Latest news with #ODOT&E
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Hegseth orders Pentagon's testing office staff cut by more than half
The Senate Armed Services Committee's top Democrat is blasting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his decision this week to appoint a new director of the Pentagon's operational test enterprise and rapidly cut its staff by more than half. Hegseth said his directed reorganization, which would reduce the staff, budget and resources at the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (ODOT&E), supports the Defense Department's 'America First' strategy, according to a Tuesday memo. But Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) on Thursday said the move is 'reckless and damaging' to military accountability and oversight. 'For decades, DOT&E has played a vital, legally mandated role in safeguarding the integrity of major defense programs and ensuring military systems are effective before they are put into warfighters' hands,' Reed said in a statement. He said Hegseth has given no logical reasoning for this action, and he is worried the move 'appears retaliatory, driven by Mr. Hegseth's opposition to some of DOT&E's recent, legally required oversight decisions.' The Pentagon chief's change up of ODOT&E will see its current staff of 94 personnel – including 82 civilians and 12 service members – axed back in just seven days to just 30 civilians, 15 military personnel and one senior leader, the newly appointed acting director Carroll Quade. Quade, up until now the Navy's deputy for test and evaluation, takes over from Raymond O'Toole, who has served as acting director of the office since January, and twice as an acting deputy director since January 2021. Hegseth also ordered all contractor personnel support to end within seven days of the memo's release. The Pentagon chief justified the cuts by claiming an internal review 'identified redundant, non-essential, non-statutory functions within ODOT&E that do not support operational agility or resource efficiency, affecting our ability to rapidly and effectively deploy the best systems to the warfighter.' He estimated the changes will save more than $300 million annually. DOD's test and evaluation office is in charge of validating weapons and platforms across the U.S. military, setting policies, providing oversight and publishing annual testing updates on such major weapons programs as the F-35 fighter jet, the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon and the Columbia-class submarine. But cutting the office back to a skeleton crew with limited contractor backing may prevent it from providing adequate oversight for critical military programs, 'risking operational readiness and taxpayer dollars,' Reed said. 'This kind of politically motivated interference undermines independent oversight and leaves warfighters and the public more vulnerable to untested, potentially flawed systems,' he added.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hegseth directs reorg of Pentagon testing office, appoints new leader
The Pentagon has appointed a new director of its operational test enterprise and directed a reorganization that would reduce its staff to 30 civilians, 15 military personnel and one senior leader. In a Tuesday memo, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the move to restructure the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, or ODOT&E, supports the Pentagon's 'America First' defense strategy. 'A comprehensive internal review has identified redundant, non-essential, non-statutory functions within ODOT&E that do not support operational agility or resource efficiency, affecting our ability to rapidly and effectively deploy the best systems to the warfighter,' Hegseth said. The Defense Department estimates the changes will save more than $300 million annually. The Pentagon's test and evaluation office oversees the process for validating weapons and platforms across the Defense Department. While the military services have their own test teams, the DOD-level office sets policies, provides oversight for major programs and serves as an adviser to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, among other responsibilities. One of the office's more public-facing tasks is publishing an annual testing update on the department's major weapon systems, including the F-35 fighter jet, the Navy's Columbia-class submarine and the Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon. The report also assesses the health of the test and evaluation enterprise, including its equipment, ranges and other testing facilities. The most recent report was released in January. Raymond O'Toole has served as acting director of the office since January, following two prior tours in the acting role. The memo appoints Carroll Quade, currently the Navy's deputy for test and evaluation, to perform the duties of ODOT&E director effective immediately. 'Mr. Quade will assume all duties of the Director, overseeing the transition and ensuring ODOT&E's statutory requirements remain effective and in compliance with statute,' the memo states. The personnel cuts will come through a 'targeted, deliberate and expeditious' civilian reduction in force, according to the memo. RIF notices will be distributed early next week and personnel who are not retained will be placed on administrative leave. All leadership currently classified as senior executive service will also be put on leave. ODOT&E civilians who are employed by one of the military services will transfer back to those offices. The department did not provide details on how many civilian and military personnel currently reside within ODOT&E and it's not immediately clear how many positions the Pentagon plans to eliminate. Beyond the workforce reductions, Hegseth calls for ending all contractor personnel support within seven days of the memo's release. 'If ODOT&E decides it needs to support contractor personnel after adjusting to its base statutory mission set, ODOT&E may request such contract support with Deputy Secretary of Defense review after an initial 60-day acclimation period,' the document states.
