As a first-generation Italian American, Gabriel D’Alatri said he felt it was his duty to serve the country that had provided refuge and safety to his family.
At 20 years old, he joined the Marines, where he said he was injured and consequently disabled in service. After serving three years, he went to college and decided to get a federal job to continue showing his commitment to the United States.
On Feb. 26, 2024, he began a job as a product manager for the IRS in Hartford, Connecticut, thinking this was the first step in a decadeslong career in the federal government. However, on Feb. 20, just five days away from his probation period ending and with a 6-month-old baby to take care of, he said he was unexpectedly fired.
A sign marks the headquarters of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., Feb. 20, 2025.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
Over the past month, the Trump administration, through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, has fired thousands of federal workers nationwide in the past month, in an effort, it claimed, to cut down on government waste. Among those who have lost their jobs are veterans, who make up about 28% of the federal worker labor force as of September 2024, according to federal data. As of Feb. 25, Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee said at least 6,000 veterans had been fired across the federal government.
A spokesperson from the Office of Personnel Management, which has spearheaded the “reduction in force” effort across the government, said the “OPM recognizes the dedication and service of all federal employees, including our veteran workforce, and remains committed to supporting them during this transition.”
“While workforce restructuring can be a difficult process, we are working to ensure affected employees have access to available resources and opportunities,” the spokesperson added.
In a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer last Thursday, President Donald Trump told reporters he is aware and keeping track of the veterans fired as a result of the DOGE cuts.
“We take good care of our veterans, so we’re watching that very carefully,” Trump said. “We hope it’s going to be a smaller number, but we are having great success in slimming down our government.”
On Tuesday, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told ABC News, “President Trump has consistently stood up for our brave men and women in uniform — delivering crucial reforms that improved VA healthcare, decreased veteran homelessness and enhanced education benefits. His efforts to cut wasteful spending and make agencies more efficient will ensure our government can better serve all American families, especially our veterans.”
Gabriel D’Alatri is seen in his Marine Corps uniform.
Office of Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02)
On Monday, Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., sent letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting prioritization of veteran employment during workforce reduction.
“Many of these veterans already experience the daily challenges of transitioning to civilian life, and facing such layoffs only add to their undue burden,” wrote Kiggans, whose district includes 196,000 veterans and 180,000 active-duty military and DOD employees.
“As a former Navy helicopter pilot and a commonsense conservative, I believe we can responsibly rein in government waste while ensuring DoD personnel with prior military service remain in positions where they can continue to contribute to our national security,” Kiggans told ABC News on Monday. “We cannot allow much-needed reforms to the size and scope of the federal government to weaken our defense capabilities, especially as we face increasing threats around the globe from adversaries like China and Russia.”
An extension to their service
Veterans often pursue government work after their time in the armed forces, with many seeing it as an extension to their service. Will Attig, executive director of the Union Veterans Council, said he often encourages and puts veterans on a pathway to careers in the federal workforce.
“It’s disappointing to me that all the work we did to improve veterans’ lives is being thrown down the drain,” he said. “As a veteran advocate who’s fought for and worked to make sure I can go to a veteran in need and say, ‘Here is a job for you, so you can live the American dream you fought for,’ and then come to find out everything I told them was a lie — I feel like I betrayed myself.”
D’Alatri said he was advancing greatly in the company and that he had a glowing midyear performance review. He said he was in the middle of the workday when his manager called him to tell him his name was on a list of people to be fired as a result of the federal cuts. In about an hour, following his manager’s instructions, he reported to the office, turned in his equipment and was escorted out of his office building.
D’Alatri said he believes he had gone above and beyond in his role. When he was given three months of parental leave when his baby was born, he said he only took one month out of concern he’d fall behind. He noted that his job loss has forced his wife to end maternity leave early and return to full-time work.
“I worked tirelessly for the past year. I never called out once. This just comes as a shock to me because the feedback I was getting from the people I worked for was great,” he said. “A few years back, I proved my loyalty. I love this country — we are the backbone of this country. It’s really hurtful and it’s sad because I love this country so much.”
