Air and Space Force Seek Civilian Hires After DOGE Cuts

The Air Force and Space Force are asking for Funds to Hire more than 6,000 Civilians in Fiscal 2027, a Sharp Reversal from 2025. when the Budget Request Slashed about 5,700 Full-Time Jobs. About 70% of the New Civilian Jobs included in the Air Force’s Budget Request, aim to Fill Vacancies created by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Commission or Related Executive Orders.

Analysis of 2025 Civilian Personnel Funding in the Fiscal 2026 Budget Request, found more than 5,700 Full-Time Job Cuts, linked to DOGE’s Workforce Efficiency Push, at the time led by Elon Musk. In 2026, a similar Review of the 2027 Budget Request identified some 4,300 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Increases citing the same Initiatives. Civilian and Military Personnel are Counted Differently in Pentagon Budget Documents. While Military Jobs represent Specific Roles at every Rank, Civilian Jobs are Counted based on the Cost of a Person; thus, One FTE is Equivalent to One Year of Full-Time Work, according to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). That means Two or more Part-Timers can Add Up to a Single FTE.

A Department of the Air Force Spokesperson said that Manpower Assessments Conducted in 2025 showed Civilian Staffing Levels are Currently “below validated requirements” in Modernization, Ttraining, Cyber, and Operational Support Fields, among others. The Budget Documents cite the Assessments as “comprehensive data-hygiene and manpower-validation efforts.” The Spokesperson said the FTE Increases in the Fiscal 2027 Request are Not a “one-for-one restoration” of Jobs Vacated through Job Cutting efforts, such as the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), which let Government Employees Resign and then Remain on the Payroll while Searching for New Jobs. The DRP triggered 10,691 Civilian Vacancies across the Air Force and Space Force in 2025.

The Department was able to Mitigate the Impact of last year’s Reductions Manpower through “workload reprioritization and temporary support measures,” the Spokesperson said, but Noted that the Reduction in Funding “created sustained pressure in several mission areas.” For the Space Force, the Proposed FTE Increases go beyond Plugging Prior Vacancies, and will help the Service Double in Size over the next several years, as it takes on a Larger Budget and Expanded Responsibility. Civilians are Vital to the Space Force for Technical Expertise in Building and Launching Space Systems, and its Fiscal 2027 Budget Request calls for Adding 1,912 Civilian FTEs.

“In the Space Force’s highly specialized mission areas, civilian expertise provides critical technical continuity and operational support,” the Spokesperson said. Likewise, some of the 4,115 Civilian Additional FTEs the Air Force is Seeking, will Support “specific programmatic initiatives,” including Air Force Junior ROTC, Strategic Command Priorities, and Cyber Security Teams, the Spokesperson said.

Todd Harrison, a Defense Budget Expert and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), said the Air Force and Space Force Budget Requests Reflect a “swing toward reinvesting in the workforce.” It also comes as the Defense Department seeks a Record $1.5 trillion in Defense Spending for fiscal 2027, easing the Department’s Payroll Crunch. “It’s not so much that they’re calling it out as ‘anti-DOGE,’ but it is swinging back,” He said. “Last year the base DOD budget was flat. This year the budget is up. So, they’ve got more money, got more work to do, and so naturally that means they’re going to need more people, to execute that larger budget.”

One of Trump’s (R) Priorities for His Second Term is a Plan to Shrink the Federal Workforce. After His Inauguration in January 2025, He Ordered a Federal Hiring Freeze and the OMB rolled out the (DRP). Then a February Executive Order Detailed DOGE’s WorkforceOoptimization efforts, calling on Dederal Agencies to Conduct “large-scale reductions in force” and Ssubmit a “data-driven” Hiring Plan to Ensure any New Hires came only in the “Highest-need Areas.”

The Next Month, the Pentagon said it would cut 5% to 8% of its Civilian Personnel through a Combination of Deferred Resignations, an Early Retirement Program, a Hiring Freeze, and Dismissals of Probationary Eemployees. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) Reported in5/2026 that those Mmoves Cut the Civilian Defense Workforce by 10%, or 78,000 Individuals. The White House Couched its Job Cutting Program, as an Effort to “restore accountability” and “eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity.” But many Agencies found the Cuts went too Deep.

Further, the GAO Report identified Inconsistencies in how various Defense Department Directives were Implemented, noting that the Military may Not have conducted All of the Workforce Reduction Analysis Required by Law. GAO recommended the Pentagon Plan for “collecting and sharing lessons learned.” DOD concurred, but did Not Commit to doing so. Meanwhile, the DAF Spokesperson said that, "if approved, the department plans to fill all 6,000-plus FTEs in fiscal 2027, and some organizations have already begun the process". Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, Head of the Space Force’s Largest Acquisition Hub, Space Systems Command, said in 4/2026 He’d received Authorization to Start Hiring for those Ppositions to Ensure the Potential Influx of New Funding can be Acted On as soon as it’s Available. Space Force relies Heavily on a Largely Civilian Workforce and Suffered an Outsized Impact during 2025 Reductions. The Goal is to Hire 100 New Ppersonnel per month, to fill close to 1,000 Positions, 200 of them New.

