Pentagon’s efforts to slash civilian workforce continue to cause confusion

Adding to the turmoil: Untold numbers of Defense Department civilians’ new roles, and in some cases overseas moves, are on hold as managers wait for guidance on how to apply for exemptions that must then be approved by the office of the defense secretary.

“Even in the hallways of the Pentagon, there is confusion and a general lack of knowledge,” one civilian, whose identity is being withheld to protect against retaliation, told Defense One. 

Originally, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated himself as the only authority to approve exemptions to the hiring freeze, which affected new hires as well as existing Defense employees who had been approved for transfers between offices or promotions in their own organizations.

An updated memo signed Friday allows the military departments to approve exemptions, after review by the personnel and readiness directorate. For all others, personnel and readiness must approve directly.

Hegseth also provided blanket exemptions to the hiring freeze for shipyards, equipment depots, and medical treatment facilities. 

However, there’s no telling how long it will take to secure those exemptions. The Friday memo promises more detailed guidance on how to apply, but a Defense official who spoke to reporters on background Tuesday would not answer a question about when that guidance will be published.

The official also would not provide data on the number of exemptions received or approved thus far.

In the meantime, some civilians are living in hotels with their families, as their cars and household goods make their way to other countries, waiting for word on when they can rebook canceled flights to their new duty stations.

“The secretary is grateful for the commitment each of them has made to serve in these capacities,” the official said when asked what message he’d send to those civilians. “We understand the position of uncertainty that they're in, and the best way to move forward is to be clearly communicating with their hiring authority and the relevant chain of command to ensure that we bring their unique circumstances in front of decision makers so they can be considered for exemptions in an expeditious manner.”

Meanwhile, the firing of thousands of probationary employees may be reversed, as a judge ruled Friday that 18 agencies—the Defense Department not among them—must reinstate their fired staff.

“So what I can share today, because it's the subject of ongoing litigation, is the department is committed to fully complying with every applicable court order regarding the process,” the official said.

The Pentagon had initially estimated it would fire 5,400 probationary employees, but the official would not say how many were actually let go. 

Voluntary resignation

The deferred resignation program—a plan fielded by the Department of Government Efficiency, a White House advisory board—has gone somewhat more successfully, the official said.

The applications of about 21,000 department employees have been approved, he said, declining to provide the total number of applicants. 

Some employees were considered too mission-critical for the program. Others are still waiting to hear back, more than a month after the application deadline. 

“The DOGE decision was actually awesome for us, but our DOD activity is dragging its feet and not telling the employees anything, so our lives are still on hold,” one civilian told Defense One, weeks after opting for DRP. “At this point, we don't even know if our application to resign/retire was accepted.”

The official clarified that all three of these personnel moves are intended to help the department achieve the stated 5-to-8 percent reduction in staffing. In addition to removals and voluntary attrition, the hiring freeze will cut an average of about 6,000 new employees historically onboarded every month, he said.  ]]>