- Ben Gibson moved from Idaho to Washington, DC, to work with the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
- In five months, DOGE terminated his job along with thousands of other probationary federal workers.
- Gibson said he just received an email and was let go the same day with no clarity.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ben Gibson, a 46-year-old former government worker based in Idaho. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
I served in the US Navy for 8 ½ years and later spent nearly five years working in the private sector as a technical communicator before I was laid off in August 2023.
About a year later, I found myself deciding between two competing job offers: a Washington, DC-based government job with the US Department of Veterans Affairs or a remote six-figure job in private equity.
I had some difficult conversations with my family, and I ultimately decided to take the federal job. Its mission felt closer to my heart, and I really wanted to settle into a lifelong career with guaranteed retirement.
On February 13, after I had just gotten home from the office, I received an email saying I had been terminated, highlighting my probationary status. I was shocked. It felt completely surreal, and it was an awful experience.
I moved to Washington, DC, and planned for my wife and son to join me
I moved to DC and started my job at the end of August 2024. My plan was to pay for two leases until my wife and son joined me at the end of the school year
I started my work right away with the Office of Enterprise Integration at the VA. Our overarching goal was to take executive branch mandates and run them through policy analysis to determine a projected timeline, cost, and resource need.
The other major thing we did was respond to congressional inquiries. For example, we helped set up community-based care for veterans who were not within commuting distance of a veteran’s hospital. We primarily focused on program development, program management, data analysis, policy analysis, and governance.
I loved what I did, and my colleagues were some of the most intelligent, hardworking, wonderful people I’ve ever worked with.
I couldn’t believe I got laid off
When the first emails about the deferred resignation package came out, part of me didn’t feel like they were real. I convinced myself the VA would likely be safe from terminations, and if we were affected, I figured there’d be some sort of protective mechanism blocking that action. I feel a bit foolish like I should’ve known.
The truth is, I had never received a performance review. I just remember thinking the termination was insane, and a piece of me didn’t believe it.
I texted the senior executive I worked directly under and told her I got fired. She thought I was joking. It wasn’t only unbelievable to me but also to most of our senior leaders, who should’ve been involved in the decision-making process or at least aware of the changes being made.
I wasn’t required to sign anything before or after my termination, I just received an email. The next day, I went into the office to turn in my equipment and badge, and I said a few quick goodbyes.
My colleagues and I are fighting back
Immediately after the termination — which came without severance or benefits — I joined a group chat with some coworkers in the same position as me, and we started sharing resources.
I filed a US Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeal, hoping the decision would be reversed or a federal judge would intervene. I truly believed I’d be back at work, but after two weeks of radio silence, I couldn’t afford to keep waiting.
I packed up my belongings and drove across the country to my family in Idaho. Luckily, I was able to get out of my lease in DC. I’ve been home for less than a month and the main thing I’m trying to do is just process it all and figure out what happens next.
Part of me regrets not taking the deferred resignation package, but I had no idea my job was at stake. Still, I can sleep fine knowing I took the risk of staying at a job I loved.
I don’t trust the government right now, but I’d love to return to work
It seems that the government’s only function is to serve the best interests of our leaders, and if you’re not making that happen, you’re expendable.
On March 12, a judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate fired probationary employees, but I haven’t received anything from the VA about it. It’s very hard to say what I’d do if reinstated.
If the VA were to allow me to temporarily work remotely and somehow guarantee that my job would be safe from termination, then I’d love to return. But I don’t foresee that being the case.
I feel safer working in the private sector
I’m currently looking at some state, local, and private-sector jobs.
When I got laid off from my private-sector job, they at least gave me severance pay, had HR present to answer questions, and helped me navigate my next steps. I’d take that over what happened with the government.
My experience is tough, but I’m not alone. Thousands of others have been fired, and the people remaining are left to pick up the pieces.
I think these terminations will eventually slow down the VA’s ability to execute services and veterans will suffer. I’ll never be happier to be wrong if I am.
If you’re a current or former federal worker who would like to share your story, please email the editor, Manseen Logan, at mlogan@goteamliberia.com.
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