TAMPA, Fla. — The Department of Veterans Affairs dismissed more than 1,000 employees.
Those impacted include non-bargaining unit probationary employees who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment or who have served less than two years in an excepted service appointment.
The VA said mission-critical positions are exempt. According to the VA, there are currently more than 43,000 probationary employees across the department.
"We just received a new Secretary of the VA, Doug Collins, and he has assured us on the media that he would not degrade any of the current VA benefits and services,” said DJ Reyes, a retired US Army Colonel.
The VA said the move will save the department more than $98 million per year, redirecting those resources back toward healthcare, benefits, and services.
"As a veteran that uses the VA, I'm not overly concerned right now,” said Reyes. “I'm patient. The administration just took over. We're in a wait-and-see mode."
"I don't know if firing 1,000 people is the right answer,” said Bryan Stern, the Chairman and Founder of Grey Bull Rescue, a Tampa-based non-profit. “I do know that all these agencies really, really, really need to be scrubbed and looked at."
Stern is a multi-tour combat veteran who explained that he has had challenges working with the VA in the past.
"The biggest clue will be two months from now after all these firings happen, is there a change? If the VA is still slow and we don't notice it, well then, those 1,000 people did not have an impact,” said Stern. “That's how you'll know. If it gets worse, then we'll know, wow that was the wrong answer."
ABC Action News reached out to both the Tampa VA and Bay Pines VA to see if they'll be impacted at all. Both directed us to the Department of Veterans Affairs previous statement and release.
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