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Washington, United States – The Pentagon and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday, July 1, 2026, announced a new recruiting initiative called “War Force” to attract top artificial intelligence and software engineering specialists into the U.S. military. The program marks a significant shift in recruitment strategy, emphasizing high‑tech capabilities to modernize the armed forces and maintain a technological edge over global adversaries. Rather than seeking traditional combat personnel, the initiative targets private‑sector software engineers, data scientists and AI experts, who will be embedded down to the unit level across the Department of Defense. The Trump administration has increasingly used its preferred term “Department of War” in official communications, including the OPM press release announcing the program. Under the “War Force” program, these “forward‑deployed engineer” roles are advertised on the government‑run USAJOBS website with annual salaries of up to nearly $200,000 for a two‑year stint. Officials are seeking experts in designing, building, integrating and maintaining advanced capabilities, including frontier AI, machine learning, automation and large‑scale data systems, to support military operations. Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael described the initiative as a call to action for patriotic technologists who want to serve both their country and the warfighter. The “War Force” effort forms a key part of the Trump administration’s broader “Tech Force” program, which aims to draw private‑sector technology specialists into federal government service.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.