The Defense Department (DOD) has received a notable exemption from the civilian hiring freeze put in place by President Donald Trump shortly after he took office.
This was confirmed through memorandums from both the Army and the Air Force.
Exemption Confirmation
A memo from the Army, which was obtained by Military Times, clarified that the usual hiring and onboarding processes would proceed without disruption.
Mark R. Lewis, acting assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, assured that operations would continue as normal.
Initially, there was some confusion about the extent of the hiring freeze, specifically whether it would impact all positions within the DOD, including roles related to child care, commissaries, schools, and other vital services for military families.
While Trump’s original order explicitly stated that military positions were exempt, it left some questions about civilian roles.
Internal Communications
The Army’s internal communication also noted that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has notified the DOD of this broad exemption.
On January 24, the Air Force supplemented this information with a memo confirming the exemption as well, which was signed by Gwendolyn R. DeFilippi, who is also acting assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs.
While the Defense Department has not officially commented on the exemption, a confidential source within the DOD assured Military Times that they were not affected by the hiring freeze.
Impact of the Hiring Freeze
President Trump’s executive order, issued on January 20, imposed a freeze on federal positions that were vacant as of noon that day.
It also prevented the creation of any new federal jobs.
This order will remain in place for at least 90 days, during which the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is expected to devise a plan to increase efficiency and manage the federal workforce through natural attrition.
The hiring freeze will be lifted in conjunction with the OMB’s plan being revealed.
Source: Militarytimes