My Opinion: Normally, when a Reduction-In-Force (RIF) occurs in the military, it is primarily focused on positions to be eliminated in a structure or organization. This is a long and difficult process for each position that initially existed in the military for a specific reason.

This year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) endured this significant RIF in three (3) phases, with one more phase yet to occur. However, instead of being focused on positions, the RIFs were focused on people.

The purpose of the RIF was understandable and was explained earlier in the Heritage House Foundation Report entitled “Project 2025.” The Clermont Sun Newspaper, in the October 16, 2024 issue, explained “Project 2025” and the consequences which would result to the VA.

The intended goal of “Project 2025” was to restructure the VA (via implementing RIFs), which was the second largest Department next to the Department of Defense. The purpose of the RIFs was to reduce waste and the duplication of services at the VA.

These were noble and easily understandable goals. After all, who could rationally disagree with saving taxpayers’ money? However, how the government embarked on accomplishing these goals and objectives was puzzling.

For example, during the first phase of the RIF, even before VA Secretary Doug Collins was confirmed, a letter was initiated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and sent to 2.3 million federal employees.

Workers who wanted to voluntarily leave their positions (by “deferred resignation”) by February 6, 2025, would be allowed. Forty thousand (40,000) federal employees accepted the offer, according to OPM.

These employees would receive their full pay until September 30, 2025, and not have to report for work. Essentially, an eight (8) month vacation with full pay, benefits, and the opportunity to seek other secondary employment.

The VA was allowed to exempt 130 job classifications from the “deferred resignation” offer, which will prevent over 300,000 VA employees from applying. Employees in the “exempt” classifications, were now told that they would not be allowed to leave federal government employment under the provisions of the “deferred resignation” offer.

I do not know how many of the 40,000 federal employees that are on the “Deferred Resignation” Program are VA employees or their salaries they are receiving while on the Program.

However, newspaper interviews have identified the names of two (2) VA workers. I would imagine there were more than two (2) VA workers who are on the “Deferred Resignation” Program.

The second phase of the RIF occurred on February 14, 2025, when 1,000 VA employees on “probationary” status were dismissed. “Probationary” status is normally for newly hired employees or recently promoted employees.

The reason provided on their termination notice was “for performance.” The total number of “dismissed” workers from eighteen (18) departments was 25,000 employees. The purpose of the “firings” was to save dollars and to reduce the number of employees in the departments.

I believe there are two (2) flaws in this second phase. First, some VA employees (who were dismissed) had worked for the VA for several years and had earned a promotion within the VA. Only because they were in a “probationary” status for their new position, were they fired.

Second, because these VA employees were fired “for performance” instead of being “laid off,” certainly jeopardizes their ability to obtain unemployment benefits and compensation.

Now to complicate the situation even more, on March 13, 2025, Federal Judge William Alsup ordered federal agencies (including the VA) to rehire the probationary employees who were fired, with back pay.

Although 25,000 “fired” employees are being “re-hired,” many of them are now being placed on paid “administrative leave” status.

Judge Alsup criticized the decision to place the rehired workers on “administrative leave,” telling government lawyers that it “would not restore the services the preliminary injunction intends to restore.”

Prior to Judge Alsup’s ruling, on February 19, 2025, the VA started the third phase by firing 1,400 additional employees making the total number of VA employees dismissed to 2,400.

On March 4, 2025, the Government Executive obtained a memo indicating that the VA was going to cut an additional 80,000 VA employees later in the year. This will reduce the VA to the staffing it had in 2019 and, according to VA Secretary Doug Collins, will save $83 million dollars per year.

According to VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek, the VA “will move aggressively” to implement its plans and the RIF will “resize and tailor the workforce to the mission and revised structure.”

If my arithmetic is correct, our government is paying 40,000 employees on “deferred retirement” and 25,000 employees on “administrative leave” status, which equals 65,000 being paid and producing no services.

About 25% of the government’s workforce are veterans. If the VA’s workforce is being reduced by 83,000 VA employees before the end of the year, this means that over 20,000 veterans will lose their jobs. Are these the “Forgotten Veterans” of 2025, that I described in previous articles?

Perhaps, the VA Secretary forgot that the VA healthcare system acquired over one million new enrollees last year when the PACT Act was fully implemented. Perhaps, the VA Secretary is unaware that the VA was already short workers in “key and critical” positions.

Perhaps, the VA Secretary should obtain the opinions of representatives of the American Legion (AmL), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and other veteran service organizations (VSOs) before he “resizes and tailors” the VA workforce.

BioSketch: John Plahovinsak is a retired 32-year Army veteran who served from 1967 to 1999. He is a Past Department Commander of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and on the DAV Department of Ohio’s Legislative Team. He can be reached at: plahovinsak@msn.com.