It won’t be Easy, Harrison noted. Some potential Hires may be Leery of going to Work for the Government after a Spate of Job Cuts in 2025, others may be Turned Off by the Trump administration’s move to freeze civilian pay in its fiscal 2027 budget request, though that proposal may meet resistance in Congress. If the Freeze Holds, and Inflation Continues at its Current Pace, that could be a Factor in the Government’s Recruiting Efforts, Harrison said. “In real terms, civilian pay is declining,” He said. “The job is becoming less and less attractive to people who have other options.”










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

A Blunt Threat to Acting AG

The Man who Trump (R) wants to be the next Attorney General (AG), is in for a Rude Awakening, according to One Lawmaker. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA, 36th District) is done being subtle about Todd Blanche (R), Trump's Personal Lawyer.

Lieu Delivered a Blunt Message to Blanche late on 6/6/2026, after Blanche Announced the Department of Justice DOJ would Not be Releasing the 2.5 million Remaining Epstein Files in its Possession, saying the DOJ had "Moved On."

"Dear Todd Blanche: You don't get to decide to 'move on' from the Epstein Files or from following the congressional law," Lieu wrote. "That decision can only be made by the American people and Congress. You will be disbarred. The files will eventually be released." Lieu added, "November is coming."

It wasn't Lieu's only Shot at Blanche this Weekend. The Congressman also Rresponded to a Report that Blanche had said that He was putting "Roadblocks" in place to make it Harder for Democrats to hold Trump Accountable in the Future.

Lieu's response: "Dear Todd Blanche: So what illegal actions by Trump would compel you to think a future Administration would hold Trump accountable? Please do share."

Blanche is already facing Serious Legal Jeopardy on a Separate Front. On 6/6/2026, 35 Retired Federal Judges Filed a Motion Accusing Blanche of Committing Fraud upon the Court, in Connection with Trump's $1.8 Billion IRS Settlement, a Finding that, if Verified, could cost Blanche His Law License in New York, where He is Licensed to Practice, according to Legal Experts.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Todd Blanche Holding the Bag Faces Disbarment

Trump's (R) Decision to Abandon His $1.8 Billion IRS Settlement didn't Defuse the Legal Crisis surrounding it, it just Shifted the Target, according to a Federal Trial Attorney, who has been Tracking the Case.

Sabrina Haake (D), a 25-year Federal Litigator and Plitical Analyst, who Writes the Substack Newsletter "The Haake Take", Argues that Trump Dropped the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund, not because of Political Pressure Ahead of the Midterms, but to Avoid Forcing the Appointment of a Third Attorney General. The Real Threat, She writes, came from an Extraordinary Intervention by 35 Retired Federal Judges.

On 5/27/2026, those Judges, Spanning both Parties, filed a Motion to Reopen Trump's IRS Case on Suspicion of Fraud against the Court. Their Motion accused the Department of Justice (DOJ) of Deceiving U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, by Announcing a Settlement Publicly without Notifying the Court, then using that Settlement as Legal Justification for Transferring $1.776 Billion in Taxpayer Money to Trump, His Family, and His Businesses while purporting to Release All Federal Claims against Them.

The Judges called it "most egregious conduct involving a corruption of the judicial process itself," writing that the Parties "used the proceedings before this Court as a legal pretext" while Working to Prevent the Court from Determining whether a Legitimate Case even Existed. If Trump Controlled Both Sides of the same Case, and Ppersonally Profited.

At the Ccenter of it All is Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche (R). Haake Notes that Blanche moved to Dismiss the Case Two Days before a Brief Outlining the Court's Jurisdiction was due, and that He Failed to Assert Basic Defenses the DOJ was Legally Obligated to Raise.

The Department had Previously Asserted in a Nearly Identical Prior Case involving the same IRS Contractor. His Failure to Mount any Defense at all, the Judges wrote, "only emphasizes the fraudulent nature of the settlement reached here" and "strengthens the conclusion that the litigation was collusive from the start."

Judge Williams Ordered the DOJ to Respond to the Fraud Accusations by 6/14.2026. Blanche will be Editing that Brief, knowing that in New York, where He is Licensed to Practice Law, Committing a Fraud upon the Court, is considered Grounds for Immediate Suspension or Permanent Disbarment, according to Haake.

