Posted on Feb 14, 2019
What are your thoughts on Military members not being paid?
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I understand that this board is mainly made up of veterans. How would you have felt during your active duty time, not receiving your pay check?
With the possibility of another partial government shut down, the Coast Guard is again facing a possibility of not getting paid. In the last shut down active duty Coast Guard members were paid about 8 days late.
Remember as a service member, you are essential personnel. Patrols needed to occur, search and rescue missions did not stop, marine safety exams continued. Coast Guard personnel nation wide were utilizing food banks.
Now those of you who are thinking “that wouldn’t happen with the Marines/Navy/Army/Air Force”, need to realize that it didn’t happen because the DOD already had its budget approved for the year. If it hadn’t DOD would have been in the same position as the Coast Guard. It would have taken an act of Congress for the military to continue being paid.
There were bills in Congress to continue paying the Coast Guard, but with only about 40,000 active duty, the constituency wasn’t large enough for the powers that be to act.
I really wasn’t too worried about senior enlisted and officers. I was and am worried about junior enlisted with families. Another late paycheck can/will have negative effects on both Morale and Readiness.
With the possibility of another partial government shut down, the Coast Guard is again facing a possibility of not getting paid. In the last shut down active duty Coast Guard members were paid about 8 days late.
Remember as a service member, you are essential personnel. Patrols needed to occur, search and rescue missions did not stop, marine safety exams continued. Coast Guard personnel nation wide were utilizing food banks.
Now those of you who are thinking “that wouldn’t happen with the Marines/Navy/Army/Air Force”, need to realize that it didn’t happen because the DOD already had its budget approved for the year. If it hadn’t DOD would have been in the same position as the Coast Guard. It would have taken an act of Congress for the military to continue being paid.
There were bills in Congress to continue paying the Coast Guard, but with only about 40,000 active duty, the constituency wasn’t large enough for the powers that be to act.
I really wasn’t too worried about senior enlisted and officers. I was and am worried about junior enlisted with families. Another late paycheck can/will have negative effects on both Morale and Readiness.
Military Pay
Coast Guard
Government Shutdown
Morale
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 9
CWO3 Dave Alcantara It may be late, but military members will be paid. Folks in the military and civilian world should learn money management skills (living beneath your means) so that they are not living paycheck to paycheck.
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CWO3 Dave Alcantara
I concur with that thought, but how many 18 to 21 year old junior enlisted did you know that were not living paycheck to paycheck? Especially married service members.
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SGM Bill Frazer
Got to remember the USCG is neither fish nor fowl, they are the only branch that works for Homeland Security, unless of war- so your pay comes from outside DOD.
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Honestly, it straight up blows. I know several who were hurting because of that non-sense, but I also know people taking the hit who were still for it. It shouldn't be a thing, but my wife and I know the reality that it is a thing. Which is why we use a bank that provides loans during such events, and we keep an emergency fund as well as a CC with enough room to cover immediate needs. I hate it, but I accept the reality of it.
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CWO3 Dave Alcantara
As a retiree, I have planned for issues like this. But if it were to continue for more than 6 months, I would be adversely effected. My retirement check is about 45% of my monthly income.
I am trying to steer away from politics on this. And luckily so far, I have not been effected, yet.
But I feel for the young E-3, with a wife and child leaving home for a deployment, unsure if his family will be taken care of. Our military personnel are proud folks. I am certain they were embarrassed having to go to food banks and look for donations.
I am trying to steer away from politics on this. And luckily so far, I have not been effected, yet.
But I feel for the young E-3, with a wife and child leaving home for a deployment, unsure if his family will be taken care of. Our military personnel are proud folks. I am certain they were embarrassed having to go to food banks and look for donations.
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When I was an E-5 and reaching the end of my first enlistment (early 80s) the paperwork got messed up some how and I wasn't getting paid. I had a wife and 2 children at home to support. I was stationed near family so I could provide additional support to aging parents so it was especially trying times. When the second paycheck was missed and request to travel to the District for an off cycle pay check was denied the Chief told me not to come to work. He said if they won't pay you then you need to have the time to work somewhere that will until they get it straight.
It was only a week but I was able to work with a house painter that paid me in cash at the end of each day so that was helpful.
I realize that would never happen today and certainly isn't the same situation as a service wide gap in pay.
The junior enlisted folks that make up the bulk of the services are usually the ones to feel the pain of any shortcomings and that isn't right.
It's truly shameful that Congress can't even pass a budget to present to the President or that Continuing Resolutions are the norm over the last few decades.
It was only a week but I was able to work with a house painter that paid me in cash at the end of each day so that was helpful.
I realize that would never happen today and certainly isn't the same situation as a service wide gap in pay.
The junior enlisted folks that make up the bulk of the services are usually the ones to feel the pain of any shortcomings and that isn't right.
It's truly shameful that Congress can't even pass a budget to present to the President or that Continuing Resolutions are the norm over the last few decades.
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It is a shame that politics plays any role in not being paid regardless if military or civil servant.
It happened to me several years ago under OBama, nothing new but can be financially painful.
