US military will not pay salaries to 46,000 soldiers

USA Today, a US-based publication, reported that approximately 46,000 "dual-status" soldiers working as military technicians will not be paid during the government shutdown, as they are kept separate from other full-time members of the military.

"Service members, known as dual-status technicians, are full-time employees of the National Guard and other military units held in reserve and are required by federal law to wear military uniforms, maintain part-time military memberships, and meet military standards in their daily work," the report said.

According to the US’s 2025 fiscal year defense policy proposal, it was argued that there are approximately 46,000 dual-status technician positions in the military spread across critical areas such as “helicopter and aircraft maintenance, technology support, weapons repair and administrative support to isolated units.”

Retired Major General Francis McGinn, the head of the US National Guard and former top general of the Massachusetts National Guard, was interviewed by the news organization and said the situation was "unfair" and that the issue may have been "overlooked."

Dual-status technicians in the U.S. military are considered "civilian employees of the Department of Defense," even though their jobs have inherently military aspects.

Civilian Pentagon employees are not receiving salaries during the ongoing federal government shutdown. However, many of these technicians are required to remain on the job due to the vital national security nature of their work.