Jammie Mosser served in the U.S. Military for more than 30 years, in the U.S. Air Force, Army National Guard and Air National Guard.
After he retired last November, he applied to work at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center.
"I saw the opportunity that I could continue to serve my country and continue to serve, not only beside, but for my brothers and sisters that had served in the military. It was just a no-brainer for me," he said.
Mosser said he was hired on Jan. 12, becoming Transportation Department chief.
One of Mosser's first tasks after training was to restart the process of hiring drivers, which was put on hold after President Donald Trump issued an executive order affecting civilian hires.
"We couldn't hire drivers because the hiring freeze took place immediately. So we were kind of knocked back on our heels trying to figure out how to proceed forward."
The administration later indicated that drivers were exempt from the freeze.
But after little more than a month, on Feb. 13, Mosser received an email telling him he was fired, effective immediately.
"The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest," the email read.
"People are overworked"
Mosser said he was initially confused by the message. He thought he was being fired for poor performance, even though he was new to the job.
"There's no way that I had even a performance evaluation on record for anyone to review and I know they didn't," he said.
The VA fired Mosser and more than 1,000 others last week who, as recent hires, were still on probation. In a statement, the agency acknowledged the firings, indicating it was looking to cut costs.
Mosser said there was also one other veteran employee at the Battle Creek VA who was fired.
In an email, Battle Creek VA Medical Center spokesperson Brian Pegouske acknowledged the center had dismissed “a small number of probationary staff.” He said this would allow the agency to “focus more effectively on its core mission.”
In a press release, the Veterans Administration said these job cuts will help veterans, allowing the agency "to redirect over $98 million annually to health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries."
But Mosser said the VA will have a hard time using those funds given its reduced workforce.
“People are overworked, trying to fill more than one position, and they're not being able to perform either position, kind of, as it should be because of that. I'm scared for our veterans. I know that people will suffer.”
He said leaving people like him jobless says a lot about how much the VA cares for veterans.
“They like to use veterans as a pawn. They like to use it as a talking point. Here we are getting funds to veterans. But veterans are also the people that are working doing the job.”
Mosser said he’s still in shock from losing his job and is still working to make up for the lost income.
"How I can go from being a participating member of the economy and society to now I'm just cast aside like trash, and have to fend for myself?" Mosser asked.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
