4 days until our troops go unpaid. Even as they stand watch at home and abroad, their families are already feeling the consequences of Washington’s inaction. Since the start of the shutdown, thousands of military families across the country and around the world have seen school programs and activities canceled as federal funding to military schools slows to a halt.
A military spouse stationed in Guam told CNN regarding the shutdown, “These kids have already made sacrifices for the government, like their dad missing more birthdays and holidays than I can count, and unfairly have this burden too.”
Essential programs that sustain military families like childcare, after-school activities, and tutoring are already being disrupted, adding new layers of stress and uncertainty to some of America’s most resilient households. The children of our troops, and the parents who serve this nation, deserve better.
It’s time to put our military, our national security, and our country above politics. End the shutdown. Pay our troops.
Hooff Cooksey,
Executive Director, Veterans On Duty
