The US Energy Department is reportedly scrambling to reinstate nuclear energy specialists after terminating hundreds of employees, a move that has alarmed national security experts.

According to sources familiar with the situation, between 300 and 400 personnel from the National Nuclear Security Administration – responsible for designing and maintaining the country’s nuclear arsenal – were dismissed as part of a broader wave of layoffs.

However, the agency swiftly reversed course, announcing in an all-staff meeting on Friday that it is seeking to rehire them due to the highly sensitive nature of their work, Fortune reported.

The impact of 'indiscriminate layoffs' led by DOGE

The decision to cut these positions has raised significant concerns, particularly as roles within the NNSA require high-level security clearances and extensive training that can take upwards of 18 months.

Jill Hruby, former NNSA administrator under the Biden administration, highlighted the difficulty of reversing the damage.

“These people are likely never going to come back and work for the government,” Hruby remarked. “We’ve had a very active program requiring an increase to our staff so the indiscriminate layoffs of people will be really difficult for the coming years.”

The firings were part of the restructuring of the federal government led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which has been rapidly reshaping agencies in alignment with US President Donald Trump’s vision.

The chaotic implementation of these changes has resulted in miscommunications and confusion, exemplified by an incident at the Small Business Administration where employees received conflicting messages about their employment status.

Now, the NNSA is grappling with the fallout from the misstep, which has sparked security concerns. Insiders told CNN that the layoffs occurred because

“No one had taken any time to understand what we do and the importance of our work to the nation’s national security,” an insider told CNN.

The critical role of the NNSA

A semi-autonomous entity within the Energy Department, the NNSA plays a crucial role in national security, overseeing nuclear weapons production and dismantlement, providing nuclear reactors for the Navy’s submarines, and responding to radiological emergencies.

The agency is also pivotal in counter-terrorism efforts, handling the secure transport of nuclear weapons and responding to nuclear incidents worldwide. Recently, its focus has extended to evaluating how artificial intelligence might lower barriers to nuclear bomb-making – a matter of significant concern.

“These are areas where we’ve been concerned and staffed up to respond to that,” Hruby noted. “These are working with high skill-levels that are willing to work around-the-clock if needed.”

A disruptive overhaul

The sweeping job cuts within the Energy Department highlight the tumultuous and, at times, disorganised nature of the federal restructuring.

For agencies like the NNSA, where institutional knowledge and security clearances are paramount, such abrupt decisions could have lasting repercussions on national security and energy infrastructure.

As the department rushes to reinstate critical personnel, experts believe the fallout from these cuts serves as a stark reminder that streamlining government operations must be balanced against the risks of eroding expertise in mission-critical areas.