From her vantage point working at a U.S. base near Kaiserslautern, Germany, Melanie Peña-Delgado sees the range of impacts that the United States government shutdown is having on the families of American military personnel stationed overseas.
At the Army Community Center, where she provides financial counseling, Ms. Peña-Delgado says there has been a “stream of soldiers” coming for emergency loans. “The traffic is very heavy,” she adds. “Unfortunately, these young soldiers—especially if they have a young family—are living paycheck to paycheck.”
At a nearby high school, when the closure canceled extracurricular activities for military students, from sports to science clubs to prom dances, there was an “outcry from families,” said Ms. Peña-Delgado, who is also a substitute teacher there. According to her, similar confrontations occur in other military basic schools.
Why did we write this
Active military personnel are expected to receive pay on October 15. Unlike other recent shutdowns, Congress did not protect their wages, prompting protests from families who sacrifice to serve the country.
In her case, after military parents convinced Department of Defense school officials to reconsider their decision, after-school activities resumed.
But payday is approaching October 15th. And while two-thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, the sense of a safety net is waning for American soldiers and their families who already sacrifice to serve. According to human rights organizations, a quarter of military personnel have savings of less than $500. Uncertain wages become another burden.
Now US troops are turning to US lawmakers for help. Congress is considering separate legislation, including the bipartisan Pay Our Troops Act, to ensure service members are paid despite the shutdown. And while President Donald Trump has publicly said they will be paid regardless, House Speaker Mike Johnson told lawmakers the bill would not come to a vote, Politico reported Thursday. Mr. Johnson and other Republicans say it will ease pressure on Democrats to end the election freeze. Democrats, meanwhile, say Republicans should negotiate the deal.
Not the first stopping rodeo for the troops
The last time military personnel were affected by a government shutdown was in 2018. At the time, the Department of Defense had already received funding for that year, so most service members were still being paid. Those who were not left without pay for weeks, including those in the Department of Homeland Security and the US Coast Guard.
This time, no proactive measures were taken to ensure that soldiers would get paid, said Raleigh Duttwiler, chief officer of the National Military Family Association. “The mood in our homes has gone from the usual political anxiety about what's going to happen to, 'Oh my God, how are we going to put food on the tables?'”
One Texas military spouse, who wished to remain anonymous to speak candidly, recalls being out of work during the last government shutdown. She and her husband had a newborn baby and had just bought a house.
“You think about the emotional stress you experience as a military spouse when your husband is deployed and may not get paid,” she says. Away from home, she remembers thinking, “I’m isolated, I don’t have family here.”
American troops often find themselves in financially precarious situations. Nearly three-quarters of service members and their spouses are concerned about late pay, according to an online survey of 168 military members and their spouses conducted by Blue Star Families earlier this month.
About 60% say their biggest concern is that their spouse will feel more anxious or stressed, and more than half say they may have to dip into their personal savings to cover expenses while they don't receive a paycheck. One in three service members say they may need to take out a loan.
The military spouse is currently working in Texas. But even with two incomes, “it’s still very difficult—and it’s not unique,” she says. “This is what many of our military families in my community are facing right now.”
Some military families are quietly reaching out for help, according to a Blue Star Families survey. A quarter of survey respondents said they may have to rely on a food bank to put dinner on the table.
Others are postponing travel, says a Texas couple. “We're on fall break and we had plans to take the kids to a pumpkin patch and take them on a nice little overnight camping trip, but we canceled all of that,” she says. “So instead of them having that experience over fall break, we're going to sit at home and do the best we can with what we have, knowing that we're going to have to save up to survive.”
With incomes already strained by inflationMany Americans are struggling to make ends meet. But within military communities, that pressure is compounded by the fact that families these days typically “need two incomes to survive, and we can only rely on one,” Ms. Dutweiler says.
Due in part to frequent moves that disrupt careers, as well as the challenges of raising children alone while serving, more than 1 in 5 military spouses remain home with children or are otherwise unpaid. Notably, 63% of military respondents said in a 2019 survey that having two incomes is vital to their financial well-being. Last year, the percentage who said they needed two incomes jumped to 77%.
Recruitment and costs of war
Right now, the government shutdown is especially difficult for military families, about a third of whom moved over the summer and spent about $5,000 out of pocket to do so. Most military families take as long as a year to recover financially after moving, according to military advocacy groups.
Back-to-school season also means families need to cover the costs of new clothes and school supplies, as well as extracurricular expenses, Ms. Duttweiler said. “And now we're looking at missed paychecks.”
“All of this has implications for recruiting,” says Lindsey Knight, director of engagement for Blue Star Families.
“Lack of financial stability is not a good place for any family, especially a military family who has dedicated their life to serving this country,” she says. “The worse the quality of life, the greater the challenge we face with the retention and sustainability of the volunteer force.”
Back in Texas, the military spouse says she and her husband will continue to serve. However, 38% of those surveyed in the Blue Star survey said the government shutdown makes it less likely that their families will continue to serve in the military. “In the depths of my soul there is this nagging feeling that I am something that can be paused,” says the wife. “And it doesn’t go away.”
Some members of Ms. Peña-Delgado's book club are talking about building food boxes and placing them in the yards of their homes on base. They plan to fill the boxes with things like bread and laundry detergent and leave them out for anyone who needs them. This way, families can pick up the boxes anonymously.
“You know, whatever people need,” she says. “We all just lean on each other.”
