Army to trim civilian workforce in efficiency move

Army Secretary John McHugh has instructed leaders throughout the Army to begin cutting their staffs in an effort to meet former Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ mandated efficiency objectives, reports Federal Times.

The cuts, which McHugh said in a July 11 memo should be achieved by the end of fiscal 2012, would amount to about 3 percent (about 8,700) of the Army’s 290,000 civilian employees.

In his memo outlining how the workforce reductions are to be achieved, McHugh specifically forbade Army agencies from replacing civilian employees with contractors.