After the halt to hiring for Italian civilian employees at the U.S. military bases in Vicenza and Aviano (Pordenone), the Department of Government Efficiency of the United States (Doge) has also implemented cuts to the U.S. civilian staff. Recently, workers at the two bases in northeastern Italy, mostly clerks and service workers, received a new letter, this time specifically aimed at reducing some jobs as soon as possible.

The U.S. government has offered American civilian employees at both bases the opportunity to retire three years earlier than planned. For those not nearing retirement, early exit from employment is being encouraged through a series of incentives.

"The email received by the U.S. civilian staff at the Vicenza and Aviano bases offering incentives for early departure is not a surprise," explains Roberto Frizzo from Uiltucs of Vicenza. "It is part of the rationalization policy announced by Trump. This does not affect Italian civilian personnel, whose hiring remains blocked until December due to the freeze on turnover, except for essential services for the bases."

In particular, the new internal communication suggested that U.S. civilian employees at the bases consider changing jobs by 2026. This is essentially an exit strategy program, offering various incentives, as allowed by U.S. law. Trump's goal is to reduce defense spending, particularly related to civilian personnel at overseas bases, and to initiate an exit strategy for a significant portion of the workforce that is expected to be implemented within the next three years.

Meanwhile, the future of Italian civilian employees remains uncertain. Last month, some of them also received the infamous email from Doge, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency managed by Elon Musk, requesting weekly reports on their activities. This was followed by a suspension of telework, a block on government credit cards for Italian employees in procurement offices, and a ban on new hiring.

These measures led to the non-renewal of about 100 fixed-term contracts once they expired at the two northeastern bases. As a result, some positions will remain vacant due to retirements. Meanwhile, the credit cards, which had been blocked until March 31, were finally unlocked. However, the future of employment at the U.S. bases in Italy remains uncertain, especially in light of the upcoming decisions from the Trump administration, which is focused on a general restructuring of the defense sector. Therefore, the attention of unions in Veneto and Friuli regarding these important U.S. bases in northeastern Italy remains high.