Hegseth reshaping Pentagon’s weapons testing oversight office, cutting staff positions

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lee Cutshaw, an aircrew flight equipment technician assigned to the F-35 Demonstration Team, marshals a USAF F-35A Lightning II during an airshow at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Florida, on Oct. 20, 2024. (US Air Force/Senior Airman Nicholas Rupiper)

WASHINGTON — In a bid to save what he estimated as $300 million per year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has laid out a plan to reshape the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation by eliminating positions and layoff contractors supporting the team.

“To improve the lethality, readiness, and efficiency of our armed forces in support of an America First defense strategy, the Department of Defense will immediately implement a strategic and deliberate reorganization of the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (ODOT&E),” Hegseth wrote in a memo dated May 27 and released today. “A comprehensive internal review has identified redundant, non-essential, non-statutory functions within ODOT&E that do not support operational agility or resource efficiency, affecting our ability to rapidly and effectively deploy the best systems to the warfighter.”

The move comes as the department looks to pare back its total workforce by 5 to 8 percent. Established by Congress in 1983, DOT&E’s job, in part, is to produce an annual report updating lawmakers about the progress and challenges facing multi-million and multi-billion dollar weapon development programs. It also serves as an advisor to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council.

In the memo, Hegseth said he has appointed Carroll Quade to perform the duties of the Director of DOT&E. Quade is currently serving as the Navy’s deputy for Test and Evaluation for the Navy.

Hegseth is tasking Quade with “immediately” eliminating any “non-statutory or redundant functions” to include cutting “bureaucratic overhead and driving greater efficiency.”

Based on what he said were recommendations from an internal study, Hegseth wrote that the cuts would include reducing the staff to 30 civilian positions, with no more than one senior executive service member and 15 assigned military personnel posts. 

“Civilian personnel employed by military departments at ODOT&E or within subordinate entities of ODOT&E shall be immediately transferred back to those military departments,” Hegseth added. “Receiving military departments, at their discretion, may choose which transferred positions to retain.”

Steven J. Morani, who is performing the duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment, is also being directed to end all contractor personnel supporting the DOT&E office within seven days 

“If ODOT&E decides it needs support contractor personnel after adjusting to its base statutory mission set, ODOT&E may request such contractor support with Deputy Secretary of Defense review after an initial 60-day acclimation period,” Hegseth wrote.