Post Government Service Employment Restrictions ELEMENT 51

Mandatory All DoD personnel who leave military service for the private sector must be given guidance on what is permissible, career-wise after leaving the military.

1 Year Ban For one year after separating from the military, you may not aid, advise or represent any employer regarding trade or treaty negotiations that you worked on in your last year of military service.

1 Year Ban Example: An O-6 at the State Department works for the last 9 months before retirement on a trade deal with a foreign country. They leave the military to immediately become a consultant on foreign policy and development to a major manufacturer looking to build facilities in the country of concern.

2 Year Ban For two years after separating from the military, you may not represent someone else to the government regarding any matters that were pending under your responsibility during your last year of military service.

2 Year Ban Example: Within two years of separating from military service, a command’s budget officer is asked to represent a company in a dispute arising under a contract which was in effect during their last year of service. The dispute concerns an accounting formula under the contract, a matter under which the budget officer was consulted.

Lifetime Ban You may not, on the behalf of someone else, try to influence any government agency, officer or employee concerning a matter in which you personally worked on during your military service at any time … forever.

Lifetime Ban Example: A master chief calls a military office they previously worked for during their military service to complain about auditing methods being used by that military office to audit the contractor that the master chief now works for.

Transition Counselor’s Role The Service member can not decline this counseling. Transition counselors shall refer transitioning service members to an installation legal office to ensure they are briefed on post government service employment restrictions by an ethics official.

SEND THEM TO JAG!!

Questions?