As Congress moves to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, lawmakers face a tight deadline to pass legislation and ensure military members are paid on November 14. The situation is especially critical for tens of thousands of personnel in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve who have already missed two paychecks.
In the first multi-week shutdown since 1981 where troop pay was not protected, the White House and the Pentagon have implemented last-minute solutions to fund the October 15 and October 31 paydays for most service members.
However, no funding has been available for a unique group of “dual-status technicians”—maintainers, logisticians, and pilots in the Guard and Reserve who are essential to military readiness. These individuals are federal civilian employees required to serve in uniform and meet all military standards. According to the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, there are 10,744 dual-status technicians in the Air Guard and 6,697 in the Air Force Reserve. Though they work alongside their Active Guard Reserve counterparts, they will not receive pay until the shutdown ends.
“Right now, they are financially and emotionally drained; there’s just a visible decline in morale, trust, and motivation,” said retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn, president of the National Guard Association of the United States. “They’re disgusted with how they’re being treated; they’re tired, they’re broke and it feels like nobody cares about them.”
While most dual-status technicians were initially furloughed, many deemed essential have since been recalled to work without pay. One senior Air Force Reserve officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said about 70 percent of the technicians in his unit were recalled to support readiness training.
“We’ve got these critical employees that we’re asking to come to work, and they’re still paying for gas, and they’re still paying child care and basic needs… but there’s no money on the backside to backfill that,” the officer said, noting the particular hardship on junior enlisted technicians already “living paycheck-to-paycheck.”
To make ends meet, many have taken on side jobs. An Army National Guard officer reported that technicians in his unit, many of whom are trained mechanics, are doing side work and carpentry. Others have started driving for Uber and Lyft. This has created tension, as recalled technicians question why they must work for free while their furloughed colleagues can earn money elsewhere.
The shutdown is also degrading overall military readiness by disrupting maintenance, training exercises, and professional military education. “It really hurts our readiness,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. John Hashem, executive director of the Reserve Organization of America. “The whole readiness balance is put in turmoil.”
Late last week, the Senate initiated a process that could end the shutdown. A revised continuing resolution would fund the government through January 30 and guarantee back pay for furloughed federal workers. However, the bill must pass votes in both the full Senate and the House before the President can sign it into law.
“If Congress goes through its normal process, it won’t open the government until next week,” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Burton Field, president and CEO of the Air & Space Forces Association. He added that both chambers have procedures to “shorten that immensely” to meet the upcoming payroll deadline.
Even with a resolution, leaders worry about long-term damage. McGinn predicted the shutdown will spark an “exodus of talent,” making it harder to retain experienced technicians for jobs that are already difficult to fill.
“What speaks to the heart of any Soldier or Airman is you can love an organization as long as you want, but once you’re stomped on all the time, you can only stay for so long,” the Army Guard officer said.
Field and other advocates are calling on Congress to pass legislation that permanently protects military personnel and federal civilians from losing pay during future government shutdowns. “In the civilian world, if payroll goes down, people just walk,” Field said. “We’re lucky that across the government, we have people that are willing to make that sacrifice, but they can only make that sacrifice for so long.”
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