Mass Firings Loom at Pentagon as Defense Secretary Announces Reductions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Defense is preparing for widespread layoffs of civilian employees, according to internal communications and statements from current staff. The firings are expected to begin as early as Friday, marking a significant reduction as part of the Trump administration’s push to streamline the federal workforce.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to re-evaluate the department’s probationary employees in a post on social media late Thursday. He stated that this review aligns with guidelines issued by the Office of Personnel Management and is aimed at identifying performance issues in personnel.

“We want the best and brightest,” Hegseth said in his statement. “Common sense tells us to begin with those who are underperforming among our probationary employees.” He emphasized that a review of the entire workforce would take place to eliminate redundancies.

As part of this overhaul, Hegseth mentioned the implementation of a hiring freeze across the department. This freeze will allow more time to evaluate potential hires based on performance.

“Those who we need, who are the best and brightest, are going to stay. Those who are underperformers won’t,” Hegseth added, although he did not specify a timeline for these changes.

Employees had anticipated that their department might avoid the extensive cuts following President Trump’s federal hiring freeze. However, a recent directive indicated that the Pentagon would proceed with its own workforce reductions.

By Thursday, various commands within the Department of Defense were compiling lists of probationary employees, preparing for the anticipated layoffs. Some staff members reported that their superiors were actively seeking exemptions for certain employees based on mission-critical roles, while others stated that such exemptions would be few and far between.

A warning email issued by a Pentagon policy official expressed concern over the fate of probationary staff, highlighting the challenges in hiring employees for critical support roles only to potentially dismiss them shortly afterward.

“If someone in Policy is in a probationary status, it’s because Policy went through a great deal of effort to bring them onboard to fill critical roles in our support to the Secretary of Defense,” the email noted.

The rapid development of these plans left many leaders and human resources officials scrambling for clarity. Employees have been advised to prepare their resumes and retain documentation to aid in future job searches as they brace for potential terminations.

On Wednesday, Air Force Material Command leaders informed their staff that they were working to understand who might be affected by the firings. This included directing employees to preserve their personal records and certificates.

As reports of the impending layoffs circulated, morale among the workforce began to wane. An employee from the Army Medical Command indicated that their name was on a list of probationary employees targeted for cuts.

“Initially, I was told my position was safe, but now the mood has shifted,” the employee reported.

Another Navy employee shared that they were advised to expect termination notices within hours, while an Air Force lieutenant general became emotional while addressing the uncertain future during a command-wide call.

Several agencies reported varied numbers of probationary employees facing termination. At the Department of Health and Human Services alone, over 5,000 positions are reportedly under review.

While the White House has not provided an exact tally of the ongoing firings, reports indicate that numerous departments, including the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, and Veterans Affairs, have already experienced substantial reductions.

As the authorities navigate this tumultuous transition, employees across the Department of Defense anticipate further updates, facing an uncertain future in their careers.