Pentagon's elite technology unit paralyzed as entire staff resigns

Lầu Năm Góc - Ảnh 1. — The US Defense Digital Service (DDS) office under the Pentagon, has been responsible for bringing advanced technology solutions into military operations - Photo: REUTERS

The entire staff of the US Defense Digital Service (DDS), a technology unit established in 2015 under the Pentagon, will leave their positions by May 1, a member of the DDS confirmed this information to The Hill newspaper on April 15.

This mass exodus will cause the entire DDS to cease operations within the next fortnight.

Of the 14 DDS employees, 12 — including director Jennifer Hay — have submitted their resignations under the Trump administration’s deferred resignation mechanism and are expected to leave by May 1. The remaining two employees will also leave during that time.

The deferred resignation mechanism allows federal employees (usually political or high-ranking officials) to submit their resignation but choose to leave office at a specific time in the near future, rather than immediately.

“While DDS was excited to support the Department of Defense in improving efficiency and advancing software modernization initiatives, the current administration has not leveraged DDS and has imposed policies such as hiring freezes, rescinding telework, and travel restrictions that have made it impossible for us to accomplish our mission,” said a DDS activist. “As a result, the majority of the group has chosen to resign.”

Established in 2015, DDS was created to help the Pentagon quickly address technological challenges.

This small group of engineers and data experts is expected to bring Silicon Valley-style solutions to the Department of Defense — a massive federal agency that is notoriously slow to innovate in technology.

Then-Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said DDS would “take a more innovative and agile approach to solving the Department of Defense’s complex technology problems,” such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI).

DDS projects have included improving digital services to help military families access benefits, identifying and enhancing cybersecurity vulnerabilities across the Department of Defense, and developing drone detection technology.

However, under pressure from President Trump's Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE) - the agency in charge of cutting federal spending and streamlining the personnel apparatus, DDS members decided to leave before being forced to resign.

DDS initially thought it would be used to assist DOGE in automating Pentagon operations using AI, but the board rejected that proposal, according to Politico .

When the office officially closes, key efforts to streamline the Pentagon’s tech talent recruitment process and counter drones from adversaries will also be put on hold, a DDS official said.

Still, DDS’s operations won’t disappear entirely. A member told The Hill that it has “found permanent homes for most of its ongoing projects.”

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/don-vi-cong-nghe-tinh-nhue-cua-lau-nam-goc-te-liet-vi-toan-bo-nhan-vien-tu-chuc-20250416113306355.htm