When the Federal Government closes, should soldiers get "snow days"?

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 18:27:30 -0500

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Jan 6 at 2015 6:40 PM

LTC Yinon Weiss — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 18:40:23 -0500

When the Federal Government closes (as in budget problems, not weather problems), "essential personnel" still report for work. So I guess it's a question of whether you think service members are "essential personnel" -- or who among them is and who is not.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 6 at 2015 7:25 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 19:25:08 -0500

I think they should get the day(s) off, except - as LTC Yinon Weiss noted - essential personnel. In the unit where I work, for example, I would imagine there are about two or three essential military personnel. Essential when the roads are bad and essential people have to be at the office.

As SFC William Laws said, some GS civilians (and I was one of them) had to work through the furlough ... Then everyone was paid for the furlough days. I ain't complainin', just stating a fact.

Bottom line is that the "essential" in "essential personnel" is very subjective.

Response by SGT Rick Ash made Aug 1 at 2015 11:18 PM

SGT Rick Ash — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 23:18:26 -0400

Hell no! You're a soldier now, forget about the "government". They are at the top of the food chain and you are at the very bottom. You accrue leave, use it wisely.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2015 6:42 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 18:42:19 -0400

I don't know that I would call it a snow day. Back in the day when the post closed we would just get accountability and make sure everyone was safe. Essential missions still needed to happen, however most people got to take some time for themselves.