Defense & National Security — 5,400 civilian workers on Pentagon chopping block

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View Online Defense & National Security Defense & National Security The Big Story  5,400 civilian workers on Pentagon chopping block The Pentagon seeks to cut more than 5,000 civilian employees on probation status beginning next week in a bid to eventually shave off up to 8 percent of the U.S. military's civilian workforce. © Andrew Harnik, Associated Press file The firings are expected to initially affect approximately 5,400 probationary workers, acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Darin Selnick said in a statement.   "We anticipate reducing the Department's civilian workforce by 5-8% to produce efficiencies and refocus the Department on the President's priorities and restoring readiness in the force," Selnick said. "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."   The announcement comes as Defense officials are bracing for mass firings. Internal communications across multiple military services over the past week said probationary workers — those hired within the past year — were on the chopping block, with commands instructed to compile lists of those who could be let go and those to save.    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previewed those layoffs Thursday in a video posted to social media, saying it is "not in the public interest to retain individuals whose contributions are not mission critical."   "Taxpayers deserve to have us take a really thorough look at our workforce top to bottom — and it will be top to bottom — to see where we can find and eliminate redundancy," he added.   Hegseth also said the Pentagon has "put out a hiring freeze" on all employees while it takes the time to identify "a performance-based standard."    It appears the Trump administration, for the time being, will continue to forge ahead with its slash-and-burn approach to scaling back the federal workforce via the Department of Government Efficiency.   While there is no official figure available of the total firings or layoffs, it's known that several thousand federal employees have been shown the door in President Trump's first month of presidency, including 1,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs let go last week.   Read the full report at TheHill.com. Welcome to The Hill's Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guides to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and in the future: Democrat: Europe worried Czech Republic, Poland, Baltic states could be next for Putin Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said Thursday that a number of longtime U.S. allies in Europe are worried Russian President Vladimir Putin could be emboldened and look to "keep going" into other countries if he's seen as getting a free pass on Ukraine. Coons, a close ally to former President Biden, said he'd had a number of discussions at a security conference this week in Germany where officials had relayed their fears.  Full Story Democrats sound alarm over 'indiscriminate' Pentagon cuts Democrats across the Capitol were outraged Thursday at news that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered senior Pentagon and military leaders to plan 8 percent cuts from the defense budget in each of the next five years.  Republicans, who traditionally support robust defense spending, took the plans in stride, despite GOP lawmakers wanting to add $100 billion to the annual defense spending bill. Any cuts that impact …  Full Story Hegseth's proposed Pentagon cuts, firing of generals: What to know Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed senior Pentagon officials and military leaders to forge plans that would result in an 8 percent cut to the defense budget for each year over the next five years. The proposed cuts were outlined in a memo issued Tuesday, which ordered a reduction in the Middle East and Europe military commands. On the flip side, it would exempt 17 entities, including a program to modernize nuclear …  Full Story China supports 'recent consensus' between US and Russia on Ukraine war, foreign minister says China supports "the recent consensus" between the U.S. and Russia on the war in Ukraine, said Wang Yi, the country's foreign minister, amid ongoing discussions about bringing an end to the nearly three-year war. "China supports all efforts dedicated to peace, including the recent consensus reached by the United States and Russia, and hopes that the parties concerned can find a sustainable and lasting solution that takes into …  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: DHS sued over stripping of deportation protections for Venezuelans Immigration advocates have filed two suits challenging the Trump administration’s stripping of deportation protection for some Venezuelans in the United States. The suits target a move by Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to rescind Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for … Full Story On Tap Monday  Events in and around the defense world:  The Brookings Institution will hold a talk on "Trump's return and the fate of Ukraine" at 10 a.m. The Center for Strategic and International Studies will discuss "Russia's war in Ukraine and the prospects for peace" at 2 p.m. What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: Their relatives were Black heroes. They fear the military won't celebrate their stories anymore. (Military.com) Lawmakers warn Hegseth against political firings of generals (Military Times) Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Trump: Zelensky 'has no cards,' 'shouldn't be at meetings' with Russia President Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, saying he did not think it was important for Zelensky to attend negotiations … Read more Supreme Court stiffs Trump, punts on firing whistleblower agency head  The Supreme Court stiffed President Trump in his administration's first high court appeal by punting Friday on a request to greenlight the firing of … Read more Opinions in The Hill  Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Hegseth wants massive Pentagon cuts, but many obstacles stand in his way Why improving flight safety is a double-edged sword Is America preparing to abandon NATO and Europe?   You're all caught up. See you next week!  Check out The Hill's Defense page for the latest coverage. 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