During the hiring freeze directed by the Secretary, the Department of Defense will continue to hire the civilians that support the lethality of the Total Force. DoD will continue to recruit the great Americans who manufacture artillery shells, repair and refit our warships, maintain our fleets of military vehicles and equipment, teach the sons and daughters of Service members, and provide medical care to our warriors and their families.
I have provided guidance to DoD Components and Military Departments to clarify that hiring should continue for these and other positions that are essential for immigration enforcement, national security, public safety, recruiting, and readiness. More information can be found at https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Spotlight/2025/Guidance_For_Federal_Policies/PR-Guidance-on-Hiring-Freeze-Exemptions-for-the-Civilian-Workforce-EO-14210.pdf.
Over the past two decades, the defense civilian workforce expanded and evolved to support low-intensity conflicts with violent extremist organizations around the globe. That era has passed.
We will hire and retain employees that are central to the Department's core warfighting mission while exercising stewardship of taxpayer dollars. As we optimize DoD's civilian workforce, we will employ a deliberate process to align our civilian workforce against the President's top national security priorities. Together, we will continue to build our readiness, deter and defeat our enemies, and achieve peace through strength.
—Jules W. Hurst III, Performing the Duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness