The Defense Department is set to make deep cuts to the civilian workforce focused on reducing civilian harm in U.S. military operations, according to three defense officials, part of a broader Trump administration shift to scale back protections of innocents so commanders can focus more on “lethality” when conducting military strikes.

The Army’s Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, or CP CoE, was a target before President Donald Trump took office, with a Day 1 order for officials to submit plans for its “disestablishment.” Though its formal closure requires congressional approval, administration officials offered a choice to probationary employees to be fired or accept a buyout option, said people familiar with the matter, who like some others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Probationary employees at the center are at “high risk for dismissal,” according to a Friday email obtained by The Washington Post - a marked change among leaders who were previously optimistic they would be shielded from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plans to fire thousands of Pentagon staff members.

Fourteen people, about half of the 15 month-old office’s civilian workforce, are considered probationary. All but two accepted the buyout, an Army official said. One person who declined the buyout said they did not trust the terms and that they were told they were fired but did not receive documentation.

Following inquiries from The Post on Monday, staff members at CP CoE received “additional Army clarification,” including a legal review, according to obtained messages. Terminations were not expected right away, the center clarified.

The Army official stressed that no one has been fired and that the center was not targeted specifically for cuts but acknowledged that the Trump administration did prioritize its elimination.

The cull could be among the first of many at the Defense Department in coming weeks. The Pentagon said in a statement last month that it anticipated firing about 5,400 employees as soon as last week, and it has launched a study that could eventually reduce the department’s civilian workforce by 5 to 8 percent. With more than 900,000 civilian employees, that could led to tens of thousands of job cuts.

The Pentagon said it had no information to provide about the issue.

“The Trump Administration is dismantling the system put in place to help ensure U.S. weapons are used and U.S. operations are conducted in a way that limits civilian harm,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) said in a statement to The Post. “By revoking these policies, we increase the risk that U.S. weapons are deployed in a manner that undermines our interests and values - ultimately posing a greater threat to our national security. Americans should be ashamed.”

About 30 people staff the center that provides best practices and tools for commanders to mitigate civilian harm, in response to thousands of civilian deaths during U.S. counterinsurgent operations following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. The center was established under the Biden administration and passed into law by Congress, but the initial steps for a civilian harm policy began under the first Trump administration.

Civilian staff members include 12 veterans with backgrounds in targeting, intelligence, civil affairs or humanitarian organizations. They share best practices across the military and assist commanders and battlefield personnel in integrating new information into their battle plans. It has an annual budget of $7 million.

Hegseth recently granted commanders the ability to green-light strikes without higher-level authorization, rolling back the approval layers imposed by the Biden administration that some military leaders found to be slow and bureaucratic.

Advocates of this streamlining have said that doing so will eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks that can stifle opportunities to strike adversaries and protect U.S. troops and interests. But critics of these cuts have said the new authorizations could lead to mistakes and cognitive bias, which the Pentagon vowed to combat to avoid civilian casualties.

“Improving operational effectiveness and mitigating risk are not ‘woke’ ideology, they are the tools commanders need to win campaigns,” Matt Isler, a retired air force brigadier general, wrote in a Medium post that was published as rumors of the center’s closing began to circulate.

“Rescinded were policies that made the U.S. military more respected around the world because it could fight while expertly avoiding local populations,” Sarah Yager, Washington director for Human Rights Watch, wrote in a message. “This was all in the best interests of a smart, professional military. It took over two decades to create, and it’s gone in an instant.”

Missy Ryan contributed to this report.

previous coverage

• 70,000 civilian workers targeted for Defense Department firings, Democrats warn
• The wrath of DOGE is coming for federal workers