October 1, 2025
About 1.28M active-duty troops and ~750K Defense civilians face payroll lapse in shutdown
2.1 million service members work without paychecks
🛡️National Security🏛️Government
Congress set FY2025 active-component end strength at 1,276,700 active-duty personnel.
The 2.1 million figure cited publicly refers to the total force including reserves, not to active-duty only. About 1.3 million are active duty and roughly 760,000 are reserve component members.
The Department of Defense civilian workforce is commonly reported at about 750,000 employees. That count is distinct from uniformed end strength.
Public reporting shows agencies were ordered to execute contingency plans around Sept. 30, 2025, but no public DoD memo dated Sept. 30, 2025 was located that uses the exact wording quoted in the original text.
The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 requires agencies to provide back pay to federal employees and service members who worked during lapses once Congress appropriates funds. Back pay does not provide immediate liquidity.
🛡️National Security🏛️Government
Test Your Knowledge
10
Q1
Rep. Jen Kiggans introduced the bipartisan Pay Our Troops Act with 148 cosponsors to ensure military personnel receive on-time pay during the shutdown.
Q2
Federal civilian employees received partial paychecks covering only the days they worked before October 1, losing hundreds of dollars from the final days of the pay period.
Q3
On the day DFAS clarified the October 13 deadline for military pay processing, the shutdown was in which day?
Q4
House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to call members back from recess to vote on the Pay Our Troops Act despite bipartisan support.
Q5
Lawmakers recently advocated for what percentage raise for military members as part of a defense authorization bill?
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Congressional Leadership (Speaker Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Schumer)
Appropriations authority