Opportunities marked with the DIB mission icon are designated critical and meet the exception for participation up to the full 180 days, whatever your Service normally allows.
What counts as the DIB
Companies that design, build, maintain and secure the systems the military runs on. More than two thousand approved partners carry DIB opportunities.
The fields it covers
Aerospace and aviation, cybersecurity and information technology, engineering and systems development, electronics and microelectronics, manufacturing and skilled trades, shipbuilding and maritime systems, and weapons, munitions and missile defence.
How to find them
Filter the mission by DIB on the SkillBridge locations page, or search keywords like manufacturing, aviation, cybersecurity, engineering, skilled trades or shipbuilding.
Money, gifts and leave
This is where people get into trouble, because the rules are specific and nobody reads them until afterwards.
No wages, no gifts
You cannot take a salary from the provider and you generally cannot accept gifts from them. Most commands run an ethics brief before you start, and it exists for a reason.
Travel and lodging are the exception
A provider may cover subsistence, lodging and travel from your home station to the program, but only if the same offer goes to every participant regardless of military affiliation. If civilians in the same program do not get it, you cannot take it.
Interview travel is usually a no
If the company flies you to headquarters to interview and does not fly the civilian participants, that is a gift you have to decline. The test is always whether everyone else gets it.
Training costs cannot land on you
Providers cannot charge you for training fees, materials, equipment, uniforms, certifications or licensure. If a program asks for money before approval, that alone is disqualifying.
You cannot sell back your leave
You are expected to spend all your leave before or during the program, and to use house hunting and permissive TDY beforehand. Selling leave back is not an option, which changes the maths for anyone counting on that cheque.
Getting there is on you
You can do SkillBridge anywhere, not just at your installation, but your own travel is yours to fund. Installations may offer unoccupied barracks space free of charge, so it is worth asking.
How to apply
Start the conversation earlier than feels necessary. The approval chain is the slow part, not the application.
1Find your installation SkillBridge point of contact
Usually in the transition assistance office or the education office. They hold your Service and command specific guidance, which is the part no website can tell you.
2Check your rank cap and your date
Confirm how many days your rank is allowed and that the program falls inside your last 180 days. Do this before you fall in love with a listing.
3Search the official listings
Browse the opportunity directory at skillbridge.mil, then filter by mission, location and keyword. Some providers publish more detail on their own careers site than the listing shows.
The old skillbridge.osd.mil address now redirects to skillbridge.mil.
4Apply with a civilian resume, not a military one
You are competing against civilian applicants for a training seat. Translate the jargon, put numbers on the results, and match the language of the listing.
5Get command approval in writing
The first O-4 or above in your chain with Article 15 authority signs it, and cannot delegate it. Expect to justify the mission impact.
6Plan the boring parts around it
Terminal leave, permissive TDY, out-processing and your separation health assessment all have to fit around the program. The health assessment can be booked up to a year ahead.
Why the provider list got shorter, and better
The rules for companies tightened in 2024. It is worth understanding, because it tells you what a serious program looks like.
Three years in business
A provider has to have been established for at least three years. Federal, state and local government bodies are exempt.
A 75% offer rate
Providers must show that at least 75% of members who finish get a qualifying offer of immediate post-service employment. The stated goal is 85%. Ask a provider for their number.
Live training, not a video library
Programs cannot be delivered as recorded content alone. Asynchronous material has to be less than half the length of the training, so the rest is live or in person.
Two application windows a year
New providers can only apply from 1 October to 1 December, or 1 February to 1 April. This is why a company you like may not be on the list yet.
SourceProvider MOU, August 2024DoD enrollment period announcement
The resume that gets you the seat
A SkillBridge listing is a job posting with a shorter fuse. The companies screen the same way they screen everyone else.
Write for someone who has never served
The person reading it is a civilian recruiter. Spell out the acronyms, drop the unit names, and say what the job was rather than what it was called.
Put numbers on it
People supervised, budget held, equipment maintained, uptime, cost avoided. Most veterans have the figures and leave them off.
Match the listing
Use the words the announcement uses. A tailored version per application beats one strong resume sent six times.
Lead with what transfers
Leadership, planning, maintenance, logistics, security, training others. These are the things the provider is buying.
List the credentials you already hold
Military schools, licences and a current clearance. Clearance in particular is the single line that moves a defence industrial base application.
Questions
What is SkillBridge?
A government program that lets you spend up to your last 180 days of active duty doing civilian job training, an apprenticeship or an internship with an approved provider. Your military pay and benefits continue throughout. It is governed by DoDI 1322.29.
Who is eligible?
Active duty members with 180 days or fewer left before discharge who have already served at least 180 continuous days, with approval from the first commander in their chain at O-4 or above who holds Article 15 authority. All ranks qualify. Guard and Reserve members can take part under rules each Service sets.
Does the company pay me?
No. Participants are not eligible for wages or other benefits from the provider, because the Department of War continues to cover your salary and benefits. A provider may reimburse subsistence, lodging and travel from your home station, but only where the same offer is made to every participant regardless of military affiliation.
How many days do I actually get?
It depends on your Service and your rank. 180 days is the legal ceiling, but every Service except the Coast Guard caps it lower. The Army allows an E-8 60 days. The Air Force allows an E-8 60 days and requires an exception to policy for an O-6. Navy figures include terminal leave and permissive TDY. The published table is on this page.
Can I get more days than my rank allows?
Sometimes. Under Project Patriot Pipeline, opportunities inside the defence industrial base marked as critical carry an exception to the Service rank restrictions and can run the full 180 days.
Am I guaranteed a job at the end?
No. Providers must show that at least 75% of members who complete their program receive a qualifying offer, with 85% as the goal, but you are not entitled to a job for finishing.
Can my commander say no?
Yes. Approval rests with the first field grade commander in your chain who can impose non-judicial punishment, that authority cannot be delegated, and it can be refused on mission grounds. Your command can also shorten the time or recall you during the program.
Can I sell back my leave if I do SkillBridge?
No. You are expected to use all your leave before or during the program, and to take house hunting and permissive TDY beforehand.
Can I do it away from my duty station?
Yes. You can take part at a location other than where you are assigned, but you are responsible for your own travel to and from your home installation and for out-processing. Installations may make unoccupied barracks space available free of charge.
Do I need to finish TAP first?
It is strongly recommended, and your Service or command may require the mandatory components of TAP to be complete before you start.
Can spouses or veterans take part?
The program itself is for active duty members and select Guard and Reserve members within 180 days of separation. Some providers separately offer training and employment to spouses and veterans. Spouses can search the locations page for the keyword spouse, or reach the SECO Spouse Career Center through Military OneSource on 800-342-9647.
Where are the opportunities listed?
At www.skillbridge.mil, which lists currently approved opportunities. The former skillbridge.osd.mil address redirects there. Your installation SkillBridge office also knows about local programs that are easy to miss online.
The application is a civilian one
Your rank decides how many days you get. Your resume decides whether a company gives you one of the seats. Upload what you have, point it at the listing you want, and let it come back in language a civilian recruiter reads without stopping.
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