A Virginia couple is hashing out their next steps after the husband, a disabled veteran and information technology technician with a federal agency, was fired Monday, as part of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce.
The news came in an email from the acting administrator of his agency. It said that it would not be in the “public interest” to continue further employment, citing his performance,
“For this reason, the Agency informs you that the Agency is removing you from your position,” the email further stated.
Because they are concerned about possible retaliation and a likely appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board, the couple asked WTOP not to use their names for this story.
The news came amid sweeping layoffs of probationary employees, a step in the Trump administration’s efforts to cut the federal workforce.
The man pointed to the fact that his performance was upgraded to “career conditional,” a step between one year and three years, and he was not a “probationary” employee. At three years, he would have qualified for “career” status. He also cited his military service, disability status and exceptional performance reviews.
“I was all in the range of fours, which means exceeding expectations,” he said, adding that his supervisor descrbied him as a “leader” and a “valuable member of the group.”
The family has contacted their Northern Virginia representatives in Congress and the union, The American Federation of Government Employees, but they said they have received little guidance about what to do next. Now they are considering an appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
The termination is complicated by the fact that last November they supported Donald Trump when he sought the White House for a second term.
“I voted for Donald Trump. But this is not what I was expecting,” he said. “We didn’t think they were going to take a chainsaw to a silk rug.”
The man’s wife said they also believed his years of military service would have offered him more protection against DOGE cuts.
“I recognize there are a lot of cuts that need to be made, but this is not the one that you think will happen to your family,” she said. “I encouraged him to take the job there, because he loved working for the agency, and I think it has a good mission.”
His advice for all federal workers: “Employees need to make sure that their records are up to date and correct,” he said. “Make sure you are keeping copies of all your personal files, awards and all of that.”
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to remove identifying information for the person’s safety.
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