The Trump administration on Tuesday launched a new recruitment initiative called “War Force” aimed at hiring hundreds of software engineers and artificial intelligence (AI) specialists.
The effort, announced jointly by the Pentagon and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is part of the administration’s broader Tech Force program, which seeks to bring more technology professionals into federal service for two-year assignments.
Officials said the initiative will recruit engineers with expertise in frontier AI, machine learning, automation and data systems to support military operations. The hires are expected to work across the War Department, including at the unit level, to develop and maintain software capabilities for the armed forces.
A War Department official told Breaking Defense that the initiative is expected to hire “hundreds” of engineers in addition to the 1,000 positions already planned under the governmentwide Tech Force program. Many of the recruits will support the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and AI Office as it implements the department’s AI Acceleration Strategy.
“Through War Force, OPM will recruit top engineering talent from across the country and connect qualified candidates with high-impact technical roles at the Department of War,” the agencies said in a joint statement.
“War Force is a call to action for patriotic forward-deployed engineers who want to serve their country and the warfighter,” Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael said. “Executing the key tenets of the War Department’s AI Acceleration Strategy and modernizing our enterprise demand the nation’s best talent to ensure American military technological dominance for generations to come.”
According to a job posting on USAJOBS, successful applicants for “forward deployed engineer” positions could earn annual salaries of up to nearly $200,000 during their initial two-year appointments.
Appointments are initially for two years and may be extended to a maximum of four years. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and eligible for a Secret or Top Secret security clearance.
Applications are being accepted through July 10.
The launch of War Force follows other Pentagon workforce initiatives, including a cyber apprenticeship program announced in April. Pentagon Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies said last week that the apprenticeship program had already generated more than 70,000 inquiries ahead of its official launch this month.
