Pentagon Civilian Employee Furloughs WIll Number 11 Days

Not 14 as previously planned

The Pentagon plans to furlough up to 800,000 civilian employees this summer to pay for budget cuts under sequestration — but for just 11 days, not 14 as previously considered, a senior defense official confirmed to POLITICO on Tuesday.

Defense officials had originally proposed 22 days of furloughs, but Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and his staff were able to reduce that to 14 days last month and vowed to try to look for further savings to mitigate the forced days off.

Hagel is expected to announce the furloughs Tuesday afternoon during a town hall meeting at the Mark Center in Alexandria, Va., where about 6,400 defense employees work.