New task force to oversee DoD’s removal of all diversity, equity and inclusion offices

The move is part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to create “merit-based, color-blind policies.”

  • A new task force will oversee the Defense Department's efforts to abolish all diversity, equity and inclusion offices within the department. The task force's mission is described as getting rid of “any vestiges of such offices that subvert meritocracy, perpetuate unconstitutional discrimination, and promote radical ideologies related to systemic racism and gender fluidity.” The move is part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to create “merit-based, color-blind policies.” Housed under the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, the task force will oversee the removal of DEI programs and the reform of promotion and selection policies. Hegseth said the Defense Department “will not consider sex, race, or ethnicity when considering individuals for promotion, command or special duty.”
  • Retirees impacted by the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset may have to wait a while before seeing changes in their Social Security benefits. The Social Security Administration said it could take more than a year to adjust the benefits and issue retroactive payments. The agency has been working on implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act, after former President Biden signed it into law in early January. The law repeals two provisions of Social Security that reduce or eliminate benefits for certain retirees in the public sector. SSA said limited agency funding is the main hurdle to getting the payments adjusted quickly.
    (WEP and GPO update - Social Security Administration)
  • Lawmakers and federal unions have a simple message for federal employees: Stay in your jobs. Federal employees are being advised to exercise extreme caution before accepting the Trump administration’s offer to resign. This comes after federal employees across government received an email Tuesday evening from the Trump administration with an offer of what it called a “deferred resignation program.” Lawmakers, unions and legal experts said there are “no guarantees” of the administration following through on the program’s promises. Groups such as the Partnership for Public Service are also warning of severe negative impacts on federal services and national security if there are widespread resignations.
  • Public sector unions are filing another lawsuit against the Trump administration. This time it's over the return of Schedule F. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) said President Donald Trump illegally exceeded his authority in attempting to unilaterally roll back a regulation that protects the rights of civil servants. Additionally, AFGE and AFSCME's suit names the Office of Personnel Management for its role in failing to adhere to the Administrative Procedure Act in its attempts to roll back this same regulation. Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 20 to convert career policy employees into this new category.
    (AFGE, AFSCME file suit over Schedule F return - American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees)
  • Federal employment attorneys are digging into the Trump administration’s deferred resignation offer. Legal experts widely expect the Office of Personnel Management’s resignation offer to face legal challenges but employment attorney Kevin Owen said “This offer’s really come out of left field for everybody. And so I think it's a little early to determine what type of litigation there can be." OPM’s proposal isn’t tied to existing programs that allow agencies to offer employees voluntary buyouts. Legal experts point to a lack of specific authority or funding for the offer as potential challenges.
  • Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said DHS is finalizing its return-to-office plans and policies. In a Jan. 29 message to all DHS employees, Noem said the department is taking steps to comply with President Trump’s executive order on remote work. DHS employees will be required to work at their duty station full time unless excused due to a disability, a qualifying medical condition, or another compelling reason.
  • Democratic lawmakers said the Trump administration’s call for federal employees to voluntarily resign could hollow out some agencies more than others. Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) tells reporters the Federal Aviation Administration is already having trouble hiring enough air traffic controllers. “If another couple thousand air traffic controllers say, ‘Fine, I’m going to take the money and not work for the next six months,’ we’d have an air traffic emergency.” House VA Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-Calif.) warns the offers could make it harder for employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs to treat patients
  • A Federal News Network survey shows many federal employees don’t plan on accepting a governmentwide offer to resign. In a survey more than 46-hundred federal employees, more than three-quarters of respondents said they don’t intend to accept the deal the Office of Personnel Management sent them earlier this week. About 11% of respondents said they would take OPM’s deal. But a majority of them said they already had plans to retire soon or find another job outside government. About 70% percent said OPM hasn’t given them enough details to accept the deal. Some want more clarity around what it would mean for their health insurance or their federal pensions.
  • The Navy is creating a new cyber group to further combat the threats in the Pacific theater. Vice Admiral Mike Vernazza, commander of Naval Information Forces, said yesterday at the West 2025 conference that the command will help incorporate more cyber activities into the NAVIFOR’s processes. The cyber group will address cyber activities in a more in-depth and detailed way given the threat and opportunities in the Pacific. He expects the new cyber group to be stood up in 2025.
  • Federal employees should consult with their human resources personnel, agency benefits personnel and legal counsel before accepting the Trump administration’s deferred resignation offer. While the Fork in the Road email mentions potential benefits, legal experts warn the program does not guarantee that employees who decide to resign will receive those benefits. It also doesn't guarantee exemption from any layoffs, furloughs, reduction in force and it does not provide any individualized guidance to federal employees. Experts recommend exploring alternative paths to the deferred resignation program, whether it’s retirement, reassignment, transfers, or Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments. Timothy Dowers, an associate attorney, said the decision to resign “should be truly voluntary, not made under pressure or without fully understanding the options.”

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