Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced plans to fire 5,400 civilian employees at the Pentagon. This decision is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce the federal workforce and streamline operations within the Department of Defense.
The Pentagon’s plan targets probationary employees, who have typically been on the job for less than a year and have not yet gained civil service protection. The move follows a review by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which identified employees whose contributions were deemed non-mission-critical.
Defense Secretary Hegseth emphasized the need to cut redundancies and focus on the core mission of the Department of Defense. He stated that the Pentagon must “cut the fat (HQ) and grow the muscle (warfighters).” The decision to fire these employees is expected to be implemented next week, with a hiring freeze to follow.
This move is part of a larger strategy to reduce the civilian workforce by 5-8%, aligning with President Trump’s priorities of securing borders, building an “Iron Dome” defense system for the U.S., and ending radical and wasteful government programs.
Sources:
https://x.com/IanJaeger29/status/1893080656437026848
https://x.com/kristina_wong/status/1893084012303835229
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-fire-thousands-pentagon-employees-next-week-2034693