How does SkillBridge work, and is it paid?

SkillBridge is one of the best-known parts of getting out, and one of the most misunderstood. A lot of people hear about it as a free internship at the end of their contract and assume the hard part is finding a company. Usually the hard part is the timing and the approval.

What SkillBridge is

SkillBridge is a Defense Department program that lets you spend up to your last 180 days of service doing civilian job training, an apprenticeship or an internship with an approved industry partner. You're released from your regular duties so you can train full time, and the official name for that status is permissive duty.

The partner gets something out of it too. Those months let them see how you fit the work, and they give you a real look at the job and the company before you commit to either.

Is SkillBridge paid?

Yes, by the military. You're still on active duty during SkillBridge, so you keep your military pay, allowances and benefits the whole time. You get months of civilian experience while your paycheck and health care stay where they are.

Some SkillBridge partners also run programs for veterans, Guard and Reserve members and military spouses. Those versions aren't funded by the military, so the terms can be different. If you see a partner listing that mentions spouses or veterans, it's worth reading the details for your situation.

Who approves it

This is the part people tend to find out late. SkillBridge is not an entitlement. Your unit commander has to approve it, and the decision depends on mission needs. A command can say no because of readiness, even if you've found a great program and the company wants you.

Each branch also sets who signs off. In the Marine Corps guidance we read, commanders at the grade of O-5 and above approve most Marines, and senior Marines need General Officer approval. The Navy says commanding officers have final approval authority and weigh mission readiness. The other branches have their own rules, so your transition office is the place to confirm who signs yours.

Because approval sits with your chain of command, the conversation with your command matters as much as the application to the company. Knowing early when your command makes these decisions, and what paperwork it wants, saves a lot of last-minute stress.

How long you can do it depends on your branch and paygrade

The 180 days is a ceiling set at the Defense Department level. Your branch can set a shorter limit, and several do.

Here's what the official branch pages said when we checked them in October 2026:

• Navy: Sailors can't apply until they're within 365 days of separation, and they apply through the MyNavy Education SkillBridge portal. E-5 and below can do up to 180 days. E-6 through E-9, and officers O-4 and below, can do up to 120 days. O-5 and above can do up to 90 days and need a formal command endorsement.
• Marine Corps: E-1 through E-5 can do up to 120 days. E-6 and E-7, warrant officers through CWO3, and officers O-1 through O-4 can do up to 90 days. E-8 and E-9, CWO4 and CWO5, and O-5 and above can do up to 90 days with General Officer approval.

These limits change, and your branch's current guidance is the one that counts. The Army, Air Force and Space Force publish their own rules too.

How it fits with TAP, terminal leave and your other dates

SkillBridge sits inside the rest of your separation timeline, and the order matters.

The Navy, for example, says SkillBridge must start before terminal leave, PTDY or other separation time, and those can only come after SkillBridge has begun. It also lists TAP completion and a recent physical fitness assessment as requirements. The Marine Corps asks Marines to finish their Transition Readiness Seminar requirements at least 180 days before separation, and it says Marines can't extend their service to finish a SkillBridge program.

The Marine Corps guidance also makes a point that's easy to forget: during SkillBridge you're still under the UCMJ, and the company can't grant you time off. Leave and absences still go through your chain of command.

That's why SkillBridge tends to go smoother when it's planned with your TAP dates, leave and separation date in view at the same time.

Finding a program

The official list of authorized partners lives at skillbridge.mil. Every program you're considering should appear there, since your command will want to see that the partner is authorized. The Marine Corps, for one, only lets Marines take part with partners that have a current agreement in place.

A listing tells you a program exists. It doesn't guarantee you a seat, and it doesn't guarantee a job afterward. Some partners hire SkillBridge participants and some don't, so it's fair to ask a company directly what usually happens at the end of their program.

Location matters more than people expect. A program in a city you have no plans to live in can still teach you a lot, and a program near where you're headed also gives you local contacts in the field you want.

Where Loona One fits

Loona One is an AI assistant that works for you through your transition. It searches jobs and SkillBridge options and keeps your Career Record in one place, so your dates, your rate or MOS and your goals stay together while you plan. Job and SkillBridge search is in private testing, and coverage is still limited while we test.

Loona One works alongside your transition office, TAP and the nonprofits that help service members every day. Your command and your branch's official guidance always have the final word on SkillBridge, and Loona helps you get ready for those conversations on your own time.

If you want to be one of the first to use it, the Founding 100 is free. You can join the waitlist at loona-one.com.