During the current partial government shutdown, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, the Army and the Navy are funded and will receive their paychecks for their service come January 15. They are part of the Department of Defense.
But what about the Coast Guard?
The Coast Guard is not part of the Department of Defense and falls under the Department of Homeland Security, so come January 15, while the roughly 50,000 active duty and reserve members keep working hard to secure our borders and coasts, they will not receive a paycheck.
The Coast Guard has eleven statutory missions including maritime law enforcement, search and rescue through sea and air, pollution response and ports, and waterways and coastal security — just to name a few. These missions are crucial to our nation’s security.
There also are 6,000 civilian employees of the Coast Guard, which have been furloughed and won’t return to work until a resolution has been reached. The civilian employees support several of the Coast Guard’s missions, so even though the officers and enlisted members of the Coast Guard will still be out there doing their jobs with no pay, the missions also will be affected by the missing civilian employees not being in place. The civilians are also not receiving pay until a resolution in the government has been reached.
USAA and Navy Federal are offering members of the USCG loans to get them through this rough time, and there are a few resources such as Coast Guard Mutual Assistance that can help. However, these institutions are not without their limitations. Most Coast Guard members will have to rely on their savings, if there is any, to pay their utility bills and rent or mortgage payments, car insurance and payments, child care arrangements, groceries and the list goes on and on. Plus, of course, extra spending from the holidays that might have already been put on a credit card before any of this mess started.
Members can contact Coast Guard Mutual Assistance through this link, and if you bank through USAA or Navy Federal, you can find their links by clicking through this post as well. If you or your Coast Guard member are experiencing any emotional issues such as stress, you can contact your Coast Guard Chaplain for assistance.
My fellow Coastie spouses – WE GOT THIS! Reach out to your other Coastie spouses and make sure everyone is doing OK!
SEMPER PARATUS!
