The Pentagon is making a major shift in how it buys software, ordering acquisition officers to prioritize rapid, commercially available solutions over long, bureaucratic development cycles. A March 6 memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lays out the new approach, requiring buyers to default to streamlined acquisition pathways like Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs) and Other Transaction Authority (OTAs)—methods that allow faster purchases and greater access to non-traditional defense tech companies.
Why does this matter? For years, the Department of Defense (DoD) has struggled to keep pace with commercial software advancements, often spending billions developing custom tools that could have been bought off the shelf. Now, the shift means the DoD will lean on proven commercial solutions from companies outside the traditional defense sector—potentially reducing costs, speeding up deployment, and increasing competition. The change won’t apply to massive hardware projects like ballistic missile submarines, but for everything from AI-driven battlefield planning tools to drone swarm software, the Pentagon is signaling it’s ready to move fast and break old habits.
Layoffs: DoD
The Pentagon has officially begun cutting jobs, placing an undisclosed number of probationary employees on administrative leave ahead of their expected termination within weeks. The move is part of a broader effort to shrink the Department of Defense’s civilian workforce, with plans to fire 5,400 probationary employees, implement a hiring freeze, and review an additional 60,000 positions for potential cuts.
Hiring: FAA
Following several high-profile plane accidents, the Trump administration is making a major push to hire more air traffic controllers, addressing what officials call a longstanding staffing crisis. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a streamlined hiring process that will cut four months off the timeline and increase training salaries by 30%, making the role more attractive to new recruits. The hiring window is open until March 17, with priority given to candidates who score highest on the FAA’s skills assessment test.
The move builds on efforts from the Biden administration, which exceeded its 2024 hiring goals, bringing in 1,811 new controllers and expanding training capacity. However, a recent report found that over 90% of air traffic control facilities are understaffed, contributing to fatigue and safety risks. While this hiring push aims to modernize air traffic control and improve safety, it comes alongside mass layoffs of FAA support staff
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Opportunity to Watch
The latest Best Places to Work in Government report shows a modest increase in federal employee engagement and satisfaction, rising from 65.7 to 67.7. At first glance, it might seem like a step in the right direction—but according to the Partnership for Public Service, these numbers don’t reflect the massive upheaval federal employees have faced since the new administration made different changes. The data comes from surveys conducted last spring and summer, before workforce reductions, leadership shake-ups, and policy shifts took hold across agencies.
Since taking office, the current administration has issued a hiring freeze, eliminated remote work, and pushed for the removal of civil service job protections—moves that the Partnership warns could impact morale and the quality of public services. The report highlights pay, recognition, employee input, and work-life balance as persistent pain points for federal workers. Despite the uncertainty, the group remains hopeful that agency leaders will find ways to support and engage their workforce to maintain mission readiness in the months ahead.
