As the Pentagon re-evaluates its probationary workforce, it is considering cutting up to 8% of its civilian workforce, a top official said Friday.
Darin Selnick, performing the duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, said the U.S. Department of Defense will be re-evaluating its probationary workforce after President Donald Trump’s initiative to restructure the federal workforce.
Selnick said the Pentagon expects to reduce its civilian workforce by 5-8%.
“We expect approximately 5,400 probationary workers will be released beginning next week as part of this initial effort, after which we will implement a hiring freeze while we conduct a further analysis of our personnel needs, complying as always with all applicable laws,” he said.
In December, then-President Joe Biden signed a bill authorizing $895 billion for defense spending in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced it will come up with $50 billion in offsets from the Biden administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget. The offsets are targeted at 8% of spending, which will be used to fund Trump’s plans.
“As the Secretary made clear, it is simply not in the public interest to retain individuals whose contributions are not mission-critical,” Selnick said. “Taxpayers deserve to have us take a thorough look at our workforce top-to-bottom to see where we can eliminate redundancies.”
It’s not clear how Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency could affect Pentagon spending. Billionaire Elon Musk, who is advising Trump on matters related to DOGE, has repeatedly said the Department of Defense would get scrutiny.
Musk also called the Pentagon’s most expensive project, the F-35 stealth fighter, “obsolete.”
The Department of Defense has not passed a financial audit in the past seven years. Last November, Department of Defense’s annual audit once again resulted in a disclaimer. That means the federal government’s largest agency can’t fully explain its spending. The 2024 disclaimer was expected. And it’s expected again in 2025 and 2026. The Pentagon previously said it will be able to accurately account for its spending by 2027.
