US military personnel were left without pay because the budget for the Pentagon expired on September 30, and Congress did not have time to pass temporary funding. Because of this, the government partially suspended work (“shutdown”), notified US Marine Corps.
“Military personnel will continue to perform their duties in a regular status without pay until Congress passes a resolution or signs into law extending the appropriations. Civilian personnel who do not perform critically important functions have been transferred to the status of temporarily inactive, the message says.
Civilian employees who do not perform critical functions were sent on forced unpaid leave. Those involved in security or security work, but also without pay.
After completion of “shutdown” all workers will receive compensation — this is guaranteed by a special law passed in 2019. The Pentagon has special plans in case of such situations, which allow the continuation of important operations related to the defense of the country.
Since 1977, the US Congress has passed temporary resolutions in all but three fiscal years. The current freeze in appropriations affects not only the defense sector, but also other federal agencies that do not have an approved budget. This creates risks for the implementation of programs related to national security, defense procurement and international obligations.
As of October 3, 2025, the situation remains unresolved. Negotiations between lawmakers are ongoing, but so far there are no signs of a quick financial decision. The most recent US government shutdown was from December 22, 2018 to January 25, 2019. Then the government was partially shut down for a record 35 days over funding disputes for the US-Mexico border wall.
