Fired FAA Employee Who Worked on Missile Defense Program Says He's 'Scared to Death' Now for U.S. Safety

Mar. 15, 2025

A former employee of the Federal Aviation Administration is sharing a warning about how the Trump administration’s sweeping staff cuts could affect national security: “You should be scared.“Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander was a part of the FAA’s National Airspace System Defense Program in Hawaii, established to detect incoming missiles, when he was fired from his post without warning on Friday, Feb. 14, along with hundreds of other FAA employees,NBCreported Monday.In aninterviewwith CNN’sKaitlan Collins, Spitzer-Stadtlander shared that he thought his position working on defense was secure, and that his and others' sudden termination should be alarming to the whole country.“I do think the American public does need to be concerned, about not only my firing but also the firing of so many public safety [and] national security professionals at the FAA, and within the Department of Transportation,” Spitzer-Stadtlander said. “But, you know, writ large — also throughout the federal government.“Elon Musk and Donald Trump, who are behind many of the sweeping cuts across federal government.Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via GettyThe former FAA employee then defended the statement he gave toThe Associated Press, which was published in a Feb. 17 article, in which he said, “This is about protecting national security, and I’m scared to death. And the American public should be scared too.”He’s not at liberty to share details about the project he was assigned to, but Spitzer-Stadtlander shared that the FAA National Defense Program (NDP) “has an incredibly important national security role.” His work in particular was significant to national security, he said.Spitzer-Stadtlander told AP that his former office had an established process to ensure no institutional knowledge is lost when a staff member retires or leaves. He was fired “without any warning,” he said, “actually while I was in the process of working” — thus this protocol was never carried out.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Jan. 28, 2025.ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via GettyOn Feb. 17, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavittclaimedthat “No air traffic controllers nor any professionals who perform safety critical functions were terminated.“Though he could not speak to staff cuts in air traffic control, Spitzer-Stadtlander said the second half of Leavitt’s claim, regarding the termination of workers performing essential safety functions, was “a flat-out false statement.“Spitzer-Stadtlander’s termination comes afternearly a month of federal firingsand agency downsizings, many at the hands ofElon Musk’s initiative called the “Department of Government Efficiency.“The FAA firings come just weeks after the Jan. 29fatal collisionof an Army helicopter and an American Airlines commercial flight which killed all passengers.

A former employee of the Federal Aviation Administration is sharing a warning about how the Trump administration’s sweeping staff cuts could affect national security: “You should be scared.”

Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander was a part of the FAA’s National Airspace System Defense Program in Hawaii, established to detect incoming missiles, when he was fired from his post without warning on Friday, Feb. 14, along with hundreds of other FAA employees,NBCreported Monday.

In aninterviewwith CNN’sKaitlan Collins, Spitzer-Stadtlander shared that he thought his position working on defense was secure, and that his and others' sudden termination should be alarming to the whole country.

“I do think the American public does need to be concerned, about not only my firing but also the firing of so many public safety [and] national security professionals at the FAA, and within the Department of Transportation,” Spitzer-Stadtlander said. “But, you know, writ large — also throughout the federal government.”

Elon Musk and Donald Trump, who are behind many of the sweeping cuts across federal government.Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via Getty

Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via Getty

The former FAA employee then defended the statement he gave toThe Associated Press, which was published in a Feb. 17 article, in which he said, “This is about protecting national security, and I’m scared to death. And the American public should be scared too.”

He’s not at liberty to share details about the project he was assigned to, but Spitzer-Stadtlander shared that the FAA National Defense Program (NDP) “has an incredibly important national security role.” His work in particular was significant to national security, he said.

Spitzer-Stadtlander told AP that his former office had an established process to ensure no institutional knowledge is lost when a staff member retires or leaves. He was fired “without any warning,” he said, “actually while I was in the process of working” — thus this protocol was never carried out.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Jan. 28, 2025.ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty

ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty

On Feb. 17, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavittclaimedthat “No air traffic controllers nor any professionals who perform safety critical functions were terminated.”

Though he could not speak to staff cuts in air traffic control, Spitzer-Stadtlander said the second half of Leavitt’s claim, regarding the termination of workers performing essential safety functions, was “a flat-out false statement.”

Spitzer-Stadtlander’s termination comes afternearly a month of federal firingsand agency downsizings, many at the hands ofElon Musk’s initiative called the “Department of Government Efficiency.”

The FAA firings come just weeks after the Jan. 29fatal collisionof an Army helicopter and an American Airlines commercial flight which killed all passengers.

source: people.com