US military veterans hit by Trump's federal workforce purge

by W.G. DUNLOP

Hendrick Simoes served in the US Navy for 24 years, retiring last year and starting a new job as a civilian employee of the federal government.

But some five months into his probationary period with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), he received a letter terminating his employment and thus joined thousands of other US veterans who have been fired as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to slash the government workforce.

ALSO READ:'Absolutely unconscionable': Ex-Republican demands Trump removed from office after fight

The sweeping job cuts have taken Trump's administration into uncharted territory, and are negatively affecting retired troops in a country where both major political parties frequently express support for current and former military personnel.

In addition to veterans being caught up in the layoffs, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced it plans to cut some 15 percent of its workforce, raising concerns about the impact on care and benefits.

"It's painful, it really is. And to me, it feels like such a betrayal," Simoes, a 43-year-old who reached the rank of senior chief petty officer and spent much of his Navy career in public affairs, said of his dismissal.

"My termination letter claimed that I don't have the... abilities, knowledge and or skills for the organization, which was blatantly false," he said, noting that a recent quarterly review "had called me exemplary and exceeding expectations."

Simoes considered his work as a senior communications specialist at NOAA a continuation of his service to his country -- and that opportunity has now been taken away.

"My heart was in working for... a good organization like NOAA, a place where I can continue to serve the American public and contribute to societal good. And now this just sucks, because I'm being told I can't do that anymore," he said.

Since his return to the White House in January, Trump has launched a vast offensive aimed at curbing public spending and reducing the federal bureaucracy.

- 'Punch in the face' -

To that end, he tapped billionaire Elon Musk, a top campaign donor turned close adviser, to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has cut thousands of government jobs and upended agencies, prompting numerous court challenges.

US military veterans make up a significant portion of the federal workforce -- some 30 percent, while they are only around six percent of the overall US population -- meaning they are disproportionately affected by recent cuts.

Congressional Democrats estimated that nearly 6,000 veterans had been laid off by February 23 and more -- including Simoes -- have since been fired.

The VA meanwhile announced this week that it aims to fire more than 70,000 employees, prompting warnings about the impact on the department, which oversees veterans' health care, education, disability pay and other benefits they have earned.

James LaCoursiere, national commander of the American Legion veterans' association, expressed concern that "if these cuts go through, tens of thousands of veterans may be unemployed."

"Not only do these job cuts threaten critical services provided to veterans but it takes away the opportunity for a veteran to continue to serve his or her brothers and sisters," LaCoursiere said.

Simoes described his termination plus the situation at the VA as a "one-two hit" and a "punch in the face," saying he was recently told his VA treatment options would be more limited.

"I have a lot of different... ailments," he said, noting that he is "petrified that I'm not going to be able to get that same level of care."

Simoes also said he fears the impact that the cuts in federal jobs and reduced VA services may have on veterans overall.

"With all these federal workers being fired, and with a big majority of them being veterans, and with veteran care being cut back, I'm really scared that we're going to go back to the days where veteran homelessness is going to be high," he said.

"I'm scared that we're going to go back to the days where veterans are committing suicide in VA parking lots," Simoes said, adding: "I feel like we had come a long way towards combating that as a society, and now all of that is at risk.