Emerging military research provides undeniable data regarding the benefits of athletic trainers working with military personnel. As a result, the US military is looking to award contracts to companies that will work to hire civilian ATs to staff contracted positions in the various military branches. ATs working with the military are not new, but the recent expansions have increased the visibility and subsequent access for ATs to support service women and men.

If you are interested in working with the military as a civilian contracted athletic trainer, you can apply for the jobs on the NATA Career Center that are “pending contract award”. In order to win the contract, contracting companies must show their ability to fulfill the contract by being able to hire ATs quickly. This means that unlike most jobs you may apply for on our site, you are applying for a job that is not yet funded. It also means that multiple postings will be from companies competing for the same contracts. It is in your interest to apply for any and all postings competing for the same contract. The company that wins the contract will then officially hire their best applicants. Some companies will confirm their intent to hire before winning the award with job offers contingent on a successful bid.

Contracts are typically awarded for one year with up to four more years as options. Each year of a 5-year contract the government decides if they plan to move forward with an option year. At the end of the fifth year the contract will go back up for bid. In a way the process begins again as the athletic trainer would then need to identify the companies competing to take over that contract. It can be stressful. It can be rewarding.