City cop nearing retirement, considering VA police...a few questions!

So I'm an officer at a medium-sized police department who is one year out from the magical 20-year mark where my pension gets locked in and I can walk away. I'll be 49 when I hit my 20-year mark, but I'm still physically fit and probably look young for my age. I'm a lieutenant, with a 4-year college degree, in charge of a night shift.

While I still enjoy the job (some days more than others!), I'm at the point in my life where I wouldn't mind something more laid back and less stressful. There happens to be a large VA hospital about 20 miles from me in Indianapolis. I take my dad there on a regular basis for appointments, and the place seems to be reasonably well run.

There are some other federal jobs I would be more interested in, such as a background/security clearance investigator for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), but due to the hiring freeze those jobs are not generally available to the public.

I have a search setup on USAJobs, and I just got an alert about a police officer position at the Indianapolis VA that is open to the public, but I have some questions.

1. How long does it take to get through the hiring process if one were to apply today?

I still have a year left before I can retire. I'm wondering if I should get a head start and apply in the year leading up to my retirement date, or if I need to actually get past my 20-year mark first.

I know that regular police departments have a protracted hiring process that can sometimes take the better part of a year to get through before you get ranked and placed on a hiring list. I'm not sure how things work for the VA police. Do VA police departments maintain a ranked hiring list? Or do they only take applicants for one positions at a time?

2. Do VA police officers get health insurances after they retire?

This is a very important consideration for me, since my local department does not offer health insurance as part of a retirement package. I have read online that VA employees qualify for health insurance in retirement after only 5 years on the job? Is that correct?

Is the coverage in retirement any good? Any information on real-world monthly premiums would be greatly appreciated.

I would also be curious to hear about health insurance for current employees. The insurance I have at my department is very good, with low premiums.

3. What is the pension situation for VA police?

Do you have to work a certain number of years to get a pension? Does the pension increase based on the number of years you worked? I will already have a pension from my city, but a second pension would certainly not hurt, even if it's small.

4. Are there transfer opportunities available for VA police officers?

My oldest kid just went off to college on the other side of the country, and we have two more lined up behind her. At this point, we have no idea where our kids may end up living in a few years, but it would be nice to have a job that at least has the possibility of being able to transfer to a different part of the country.

5. What determines pay level? Are there opportunities for advancement or increase?

The position says it is GS-6 with a salary range of "$58,340 to - $75,839 per year". That is a fairly wide range, and there is nothing in the listing that clarifies where you will fall in that range. I would be taking a pay cut even at the higher end. Can VA police officers

6. Do I face an uphill battle getting hired as a non-vet?

Unfortunately, I have no prior military or federal time. I came close to joining the military as a young man, but wanted to finish college first. But by the time I did that, I had gotten married, and my wife had no interest in being dragged around the country or to different parts of the world since she wanted to stay near her family. Is it going to be unduly difficult to win a position over other candidates who are prior military?

7. Any feedback on what it's like working as a police officer at the VA?

I realize it's not a regular police job with a lot of action, but I've been there and done that for 20 years, so I'm good with that. Any experiences, especially from former cops, who have worked as a VA police officer would be very much appreciated.

I realize it's a lot of questions, but if anybody has feedback on even just one topic, I'd be very grateful. Thank you so much for any information!