Anonymous wrote:Post article:

Defense Department layoffs expected to start soon, officials say

Pentagon agencies were told to submit lists of probationary employees after members of Elon Musk’s DOGE arrived, people familiar with the matter said.

The Trump administration has directed defense agencies to turn over a list of their probationary employees by the end of Tuesday, with the expectation that many could be laid off as soon as this week, according to five people familiar with the matter.

The directive coincides with the arrival at the Pentagon of personnel from Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service, which has overseen the firing of thousands of probationary employees in other federal agencies and coordinated the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

It was not immediately clear whether any probationary employees in the Defense Department will be exempt from plans to reduce headcount, but the expectation is that many will not, people familiar with the matter said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The Pentagon referred questions to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which has had a leading hand in reshaping the government during President Donald Trump’s first month in office. Spokespeople for OPM and DOGE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

If implemented widely, cuts to probationary employees across the Defense Department could result in thousands of layoffs. The Pentagon, with a budget of more than $840 billion, is the federal government’s largest agency. It has about 950,000 civilian employees. Probationary employment for federal employees generally lasts for one year but can extend to two or three years in some positions.

The Pentagon also oversees about 1.3 million active-duty service members and nearly 800,000 more who are in the National Guard and Reserve, but the Trump administration has exempted service members from its sweeping budget cuts.

Musk’s involvement in Pentagon personnel and budgeting matters will also certainly raise questions about potential conflicts of interest. His companies have received billions of dollars in U.S. government contracts, including at the Defense Department, which has a growing interest in the capabilities offered by SpaceX. One contract alone for $1.8 billion was awarded to the company to help build a network of spy satellites for the Pentagon’s National Reconnaissance office in 2021, Reuters reported.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/18/pentagon-layoffs-musk-doge-trump/

Anonymous wrote:Reddit reporting that probationaries at DOD will get the ax:
https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/s/LnCbidWcTJ

Anonymous wrote:They also apparently hate shipbuilding which just... what? Couldn't be more transparent about the fact that Putin is paying them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When DOGE walks in the door, what does it look like? Is it a handful of kids accompanied by mercenary looking guys? That’s my impression so far.

accompanied by the smell of BO, axe body spray, and farts.

A horde of Teslas descend on the parking lot. I am not kidding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When DOGE walks in the door, what does it look like? Is it a handful of kids accompanied by mercenary looking guys? That’s my impression so far.

accompanied by the smell of BO, axe body spray, and farts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When DOGE walks in the door, what does it look like? Is it a handful of kids accompanied by mercenary looking guys? That’s my impression so far.

accompanied by the smell of BO, axe body spray, and farts.

i think you were kidding - but yes specific experience with 6 doge 20 YOs in the conference room.
smells like teenage boy bedroom

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes and their version of what they think is essential is rather interesting. For instance they are demanding agencies cut contracts with legal research engines. There is simply no way to perform current legal research or write briefs or appear in court without them. But DOGE thinks they are “media” as in the news media (versus periodicals, publications, research engines) so they want them canceled.

Good luck to DOJ defending against all these lawsuits if they can’t perform research on Lexis or Westlaw.

What I understand from friends at USAiD is that they looked at the 8000+ workers and contractors for about an hour, decided that most of the work that was mandated/funded by Congress was not essential and then decided only 300 employees were essential to continue with the parts of usaid doge decided were essential. And then patted themselves on the back for having cut 7300 employees-and become more efficient. But what they want to have remain of USAID bears no resemblance to what currently exists…

The difference is the republicans in congress don’t care about USAID. They care about a lot about DoD. The reaction is going to very different.

They're starting to care because farmers are selling their goods to USAID. Farmers are the lifeblood of the GOP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When DOGE walks in the door, what does it look like? Is it a handful of kids accompanied by mercenary looking guys? That’s my impression so far.

Here’s the latest list of the doge team. There’s women here too…although not the most illustrious of bios…Stephen Miller’s wife who made a name for herself getting into a lot of trouble in Florida

https://projects.propublica.org/elon-musk-doge-tracker/

I’m surprised anyone married Stephen Miller. He looks like the devil reincarnate. Mega creepy dude.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When DOGE walks in the door, what does it look like? Is it a handful of kids accompanied by mercenary looking guys? That’s my impression so far.

accompanied by the smell of BO, axe body spray, and farts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When DOGE walks in the door, what does it look like? Is it a handful of kids accompanied by mercenary looking guys? That’s my impression so far.

Here’s the latest list of the doge team. There’s women here too…although not the most illustrious of bios…Stephen Miller’s wife who made a name for herself getting into a lot of trouble in Florida

https://projects.propublica.org/elon-musk-doge-tracker/

Anonymous wrote:When DOGE walks in the door, what does it look like? Is it a handful of kids accompanied by mercenary looking guys? That’s my impression so far.