Gabrielle, 3, holds on to her father, Gunnery Sgt. Godfrey Marille, of the 1st Marine Logistics Group at Camp Pendleton, CA. (David McNew/Getty Images (FILE))
The directive mandates a staged budget reduction: 10% by FY 2027, 30% by FY 2028, 40% by FY 2029, and 50% by FY 2030, based on FY 2026 figures adjusted for inflation.
Services have 120 days from the memo’s signing to submit implementation plans, including career model revisions that support long-term geographic stability.
In a briefing with reporters, Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Tim Dill confirmed that the target is ambitious, but not final.
"We want them to come back and tell us if that seems like the right number for them," Dill said. "If they come back and say, well, this specific course of action could be harmful, then we don't want to accomplish it."
While the effort is framed as a cost-saving measure, the move comes as pressure mounts over quality-of-life issues facing military families.
According to the 2024 active duty spouse survey, 32% of military spouses favor leaving the military altogether, a historic high for the biennial survey. Only 48% report being satisfied with military life, the lowest level in nearly two decades.
PCS moves are at the center of that discontent.
"We just reviewed the results of the 2024 active duty spouse survey, and we hear from them frequently about all of the concerns that are typically associated with PCS moves," Dill said. "It’s clear that it’s time for the [DoD] to look at reducing the frequency of those moves, especially if we want to maintain the momentum that we have today both in recruiting and the retention of service members."
PENTAGON TO CUT UP TO 60K CIVILIAN JOBS, BUT FEWER THAN 21K HAVE VOLUNTARILY RESIGNED
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens to a question during an interview on "The Will Cain Show," May 19. (Fox News / The Will Cain Show)
It comes on the heels of a series of other cost-efficiency pushes at the DoD.
In a statement issued May 23, Parnell confirmed that the department would be ending its much-criticized "What You Did Last Week" initiative, requiring civilian employees to report weekly accomplishments.
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First launched in February 2025 under Secretary of Defense guidance, the program was intended to "foster accountability."
Parnell said the program would officially conclude May 28, and employees were asked in their final submissions to offer "one concrete idea to enhance efficiency or root out waste."
Jasmine is a writer at Fox News Digital and a military spouse based in New Orleans. Stories can be sent to jasmine.baehr@fox.com
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