How do you address young service members and their significant others on yet another possible shutdown and possible pay problems?

I remember the last time this happened and all the young kids were talking about how they weren't going to work if they didn't get paid... I then pointed out they were on deployment and it really wasn't an option. We then discussed politics and the pay system. Military is essential we will get paid and anyone that says differently is just trying to cause strife. The Civi's / Contractors they are a different story and I watch them stress every time this happens. I have sympathy to a point, They chose a job in the .gov world knowing this happens every few years. I think we need less contractors and more Military doing the jobs we are trained to do, but it isn't their fault congress wont do its job. Now that's a group that needs its pay cut off.

I find it amusing how many people thought they would not receive the upcoming pay check. I think it may due to the fact many people just see pay day as 15th and 1st and not understand the pay periods of 1-15th and 16-31st. and since pay is retroactive your pay for the previous month is already covered by the current not yet expired funding.

Unless things have changed radically in the 16 years since I retired military was always considered essential and never furloughed.

I had spent a total of 41+ years in uniform before retiring in 2014. (4 Navy; 26 Coast Guard; and almost 11 years with Customs/CBP). I've seen the government shutdown multiple times - and not once did I ever miss a payday.

When I was with CBP, in 2013 I believe there were furloughs among the rank and file - management decided who would and who wouldn't be furloughed. The Port Director and Assistant Port Director played favorites as to who was furloughed. I was on annual leave and they said if I didn't return to the port my leave would be cancelled and I would be furloughed as non-essential (rank and file officer, GS-11). If I returned to the Port I wouldn't be furloughed. Well I remained on leave and come payday (after the shutdown was over) I got a regular paycheck and wasn't charged for the leave. Got to love a strong union!

What we need to do is to write our Representatives and Senators and demand that they do their jobs and produce a balanced budget bill to the President prior to the Fiscal Year starting. Before 1975 the Fiscal Year went from 1 July to 30 June. In 1976, Congress, deciding to act like they were actually doing something positive created Fiscal Year 76A which was a three month period of time to allow them to bring a balanced budget on (their warped sense) time to the President. It forever changed the Fiscal Year period to 1 October to 30 September. I honestly can't remember Congress since then, give the President a budget bill on time. Congress is derelict in the performance of their duties. If you and I or anyone else in uniform did what Congress does routinely, we'd be like Chuck Connors in "Branded" and drummed out of the service.

Please exercise your right to communicate to your elected officials...