Are Army Soldiers Authorized to Work Part-Time While on Active Duty?

Active duty soldiers interested in obtaining a part-time job must approach their first-line supervisor and ask for a developmental counseling statement. The developmental counseling statement must be approved by the soldier's chain of command before he will be permitted to apply for civilian employment.

According to command policy, soldiers are generally prohibited from applying for jobs considered dangerous or those posing risk to the soldier's health. Acceptable jobs may include restaurant service, food delivery, retail sales and administrative positions. Part-time jobs may not interfere with military duty requirements.

Several celebrities have served in the military while working part-time jobs. Talk show host Montel Williams maintained a part-time career in motivational speaking while enlisted. Musical greats Tony Bennett and Jimi Hendrix both sang in bands during their military service, and Hugh Hefner helped publish a newspaper to garner support for WWII while he was enlisted.