The Department of Defense is currently in the process of reviewing lists of civilian probationary employees for potential termination, with decisions expected to be made as early as this week. This review follows a recent wave of firings of probationary employees at various federal agencies last week.
Combatant commands, which are the major US military commands worldwide, have been tasked with submitting lists of probationary employees for review. The deadline for these submissions was Tuesday afternoon, according to officials familiar with the matter. The Pentagon is anticipated to carefully assess the lists of employees, considering requests to exempt certain individuals for national security reasons before making final decisions.
Probationary employees are individuals who have typically served in their positions for less than a year. Recent reports indicate that probationary employee terminations have already commenced at agencies such as the Department of Education and the Small Business Administration.
Furthermore, it has been reported that personnel from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency recently held meetings at the Pentagon. While it remains unclear if these individuals are still present at the Pentagon this week, one official mentioned that they are currently addressing various logistical requirements such as office space, IT support, and clearances to ensure full integration into the building.
