Gov't shutdown and military pay. What will happen?

[Erose999]

Conflicting reports about how the military's pay will be affected by the gov't shutdown.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/02/military-government-shutdown-022411w/

< article >
Frank Rock, who oversees the AFGE locals that represent Defense Finance and Accounting Service employees, said DFAS also will keep operating, as it did during the last shutdowns in 1995 and 1996, so that military service members can be paid.

DFAS is financed through a working capital fund — where it charges customer agencies for services and uses those revenues to pay its employees’ salaries and other costs — and not through direct appropriations approved by Congress. Rock said DFAS managers confirmed to him Thursday that the agency’s self-sustaining status allows it to stay open during a shutdown.

Other defense agencies that operate under working capital funds include the Defense Logistics Agency and various depots. Gibson said that would likely keep them open during a shutdown.< / article >

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013604576248531550568542.html

< article >
"As a historian, it always occurred to me that a smart thing for government was always to pay the guys with guns first," Mr. Gates jokingly added.

Troops are paid on the 15th and the final day of the month, and Mr. Gates said that if a government shutdown began after Friday, troops would receive half a paycheck for the first two weeks of April. After that, troops wouldn't be paid until a deal is reached in Washington to fund the government, although they would receive any back pay owed, he added.

"If it goes from the 15th to the 30th, you wouldn't get a paycheck on the 30th," he added. "But you would be back-paid for all of it. So that's the deal." < / article >

http://www.cbs8.com/story/14398971/local-military-members-may-go-without-pay-if-govt-shutdown

< article >
According to a statement on the Defense Department website, the armed forces members would continue to earn their salaries, but wouldn't actually receive any money until Congress reaches a budget agreement.

Republicans and Democrats are reportedly wide apart on numbers for making cuts in federal spending.

Because the Friday falls halfway within a pay period, service members could receive one week's pay, but the delay after that would be dependent on the length of the possible shutdown, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. < / article >

Theres no real definitive anwser to this that I can find. Most of what I found on Google was just rightwing noise.

On one hand I think we should call Agent Orange and Eddie Munster's bluff and shut 'er down for a while. On the other, I feel for the military families and other federal employees who live paycheck to paycheck.

[Skidmore]

1. We will always find a way to support the military first.

The military is the last group in the nation I would worry about because they will find a way for a emergency provision of some sort. In the meantime, the sick, children, and the elderly are expendable.

[CRK7376]

2. As a military family

I'm a little lucky right now. We recently got a student loan for our college junior that will be used to pay mortgage, power, gas and food instead of his tuition. Tuition is not due for the fall yet, but is around the corner. IF it wasn't for this student loan, we would be screwed, once again. Thanks GOP for all your support to the military. At least I'm not deployed now having to worry at family getting by while I'm in Afghanistan....GOP at its best.

[Erose999]

3. Yep, hopefully Agent Orange and Eddie Munster will slow their role before the shutdown happens.

[underpants]

4. Thank you for this. I heard the blabbering on TV and radio and was wondering what the truth was

the Repubs are using this as nothing but another talking point...no surprise they have nothing else to sell