The Defense Department is set to undergo significant restructuring, with plans to cut between 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs. This move is part of a broader effort to reduce the federal workforce and dismantle U.S. agencies, led by the Department of Government Efficiency Service, which includes billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk.
To achieve the desired 5% to 8% reduction in the civilian workforce, which currently stands at over 900,000, the department aims to eliminate approximately 6,000 positions monthly. This will be done primarily by not replacing workers who leave their positions routinely. However, there are concerns that service members may be tasked with filling these vacant civilian roles, potentially impacting military readiness.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has emphasized the importance of ensuring that these cuts do not compromise military readiness. The department is employing a three-pronged approach to accomplish the workforce reductions: voluntary resignations, termination of probationary workers, and eliminating positions as employees depart.
Notably, the Pentagon has already put plans to cut probationary workers on hold due to court challenges. Approximately 5,400 of the roughly 54,000 probationary workers in the department were targeted for termination.
The official acknowledged that some military veterans will be among those let go, but declined to provide an estimate of the exact number, which could be in the thousands. To mitigate the impact of these cuts, the military services and Pentagon officials are conducting a thorough review of personnel on a case-by-case basis to ensure that critical national security jobs are not affected.
