Initial work by the new U.S. agency tackling bureaucracy and excessive spending – the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – at the Defense Department identified $80 million in "wasteful spending" that could be saved, a Pentagon spokesperson said Monday.

"We believe that these initial findings will probably save $80 million in wasteful spending," Sean Parnell said in a video post.

"Today's actions are just the start. More to come this week," Parnell said, adding Pentagon works "hand in glove" with the DOGE.

He listed some initial list as $1.9 million for DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) training in the Air Force, $6 million to the University of Montana to "strengthen American democracy by bridging divides," $3.5 million at the Defense Human Resources Activity for support to DEI groups and $1.6 million to the University of Florida "to study social and institutional detriments of vulnerability and resilience to climate hazards" in the African Sahel.

"So stay tuned in the weeks ahead as we trim the fat, preserve the muscle, make the DOD (Department of Defense) more mission capable and more lethal," he added.