This is a new series – Sacrificed for ‘Savings’ … in which we are showcasing the true impact of the Trump-Musk purge of federal employees via DOGE, by allowing those affected to tell their stories in their own words. Jason King was a dedicated civil servant of the FAA. He was one of many staff controversially terminated, seemingly without just cause. Here he is … in his own words:
“It Raises Serious Concerns About the Integrity of Aviation Safety and the FAA’s Ability To Fulfill Its Critical Mission”
As a dedicated member of the FAA’s Safety Directorate and a proud disabled Army veteran, I am truly heartbroken by my recent termination due to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) decisions.
This is not just a personal setback, as it raises serious concerns about the integrity of aviation safety and the FAA’s ability to fulfill its critical mission. The agency is already operating under significant strain, and further cuts to personnel and resources only increase the risks within our national airspace. Every lost position weakens oversight, monitoring, and proactive safety measures—elements that are essential to preventing accidents and ensuring public safety.
I grew up in Cocoa, FL, and joined the Army after high school, becoming an Airborne Paratrooper. This led to me supporting 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell, KY. Once there, my role was to oversee the logistics of air operations, ensuring the coordinated movement of personnel and critical resources in and out of the country to support multiple missions. I played a key role in making sure our teams downrange had the necessary equipment, supplies, and support to execute their objectives effectively.
After my military service, I transitioned to full-time studies at Florida Tech, where I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems. My passion for aviation, combined with my background in military logistics and national security, has driven me to focus on protecting our airspace from emerging cyber threats. My goal is to leverage my cybersecurity expertise to safeguard critical aviation infrastructure and ensure the security of national air operations.
READ MORE FIRST-PERSON ACCOUNTS FROM CIVIL SERVANTS FIRED BY DOGE
My role in the FAA was a project management analyst serving as the Executive Assistant directly to the Director of Safety. I performed many tasks for him such as processing corrective action reports, document change proposals, event response reports, FOIA requests, submitting documentation to help our Air Traffic Controllers ensure that their facilities were maintained. I supported various other tasks and roles that included setting up high level meetings and assisting the director with meeting important deadlines for tasks. We had multiple trips planned to visit different service centers across the country to listen to concerns and receive feedback on how each area could be improved. These trips were halted due to the lack of funding, the budget freezes, etc.
The decision to terminate my employment removes an experienced and committed safety professional at a time when the agency can least afford such losses. Especially after recent events such as the plane crashes that just occurred in D.C., Philadelphia and elsewhere. Despite my status as a veteran with preference rights, I was dismissed just before completing my probationary period, an action that should not have occurred under Reduction in Force (RIF) protections. The stated reason—for termination due to performance issues—is inaccurate, as I have consistently met or exceeded expectations. On top of that, My SF 50 designation means I should have been given preference from layoffs due to my status as a disabled veteran.
Here’s my interview with WUSA:
Aviation safety should never be treated as a budget item that can just be cut. Weakening the FAA’s safety workforce is a major mistake. It threatens public trust and increases the likelihood of future accidents that could have been prevented. I would like to strongly encourage our leadership to recognize the long-term consequences of these cuts and the FAA’s overall commitment to protecting our national airspace.
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3 Comments
This is happening throughout the government. People who do not know how anything works are just cutting staff without any regard to how well the individual was performing their tasks or how critical those tasks are. Intelligent cost saving measures require the person to first understand how the system works, typically by talking to people who have been there a long time, seeking ideas from people in the system, and then only then consolidating or eliminating positions that may not be critical.
How ‘EFFICIENT’ ’ can it be to lay off ‘numbers’ of workers, random numbers? When doge fires random employees that is the last thing but efficient! Furthermore, musk has never given us proof, real solid proof of why these ppl have been terminated.Vague words are nothing without solid proof to back them up! Unfortunately, it appears that musk is on a revenge tour just like the Felon is.
The Federal Govermnent is bloated, plus its $37T in debt. Our annual interest on this debt exceeds the DoD annual budget. Continue to cut and reduce…