Stripping the Larceny from the Equation, Haake concludes, does Nothing to Resolve the Underlying Fraud Finding. The Money may be Off the Table. The judges' Accusations are Not.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Russian Drone Hits Chornobyl Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility

Russian Forces Deliberately struck a Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel, near Ukraine's Chornobyl Power Plant, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on 6/7/2026, in an "extremely vile" Attack that did Not Lead to a Spike in Radiation.

The Strike Significantly Damaged a Fuel-Reception Building, Metres away from where "large amounts of nuclear material" are Stored, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which said it had been Briefed by Ukraine.

Kyiv's State Atomic Agency Energoatom said No Spent Fuel had been Stored in the Building, at the time of the Attack. A Resulting Fire was Extinguished, and No Injuries were Reported.

Russia has Not Oublicly Commented on the Strike on the Facility, which is Located around 15 km (9 miles) from the Decommissioned Chornobyl Plant, the Site of the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster.

"An extremely critical infrastructure facility – and an extremely vile Russian strike," Zelenskiy wrote on X, adding Russia had used a Shahed Attack Drone.

"As of now, there are no readings exceeding normal background radiation levels. But there is certainly an increase in Russia's brazenness, which long ago went off the charts."

The IAEA issued a Subsequent Statement saying its Monitors had found the Strike caused "significant structural damage to part of the fuel reception building, including to the IAEA safeguards office located there."

The Team "observed damage to the building’s facade, walls and staircase, with shattered glass shards, broken bricks and other debris seen scattered on the ground."

Radiation Levels remained Normal, the IAEA said, indicating the Incident caused Nno Radioactive Contamination.

In 2/2025, a Russian ShahedDdrone Damaged a Containment Arch over the Chornobyl Reactor that was Destroyed in an 4/1986 Explosion and Meltdown. Russia, which Regularly Attacks Ukrainian Cities and Infrastructure with Drones and Missiles, Denied Responsibility.

Kyiv and Moscow have also Traded Accusations of Attacking the Russian-Occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Southeastern Ukraine, Europe's Largest.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Zelensky to Discuss Russia in London

The Meeting, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President of France Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir StarmerStarmer, is Aimed at Stepping-Up-Efforts to End Russia’s War against Ukrained. The Leaders to Discuss the Prospects for New Talks with Russia.

European Governments believe Russia Cannot Avoid Negotiations Indefinitely, and Expect to take part in the Process if it Resumes.

“A window is slowly opening for talks between the European side and Russia,” German Government Sources as saying.

The London Meeting is expected to Help European Allies Prepare for such a Scenario.

On 6/5/2026, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s Diplomatic Team was Preparing Meetings with European Partners and the U.S. that “could be useful.”

Zelenskyy said Kyiv knows Europe is Preparing New Steps to Support Ukraine.

The Meeting was currently Scheduled for the Evening of 6/7/2026, However, the Plans could Change, and the Date could be Moved.

The Initiative came after Zelenskyy Proposed New Ttalks with Vladimir Putin, Publishing an Open Letter to Him on 6/4/2026. Putin, however, Refused to hold a Meeting at the Leaders’ Level, all Metings in Moscow.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Ukraine Targets St. Petersburg

Ukraine launched extensive drone attacks against Russian refineries and military facilities around the city of St Petersburg on 6/6/2-26, in what one Russian official described as an “unprecedented” attack. Targets included naval facilities, as well as oil depots and terminals, the Ukrainian military said.

It’s the second time in the past few days that scores of Ukrainian drones have targeted the Leningrad region, where St Petersburg is situated. Russia said it downed about 60 over the region early on 6/2/2026, hours before the start of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), often dubbed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s version of Davos.

“A total of 141 UAVs have been shot down over the Leningrad Region,” said Aleksandr Drozdenko, the Regional Governor, describing it as an “unprecedented attack. Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometers to the St. Petersburg region, to the enemy navy’s arsenals and a base in Kronstadt,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 6/6/2026.

Kronstadt is the main base, repair, and supply hub for Russia’s Navy in the Eastern Baltic and also has a Naval Academy. A Russian Warship in dock there was struck by a Ukrainian Drone on 6/3/2026. The town of Kronstadt was closed to traffic for several hours 6/6/2-26, according to the Official News Agency TASS.

“St. Petersburg came under a large-scale attack by military drones,” the City’s Governor, Aleksandr Beglov, posted on Telegram on 6/6/2026, saying Three People had been injured. Drozdenko said efforts continued to extinguish a Fire in a village called Bolshaya Izhora, where more than 600 people had been Evacuated. CNN Geolocated Video of thick plumes of smoke rising from a location in the area, which houses a Russian Naval Arsenal.

Zelensky also said that Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions also reached about 500 kilometers into the Krasnodar region, and hit an oil depot,” posting Videos of large Fires in both Krasnodar, in Southern Russia, and Kronstadt. “At least three tanks containing petroleum products are engulfed in flames,” claimed Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU). “This oil depot is a vital rear-area hub for the storage and supply of fuel to Russian troops in the southern and eastern sectors.”

