US Department of War Unveils ‘War Force’ to Recruit Top AI Engineers for the Joint Force

The US Department of War has unveiled War Force, a new recruitment initiative designed to bring top American engineers into the federal government to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and modernize military operations across the Joint Force.

Announced by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering in partnership with the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the program seeks highly skilled engineers who will serve as Forward Deployed Engineers embedded throughout the Department of War, including operational military units.

“The Department of War, in partnership with @USOPM, has launched War Force to recruit America’s best engineers for a tour of duty to modernize the Department and proliferate AI across the Joint Force,” the agency said in a social media post.

It added that engineers “will embed everywhere across the War Department, even down to the unit level, to deliver tangible results to American warfighters.”

Forward Deployed Engineers to Modernize Military Technology

War Force forms part of the broader US Tech Force, a White House-backed initiative that deploys AI and engineering talent across federal agencies to address critical national challenges.

According to the job announcement, Forward Deployed Engineers will work with cross-functional teams to integrate secure and scalable software technologies, modernize CI/CD pipelines, improve infrastructure-as-code implementations, deploy AI and automation tools and align technical projects with the Department’s digital modernization goals.

The role also includes collaborating with technical and non-technical stakeholders, mentoring engineering teams, and participating in interagency task forces supporting broader government technology priorities.

While most positions will be based in the Washington, DC, area, participating agencies may also fill roles at additional locations across the country.

Applicants Must Meet Security and Technical Requirements

The Department said applicants must be US citizens or nationals and eligible to obtain a Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

The announcement states that applications for the War Force initiative close on 10 July 2026, while the broader USAJOBS hiring announcement remains open until 17 July 2026, allowing agencies to continue processing applications.

Candidates must demonstrate experience in software engineering, technology integration and cross-functional collaboration, along with technical competencies in programming, debugging, algorithms and systems implementation.

The positions do not require a specific educational qualification but do require specialized professional experience equivalent to the GS-14 level.

Tech Force Fellowship Offers Leadership Opportunities

Selected engineers will also join the Tech Force Fellowship, which provides leadership development, exposure to leading technology CEOs, networking opportunities, coding certifications and experience shaping national technology policy.

Appointments will initially last two years under Schedule A hiring authority, with the possibility of extension to four years depending on agency needs.

The Department said the initiative is aimed at strengthening federal technology capabilities while ensuring engineers have a direct role in advancing AI-driven modernization across the US military.