LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A major overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs is coming. An internal memo instructs top level supervisors to prepare for an agency-wide reorganization to return to 2019 staffing levels, cutting the number of employees in half. Thursday, Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen spoke on the Senate floor railing against plans to cut more than 80,000 VA jobs including the job of one Nevada vet who has already been let go.
“Mark Wagstaff, a Marine Corps veteran, a proud Marine Corps veteran. He currently lives in Las Vegas…even after his service in our military, Mark wanted to still help others, and he transitioned into civilian public service. That’s why he recently started working as a lead supply technician at the VA in Las Vegas…Sadly, this all changed after Donald Trump and Elon Musk started messing with the VA,” Senator Rosen shared.
After Senator Rosen’s speech, FOX5 tracked down the veteran to learn more about his story and what he plans to do now. Wagstaff met with FOX5’s Kim Passoth.
Wagstaff recounted it was Valentine’s Day, and he was enjoying a day off. He was on Freemont Street when his phone rang. It was his boss telling him he no longer had a job.
“So, the conversation, it was definitely met with hesitation from my supervisor…he was like, ‘Well, I don’t know how to break it to you, but you know, they unfortunately have terminated your employment,” Wagstaff revealed.
Wagstaff, a former VA Administrative Officer who made sure the hospital had necessary medical supplies for the ER, operating room, and clinics, previously served our country 10 years in the Marine Corps including a tour in Iraq. Originally from Baltimore, he fell in love with outdoor opportunities on the West Coast like hiking and ATVs during his time in the service.
“What is it about Nevada that drew you in?,” Passoth asked.
“It’s just when you get to know the people in the community, it just it felt like home and I can’t see myself anywhere else,” Wagstaff replied. Wagstaff moved to Nevada to work for the VA in March of 2023 and when a higher paying position opened, he applied and got it, but that upward movement meant he had less than a year in his position and was still in the probationary period. He and thousands of other federal employees were cut.
“It’s unfortunate that it happened, but at the same time…the Marine Corps taught me adapt and overcome. I choose to walk tall, I still have a skill. You know, it’s still a lot of work out. It’s unfortunately not in the federal government at the moment,” Wagstaff shared. Though he’s been handed a pink slip for now, Wagstaff believes a future chapter of his story could be as a federal employee once again.
“I’m still more than willing to work alongside DOGE and Elon Musk and the president…I’m all about government efficiency too. But at the same time, let’s just be mindful that we are affecting Americans,” Wagstaff stated.
Determined to find another job here in Nevada for now, Wagstaff has already attended job fairs and has some promising leads.
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