The Vermont National Guard says 450 of its employees are being furloughed as part of the federal government shutdown, about half of the Army and Air Guard鈥檚 full-time workforce.
Major General Steve Cray, the adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard, says that, as of Tuesday, there is no budget authorization for many key activities. "Right now, there鈥檚 not an appropriation to do anything," Cray told reporters at a press conference Tuesday evening at Camp Johnson in Colchester. "So we鈥檙e not flying, we鈥檙e not doing any maintenance, we鈥檙e not doing any training.鈥�
Cray said Guard employees are frustrated that ongoing budget disagreements in Washington have caused them to lose time on the job. The same group of military technicians that are on furlough as of Tuesday also had their pay cut this summer due to the federal budget sequester. "Six weeks, one day a week, they took 20 percent of their pay," Cray said. "It鈥檚 substantial hardship on them. We ask our military members to do a lot for us in our community, and it鈥檚 very, very unfortunate that this has to happen to them.鈥�
Cray says the assumption is that this is an unpaid furlough. He said after the government shutdown in the 1990s, some back pay was restored to furloughed Guard employees.
In addition to the 450 full-time technicians who are now furloughed, Cray said the shutdown could affect 3,000 Guard members who were planning to train this weekend. He said the Guard will decide Wednesday whether to postpone the coming drill weekend.
