What reduction-in-force did the VA originally plan in its March 4, 2025 memo before it shifted to voluntary departures on July 7, 2025?

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In a March 4, 2025 internal memorandum obtained by Government Executive, VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek outlined a department-wide reduction-in-force targeting a cut from roughly 482,000 to the fiscal 2019 staffing level of 399,000—slashing up to 83,000 positions to "move aggressively" on efficiency and return to pre-PACT Act workforce levels (). On July 7, 2025, Secretary Doug Collins announced that through a combination of the federal hiring freeze, voluntary early retirements under VERA, deferred resignations under DRP, and normal attrition, the VA would eliminate nearly 30,000 positions—obviating the need for that mass RIF ().

What reduction-in-force did the VA originally plan in its March 4, 2025 memo before it shifted to voluntary departures on July 7, 2025?

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