Hegseth Sides With Trump’s DOGE
On Sunday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced a new directive aimed at improving accountability within the Department of Defense (DOD). He instructed all civilian employees within the department to respond to emails from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), outlining the key accomplishments they achieved during the prior week.
“We are now requiring every member of the DOD’s civilian workforce—just the civilian personnel—to send a summary of their weekly achievements,” Hegseth explained in a video shared on social media. “This is a straightforward task: provide five bullet points on what you accomplished and make sure to CC your immediate supervisor.”
Hegseth emphasized that this initiative is essentially a “pulse check,” echoing the sentiments of business leaders like Elon Musk and even President Trump, who has highlighted the importance of ensuring that federal employees are contributing effectively to their roles. “Are you there out?” Hegseth asked, underscoring the need for continuous evaluation to ensure that DOD civilians are staying on track with their responsibilities.
This directive follows an initial, controversial pause in which Pentagon officials had told employees not to respond to the first OPM email, which was initially sent on February 22. Hegseth clarified that the pause was only temporary, allowing for a review of Pentagon procedures and coordination with the OPM. He acknowledged that national security concerns required careful handling of this initiative.
Despite some resistance from other federal agencies, including from officials who instructed their employees not to respond to the OPM email, Hegseth remained firm on the importance of accountability. Reflecting on the significance of the initiative, he said, “We need to streamline our workforce to meet fiscal demands and ensure that we maintain the world’s most formidable fighting force.”
Hegseth also confirmed that a follow-up email would soon be sent to employees, providing additional instructions for how they should proceed with this initiative.
This action aligns with broader efforts to improve transparency and efficiency within government agencies. It highlights the ongoing push for a government workforce that is not only accountable but also capable of adapting to the modern demands of national security and fiscal responsibility.
