The Pentagon has announced a significant reduction in its civilian workforce. On Friday, it was revealed that the Department of Defense plans to ultimately terminate between 5 to 8 percent of its approximately 950,000 civilian employees. This initiative will start with the dismissal of 5,400 probationary workers who do not hold "mission-critical" roles, expected to occur next week.
While the initial wave of terminations represents a small fraction of the 55,000 probationary workers who are at risk, the overall cuts could result in a substantial decrease in the civilian workforce. Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Darin Selnick, stated, "We anticipate reducing the Department’s civilian workforce by 5-8% to produce efficiencies and refocus the Department on the President’s priorities and restoring readiness in the force."
This planned reduction implies that eventually, between 47,500 to 76,000 employees could be affected. The decision aligns with efforts to streamline operations and reinforce the focus on the U.S. military readiness.
Earlier on Friday, reports from CNN indicated that the Defense Department had temporarily halted the mass firings of civilian employees. This pause allows for a thorough review by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel. They aim to assess the potential impacts of such terminations on military readiness, as per two defense officials familiar with the situation.
Selnick highlighted that the first set of 5,400 employees could be dismissed early next week, with additional terminations possible following a comprehensive analysis of personnel needs. He emphasized compliance with all applicable laws during this process.
The decision to pause mass terminations came after concerns were raised that such actions could conflict with Title 10 section 129a of the U.S. Code. This statute mandates that the Secretary of Defense conduct an appropriate analysis of how workforce reductions might affect military readiness and lethality before proceeding. The law prioritizes mitigating risks to U.S. military readiness over cost savings.
A senior defense official noted that no such analysis had been conducted before military leaders were instructed to compile lists of employees for potential dismissal. The office of Secretary Hegseth has declined to comment on the matter.
Throughout the week, defense officials have been working diligently to identify which employees should be exempt from termination due to their critical roles in mission support. This includes personnel involved in cybersecurity, intelligence, operations, foreign military sales, and other essential national security functions.
In a video message posted to social media platform X on Thursday, Hegseth explained that the department is prioritizing the termination of lower-performing employees. However, defense officials have indicated that the Office of Personnel Management is broadly justifying these firings by arguing that the probationary employees do not significantly contribute to the Pentagon's overall performance.
This article has been updated to include additional reporting and insights into the situation surrounding the Pentagon's planned workforce reductions.
