The Pentagon announced Friday it plans to ultimately fire five to eight percent of the military’s approximately 950,000 civilian employees, with an initial tranche of 5,400 probationary workers who don’t have “mission-critical” roles expected to be terminated next week.

The dismissals will begin next week, officials said, and could expand to include tens of thousands of other workers throughout the Defense Department.

The Pentagon plans to fire 5,400 civilian employees next week as the largest federal agency seeks to eliminate 8 percent of its civilian workforce, the department announced Friday. The sweeping cuts — which could eventually extend to around 50,