The Strikes came Two days after Zelensky sent an Open Letter to Putin, urging Him to End the Countries’ four-year War, as the Russian Leader was preparing to Address the Forum. Putin responded with Dismissiveness, calling the Letter “Rude” and Voicing skepticism about Zelensky’s True Intentions. The Ukrainian President can “come to Moscow” if he wants to talk, a Kremlin Spokesperson said.

Ukraine appears currently to have the Upper Hand in some Areas along the Front Llines of the War. The Timing of Zelensky’s Letter, in the middle of the event where Russian Billionaires schmooze with Political Leaders and Decision Makers, was seen as No Coincidence. The Russian Economy is Struggling and Zelensky is Hoping He can Capitalize on Rising Disquiet among Bbusiness Eelites. Russian Emergency Services acknowledged 6/6/2026 that a Fire had Broken Out at the Oil Depot in Krasnodar. They said Dozens of People had been Evacuated, and more than 50 pieces of Fire-Fighting Equipment were Deployed to Combat the Fire.

Some 2,300 kilometers (1,400 miles) away, Regional Authorities Reported a Fire at the Tyumen Oil Refinery in the Urals. “The fire broke out in one of the purification units as a result of a technical malfunction,” the Authorities said. “Reports that the fire was caused by a drone attack are untrue.” Kyiv has SteppedUup Attacks on kKy Russian Oil Infrastructure in recent months, Firing Hundreds of Long-Range Drones, Squeezing Fuel Supplies and compounding the Economic Strain on Residents.

Both sides regularly launch Hundreds of Drones at each other’s Territory at night but Ukrainian Long-Range Drones have become increasingly Effective in Targeting Russian Energy Facilities, Military Bases, and Factories. The Ukrainian Military said Russia had Launched 272 Drones Overnight 6/5/2026 into 6/6/2-26, of which 249 were Intercepted. There were Impacts at 11 Locations, the Air Force said.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

DOD Drops Hundreds of Faiths from Religion List

The Department of Defense (DOD/DOW) moved this Week to Dramatically Reduce the Number of Recognized Religions, Faiths, and Belief Systems from more than 200, All the way to 31. The Move was Announced to Troops in a Memo Signed by Anthony Tata (R), Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel, and Readiness of the U.S., and Shared with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).

In the Memo, Tata says that the move comes at the Direction of Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth (R), who said the Move was Done to “streamline the DOD/DOW collection of religious preferences collection for service members, to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the chaplaincy”.

Founder and President of the MRFF, Mikey Weinstein, Called the Move to Reduce the Number of Recognized Religions a Direct Hit on the Constitution's First Amendment. “Reducing the number of religious faiths from hundreds down to 31 is another absolute, clear, filthy, and disgusting, unconstitutional, immoral and unethical attempt to force only the approved solution, getting closer and closer to Christian nationalism,” Weinstein, a Retired Air Force Officer, said in a Press Release.

Weinstein also Added that His Organization was “very seriously considering” Filing a Federal Class Action Suit on Behalf of Members of the U.S. Military and Civilians Who have been Impacted by the DOW’s Move. The Reduction of Recognized Religions is Set to Reduce the Number of Religious Affiliation Codes, which are used in Part to Connect Service Members with Necessary Faith Resources.

The List of 31 Religions still Recognized by the DOD/DOW was First Reported 6/4/2026. Some of the Faiths that were Dropped include: Atheists, Deists, Druids, Humanists, Magick, New Age churches, Pagan, Shaman, Spiritualists, and Unitarian Universalists. According to the Memo the following Religions are Still in the List of "religious affiliation codes” for Sservice Members.

Agnostic (AN) Baha'i faith (BH)
Buddhism (BU)
Christian - Assemblies of God (AG)
Christian - Baptist (BA)
Christian - Brethren (BR)
Christian - Catholic (CA)
Christian - Church of Christ (CC)
Christian - Church of God (CG)
Christian - Church of the Nazarene (CN)
Christian - Episcopal/Anglican (EA)
Christian - Evangelical (EV)
Christian - Jehovah's Witnesses (JW)
Christian - Lutheran (LU)
Christian - Methodist (ME)
Christian - Non-Denominational (ND)
Christian - Orthodox (OX)
Christian - Other (CO)
Christian - Pentecostal (PE)
Christian - Presbyterian (PR)
Christian - Quaker (QU)
Christian - Reformed (RE)
Christian - Scientist (SC)
Christian - Seventh Day Adventist (SA)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CJ)
Hindu (HI)
Islam (Muslim) (IS)
Judaism (Jewish) (JU)
No Religion (NR)
Other Religions (OR)
Sikh (SI)










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker