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The Department of Defense effectively banned civilian employees from effectively banning taxpayer-funded purchases, according to a new memo.
The government-issued travel and purchase cards for federal civilian employees have dropped to $1, according to instructions posted on the Department of Defense website.
“DOD civilian employees are required to cancel all official travel reservations that are not exempt from the future. Traveling employees currently not exempt should return to their respective permanent service stations as soon as they become feasible,” the memo said.
According to one memo, private employee travel directly to support military operations or permanent changes to stations will be exempt.
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US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses will be attending a meeting with British Secretary of Defense John Healy (not pictured) at the Pentagon in Washington, DC on March 6, 2025.
Parallel memos have effectively frozen private credit cards used to buy anything, from office supplies to items up to $10,000.
Following a February 26 executive order from President Donald Trump, he stimulated the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’s cost-saving efforts to “hold government officials accountable to the public.” The agency has provided that reports must be submitted to justify the travel needs of government officials.
“When an agency system is installed, the agency manager shall prohibit agency employees from participating in federally funded trips unless the travel approving officer submits a short written justification for federally funded travel within such a system,” the order said.
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The Pentagon’s agency budget is $840 billion. (Tom Brenner/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
It also asks for the agency’s credit card to be frozen for 30 days, except for the use of funds for “disaster relief or natural disaster response benefits, other important services determined by the head of the agency.”
The restrictions are as the Pentagon still fires 5,400 private employees during probation and is enacting employment freezes to cut 5-8% of its 764,000-member private workers.
The Pentagon has teamed up with Doge to identify the initial $80 million wasted spending, according to Chief spokesman Sean Parnell. Most of the funding was related to DEI and climate initiatives.
This is just a portion of the agency’s $840 billion budget, but Doge’s efforts have only just begun in recent weeks. The Pentagon began reviewing contract practices last week, requesting agencies to build a central system for contracts, grants and other spending.
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“My staff and I are currently conducting this review to determine where we may achieve efficiency to save American taxpayers money while carrying out contract operations to help our country defend,” John Tenaglia, the leading director of the Pentagon’s defense prices, contracts and acquisition policies, wrote in a note last week.
“According to EO, the component is instructed to refrain from issuing new contracting officer appointments to DOD civilian staff members until the review period ends on March 28, 2025.”
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