Pentagon's Defense Digital Service Resigns, Program Set to Shutdown

The Pentagon's Defense Digital Service (DDS), dubbed the 'SWAT team of nerds,' is set to collapse as nearly its entire staff resigns following pressure from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Director Jennifer Hay stated that her team, which was expected to play a key role in automating Pentagon operations with AI, was instead sidelined, leading to the decision to leave. The DDS, created in 2015 to inject innovation into national security projects, has seen its influence wane as DOGE pushes aggressive reforms that many describe as destructive. Employees expressed frustration that they felt abandoned, with some critical initiatives now at risk of being abandoned entirely. The Pentagon plans to absorb DDS functions into its Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, yet criticism has emerged regarding DOGE's efficiency claims and its impact on other modernization efforts. Hay and most of her 14-person team are expected to exit by the end of April, marking the end of a program that aimed to modernize defense operations.