Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum on Friday that aims to shrink the Defense Department’s civilian headcount, saying on X that it would help make the DOD “more efficient and incentivize top performers.”
In a press release, the DOD said the memo — dubbed the “Initiating the Workforce Acceleration and Recapitalization Initiative” — stated that the department would “realign the size” of its civilian workforce and “strategically restructure it to supercharge our American warfighters.”
“The net effect will be a reduction in the number of civilian full-time equivalent positions and increased resources in the areas where we need them most,” the memo said, per the DOD.
As part of the initiative, the department will embrace automation and seek to cut down on “duplicative efforts” and “excessive” bureaucracy, it added.
In the memo, Hegseth also called for the reopening of the deferred resignation program, which previously offered some full-time employees the chance to resign with full pay and benefits, and to offer voluntary early retirement to eligible civilian employees.
“Exemptions should be rare,” Hegseth said in the memo. “My intent is to maximize participation so that we can minimize the number of involuntary actions that may be required to achieve the strategic objectives.”
The memo did not give a target percentage for layoffs. The DOD, which employs more than 950,000 civilians serving in 94 different countries, said in February that it planned to reduce its civilian workforce by 5 to 8%.
It comes as part of a wider push to cut federal government spending spearheaded by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Hegseth announced earlier this month that following a DOGE review, the DOD would be terminating more than $580 million in programs, contracts and grants.
