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

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.

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.

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.