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I am entering the JAG Corps after graduation. I have the opportunity to clerk before I start my active duty service. My goal is to get a clerkship on my resume that will help me transition into USAO/DOJ/federal public defender.

The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF) is an article I court with a mostly criminal docket. It deals with military law, mostly UCMJ. Judges are appointed by the president for fixed terms and their decisions are subject to direct SCOTUS review.

If I clerk for them, how will that look on a resume to USAO/DOJ/public defenders? I'm trying to get a district/COA clerkship, but I've been striking out, and the 2016-2017 field is getting slim.

Can't directly answer your question, but I know a couple of folks who parlayed CAAF clerkships into clerkships on the D.C. Circuit and District of D.C. and didn't attend T14 schools. That might suggest nothing more than that a couple of judges on the D.C. Cir. and D.D.C. hold CAAF clerkships in some esteem, but my impression is that they're competitive clerkships and a credential that can serve as a springboard to bigger things.

(Edit) If you have any alums from your school who clerked there, you could probably get a better answer by reaching out to them.