The Department of Defense (DoD) has cut nearly 21,000 civilian employees as part of its ongoing workforce reduction effort, with about 40,000 more cuts needed to meet its goal of trimming up to 8 percent of its civilian workforce, according to a Pentagon official. […]

The Department of Defense (DoD) was granted a “blanket exemption” from the civilian hiring freeze mandated by President Donald Trump, allowing “normal hiring actions and onboarding” to continue for the department’s civilian workforce, according to a U.S. Air Force memorandum obtained by MeriTalk. […]