Thousands of federal employees have lost their jobs in the first month of President Donald Trump’s administration — and it looks like Department of Defense employees could be next.
In a memo ordering senior military leaders to create plans for 8% annual cuts over the next five years, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military should focus on “the warrior ethos” and reject “excessive bureaucracy,” according to reporting from The New York Times and Bloomberg.
And following a meeting with Elon Musk’s embattled Department of Government Efficiency, CNN reported, military leaders have begun drafting lists of probationary Defense Department employees who could face termination.
Utah, meanwhile, is trying to clear a smoother path for DOD civilian employees and their families who move to the state for work. A bill awaiting Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature would grant exemptions to occupational licensing requirements to spouses of DOD employees and make it easier for their kids to enroll in school.
Teachers, for example, could teach in Utah without getting a state-specific teaching license. Health care providers licensed in other states could practice here.
“We have always made sure we’ve supported those civilian employees,” said bill sponsor Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden. “This helps us make sure we’re now extending that [support] to Department of Defense civilian families.”
Scientists and civilian employees
On a given day, anywhere between 2,000-6,000 U.S. Army employees clock into work at Dugway Proving Ground, about an hour and a half southwest of Salt Lake City.
But most of those thousands of employees will never see combat. They are scientists. Their job is to test equipment that protects service members from chemical and biological threats — things like gas masks, gloves and protective suits.
“We don’t have an infantry unit,” said Dugway spokesperson John Zierow. “A large number of our workforce are scientists.”
They’re civilians and not on active duty, Zierson said, and most of them have families.
SB17 would let those families work and study in Utah with fewer hurdles, Milner said.
The state already offers such exemptions to active duty military personnel. But there are at least as many civilian DOD employees as there are active duty personnel in Utah, Millner told the House Government Operations Committee last month. SB17 “extends the courtesy” of offering some of the same concessions to civilian employees as the state already offers to their active duty colleagues.
“While the sacrifices of military families have long been recognized, this bill adopts a total force approach by recognizing the sacrifices made by the families of our government civilian workforce,” Dugway Commander Col. James Harwell said in a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune.
SB17 also grants in-state tuition to DOD employees and family members at Utah’s public universities and makes it easier for K-12 students to enroll in and graduate from public schools.
They’re all concessions Zierow and Harwell said will help improve the “quality of life” for DOD civilian employees and their families, and help Dugway “attract and retain the highest quality civilian workforce.”
“Our workforce is comprised of talented individuals with skills that are relevant both here and in the civilian economy,” Harwell said. “By reducing barriers for families to succeed, it allows us to compete for the best and the brightest to serve at Dugway Proving Ground and ensure that we are prepared to support Army and joint force modernization efforts.”
“Senate Bill 17 would not only facilitate smoother transitions for DOD civilian families but also enrich Utah’s workforce by leveraging the skills and experience of these highly qualified professionals,” added Matthew Mason, Hill Air Force Base school liaison program manager. “The bill underscores Utah’s commitment to supporting DOD civilian families and fostering a more dynamic job market.”
SB17 moved through both bodies of the legislature with little resistance. In response to a concern that licensure exemptions could impact local professionals, Millner said she didn’t get any negative feedback from professionals or regulators.
“People have been very supportive,” Millner said. “I think we need more teachers. We need more nurses. We have workforce needs.”
Shannon Sollitt is a Report for America corps member covering business accountability and sustainability for The Salt Lake Tribune. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by clicking here.
