Hegseth Proposes Reduction of Civilian Employees; Air Force Yet to Implement Dismissals
The Department of Defense aims to reduce its civilian workforce by 5 to 8 percent, and it remains unclear how many employees from the Department of the Air Force may be affected by this restructuring.
On February 20, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in a video statement that the Pentagon would reassess its probationary workforce in accordance with President Donald Trump's directives. The intended goal is to decrease the entire civilian workforce by 5 to 8 percent.
The following day, Darin Selnick, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, confirmed these actions as part of an initiative "to reform the Federal workforce." Thousands of federal employees serving probationary periods have been terminated across various federal agencies in recent days.
Hegseth and Selnick explained that the plan initially targets probationary employees but aims to extend the cuts to the entire Defense Department civilian staff for efficiency and a refocus on the President's priorities. Approximately 5,400 probationary workers are scheduled to be dismissed starting this week, followed by a hiring freeze during the evaluation process.
Amounting to 878,000 civilians, the Pentagon's civilian staff—a reduction of 5 percent would amount to around 43,900 employees, while an 8 percent cut would exceed 70,000. However, it is yet to be determined how many Air Force employees—probationary or otherwise—might be let go.
An Air Force official mentioned that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is undertaking a deliberate, methodical approach to review the workforce and identify non-essential positions. At present, there has been no instruction to dismiss Air Force employees.
Records show that the Department of the Air Force employed 190,980 civilians in 2024, with a projected decrease to 186,278 in 2025. If the 5-8 percent cut is consistent across military departments, anywhere between 9,300 and 14,000 Air Force employees could be affected over time.
No specific information was provided regarding the number of probationary Air Force employees or the areas of the workforce that may face layoffs.
Civilians perform a myriad of tasks to redistribute the workload for uniformed employees, including managing hazardous materials programs, guiding deployments, and providing support in supply positions. Civilians also play a significant role in the department's intelligence and cyber workforce, with the Pentagon boasting faster hiring times for these critical positions last year.
One senior noncommissioned officer in aircraft maintenance shared that the number of civilian staff has decreased over time, with some roles traditionally filled by civilians now assigned to Airmen who were originally intended to be maintainers.
The American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing 250,000 defense employees, voiced its opposition to the planned cuts. Union President Everett Kelley asserted that the jobs being cut are crucial, including tank and aircraft mechanics, commissary workers, and ship inspectors. Kelley argued that these layoffs would burden military personnel and divert them from their essential warfighting duties.
Under U.S. law, the defense secretary may not reduce the full-time civilian workforce without a thorough analysis of the reduction's impact on workload, force structure, readiness, and other factors. However, Kelley emphasized that this analysis has not yet taken place.
In the wake of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement to reduce the Pentagon's civilian workforce, an Air Force official has confirmed a deliberate review of the workforce to identify non-essential positions. The plan, however, has yet to issue instructions for Air Force employee dismissals.
Civilians play a vital role in various sectors, including managing hazardous materials programs, guiding deployments, and providing support in supply positions, as well as serving in the department's intelligence and cyber workforce.
The American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing 250,000 defense employees, has expressed opposition to the planned cuts, asserting that jobs being cut, such as tank and aircraft mechanics, commissary workers, and ship inspectors, are crucial and would burden military personnel by diverting them from their essential warfighting duties.
Under U.S. law, any reduction in the full-time civilian workforce requires a thorough analysis of the reduction's impact on workload, force structure, readiness, and other factors. However, the analysis for this restructuring has not yet taken place.
Amidst the ongoing reassessment, it remains uncertain how many Air Force employees—probationary or otherwise—may ultimately be affected by the 5 to 8 percent cut to the Defense Department's civilian workforce.
