Pentagon to fire 5,400 probationary workers, institute hiring freeze
SUMMARY
On Friday, the Defense Department announced it’s firing about 5,400 probationary workers—folks on the job less than a year—starting next week. A hiring freeze is coming too, all part of a push to shrink the civilian workforce by 5-8%. Why? Acting Undersecretary Darin Selnick says it’s about boosting efficiency and refocusing on President Trump’s priorities, like beefing up military readiness. This follows a visit from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) crew, who got lists of these workers—uniformed troops aren’t on the chopping block, though. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s all in, saying it’s time to “cut the fat” at headquarters and pump up the “warfighters.” He’s eyeing an 8% budget slash over five years, with $50 billion in cuts next year alone to fund Trump’s goals, ditching what he calls “woke” spending. The Pentagon’s massive, with over 700,000 civilian staff, and this shake-up’s just the start—Trump also axed Joint Chiefs Chairman CQ Brown.