By the way, the Coast Guard wasn’t the only service not being paid during the last government shut down. All Uniformed Services not DoD were not being paid to include Coast Guard, NOAA, and Public Health Service. These active duty members still were still performing their duty despite no paychecks. Shameful!!
It happened to me several years ago under OBama, nothing new but can be financially painful.
By the way, the Coast Guard wasn’t the only service not being paid during the last government shut down. All Uniformed Services not DoD were not being paid to include Coast Guard, NOAA, and Public Health Service. These active duty members still were still performing their duty despite no paychecks. Shameful!!
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Well, for starters, I think the whole concept is crap...but it's not likely to ever go away; not as long as politicians can use it as leverage on both sides.
I think if they aren't being paid, they should be granted an immediate leave of absence for the duration with no strings attached to find other temporary employment. If it runs more than six months, each member should be permitted to voluntarily resign with immediate effect. Those that choose to stay get full back-pay. Call every member separated under Honorable Discharges within the last five years, by reverse order of sep. date to see if they want to come back and make up the balance of those who didn't.
I think if they aren't being paid, they should be granted an immediate leave of absence for the duration with no strings attached to find other temporary employment. If it runs more than six months, each member should be permitted to voluntarily resign with immediate effect. Those that choose to stay get full back-pay. Call every member separated under Honorable Discharges within the last five years, by reverse order of sep. date to see if they want to come back and make up the balance of those who didn't.
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LTJG Richard Bruce
There is no regulation that guarantees payment at a certain time. Federal law only states that those in uniform will be paid, but not when. There are many practical and political reasons for this. Military members do not have the choice to stop working when a pay cycle is missed.
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LCDR Joshua Gillespie
Richard-Very true, but the question was what we think, rather than what is "per regulation"...I hope you'd agree with me that there are many regulations that could be better written. Beyond that, every military commander since Alexander the Great has known that even the best warriors have their limits when denied compensation. That being said, it's a credit to these Coast Guardsmen, and your parent service, that they've handled this with apparent dedication and patience. Bravo Zulu to them, and the Coast Guard.
However...
...If any private sector employer (many of whom pay vastly better for much less arduous tasking) tried that...they'd go out of business. Years ago, I'd have had a different opinion; that was before I left the Navy and found myself having to "work for a living" for the first time myself (long story, but suffice it to say that I got a real "education" out of it). Now, I believe that if we honor and respect our active duty people as much as our leaders say they do...they need to be very, very careful what they ask of people who have traded the best years of their life to protect the freedom that allows politicians to even have the argument.
And make no mistake, I support the President on what he's doing... but I recently had a phone call with a man I consider a brother; a highly-trained Federal asset who had to rely on the goodness of others to find "side work" in construction, and other means of feeding his family while this fight unfolded. Luckily, he was furloughed...not asked to come in and do a dangerous job, away from his family while they tried to make ends meet without him. As I am trying to raise a young family myself, I wouldn't dare suggest that he should, "have sufficient savings for such emergencies". Neither would I hang my hat on patriotic concepts of duty that have long been entangled with an all too obvious and menacing tendency to use the same as an excuse for taking advantage.
If those young Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines have a duty...so too, and more so do our elected officials. To my mind, that duty includes putting aside partisan politics, facing facts, and doing things for the betterment of the American people...as opposed to what is best for their political careers.
However...
...If any private sector employer (many of whom pay vastly better for much less arduous tasking) tried that...they'd go out of business. Years ago, I'd have had a different opinion; that was before I left the Navy and found myself having to "work for a living" for the first time myself (long story, but suffice it to say that I got a real "education" out of it). Now, I believe that if we honor and respect our active duty people as much as our leaders say they do...they need to be very, very careful what they ask of people who have traded the best years of their life to protect the freedom that allows politicians to even have the argument.
And make no mistake, I support the President on what he's doing... but I recently had a phone call with a man I consider a brother; a highly-trained Federal asset who had to rely on the goodness of others to find "side work" in construction, and other means of feeding his family while this fight unfolded. Luckily, he was furloughed...not asked to come in and do a dangerous job, away from his family while they tried to make ends meet without him. As I am trying to raise a young family myself, I wouldn't dare suggest that he should, "have sufficient savings for such emergencies". Neither would I hang my hat on patriotic concepts of duty that have long been entangled with an all too obvious and menacing tendency to use the same as an excuse for taking advantage.
If those young Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines have a duty...so too, and more so do our elected officials. To my mind, that duty includes putting aside partisan politics, facing facts, and doing things for the betterment of the American people...as opposed to what is best for their political careers.
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I think the Coast Guard went above and beyond what anyone outside the services expected. They were put in a very bad situation without a foreseeable outcome, and never faltered. I believe firmly that they will not waver, now or ever.
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This happened to me while I was in basic. Luckily at the time I had no family and no need for money since Army gave me what I needed tjere, but I learned not to live paycheck to paycheck from it. When I become an NCO I want to ensure my soldiers have a plan.
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Will I get back pay? If so, cool, if not, well what the hell can I do about it?
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It happened to me in 2009-2010 or somewhere around there. We only went for like a day or so though. The truth is that it very well could happen. The only reason it didn't last time is that those particular appropriations bills were already approved., Be prepared.
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