Gabriel D’Alatri, a veteran who was a federal worker and was recently fired, is seen with his wife Sarah.
Office of Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Attig said he believes the government has much to lose by firing veterans in the federal workforce.
“They lose someone who is dedicated to this country, someone who at a very young age, they raised their right hand to say, I am going to give my life for this country. When they entered the civil service after their military service, they raised their same right hand and said they’re going to pledge to uphold the Constitution,” he said.
“Most importantly, you take away someone who truly cares about their country, someone who is using their federal work as a second service,” he added.
Lyndsay Butts is a disabled veteran who served in the Air Force and was an executive assistant at the U.S. Forest Service in Cedar City, Utah. She, too, was terminated when her probation period was nearing completion — it was set to end on March 9.
‘It feels like a slap in the face’
“Those of us that are veterans wrote a blank check for our lives and said, ‘Use me how you can to support this country.’ It feels like a slap in the face to not even have the opportunity to defend my job. It feels like a slap in the face that my brothers and sisters in arms have been treated the same way,” she said.
“I sacrificed a part of my life and I have lasting baggage from that experience, and you’re just going to get rid of me?” she added. “Throw me away like a piece of garbage? It hurts.”
Butts said she worries the firings in her agency will cause a huge lack of services to forests and the people who enjoy them. Everything from toilets to trails won’t be adequately cleaned and maintained, firewood permits won’t be sold and campgrounds may not open, she said.
“They didn’t bring anyone down to ask us, ‘What do you need? What don’t you need?’ They have no idea how we operate,” she said. “I just want my job back. I want my job back because my job is needed. I know my job is important.”
Lyndsay Butts, a veteran and former federal worker for the U.S. Forest Service, working at a booth in during the Panguitch Balloon Rally in Utah.
Courtesy of Lyndsay Butts
Bill to reinstate veterans unlikely to pass
To combat the uncertainty these firings have caused veterans across the country, Rep. Derek Tran, D-Calif., an Army veteran, introduced a bill to reinstate veterans fired from the federal government under Trump. The bill, titled the Protect Veteran Jobs Act, would also require federal agencies to submit reports to Congress on the veteran dismissals and provide clear justifications for termination. D’Alatri sought help from Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., who is a co-sponsor of this bill, and he will be Courtney’s special guest at Trump’s joint address to Congress Tuesday night, Courtney announced.
Newly-elected Rep. Derek Tran, D-Calif., walks to a new member orientation at the U.S. Capitol, Nov. 14, 2024, in Washington,
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE
However, the bill is unlikely to pass in the Republican-led House.
“I’ve spoken to some Republicans on the other side of the aisle. They’ve shared they think it’s a great bill but this is not the right time for them to jump into something like this,” Tran told ABC News. “Probably because of what’s going on with the administration or fear of retaliation on their part, but that’s me speculating.”
He said he believes the best way people can help veterans is by supporting the bill.
“Veterans bring incredible value and expertise to our federal government and provide essential services to American families and service members,” Tran said. “It is critical we protect the livelihoods of veterans who have served our country honorably and who continue to do so through civilian service. Our veterans have always had our backs, and now it’s time we step up to have theirs.”
On Thursday, Feb. 27, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a combat veteran who serves on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, held a town hall for veterans concerned about federal terminations.
“Let’s call Trump and Musk’s DOGE cuts what they are: They’re a middle finger to our veterans, and they’re a slap in the face to the sacrifices they’ve made,” Duckworth said. “Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk may not know the first thing about sacrifice and service, but our veterans sure as hell do. We will not be quiet, and I will never stop working to honor the commitment we’ve made to our nation’s heroes.”
Earlier this month, Duckworth said the Department of Veterans Affairs was working to rehire several employees who worked on the Veterans Crisis Line after she raised concerns alongside Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
“Now, after I raised these cases to the VA and spoke out about them, it sounds like, thankfully, at least some of these employees will be rehired,” she added.