Government shutdowns can delay military construction projects and disrupt services for service members and military families, and recovering from those disruptions can take months.
November 16, 2025
high
temporal
Impact of funding interruptions on military infrastructure and personnel support.
Some Department of Defense research and development funds have a two-year period of availability and can be used to cover certain expenses, including paying service members during a lapse in regular appropriations.
October 11, 2025
medium
budgetary
Availability period and potential reprogramming use of certain DoD research and development funds during government funding gaps.
During a federal government shutdown, service members and other federal employees who continue working can experience delayed paychecks if Congress has not enacted funding or passed legislation to provide pay on the regular schedule.
high
temporal
Explains a common personnel and payroll consequence of a lapse in federal appropriations.
Federal government shutdowns can cause federal employees to be furloughed and can interrupt pay for federal workers and service members when appropriations lapse.
high
operational
Consequence of lapses in appropriations during funding gaps
Federal executive orders can direct federal agencies to identify service members affected by a military policy and to take steps to reinstate or restore certain benefits.
high
policy
Executive orders provide federal authorities a mechanism to require agency actions concerning benefit restoration for affected personnel.
Some U.S. elected lawmakers are military veterans or former national security officials and may publicly urge service members and intelligence personnel to refuse unlawful or illegal orders.
medium
behavioral
Describes a type of public advocacy by certain lawmakers regarding obedience to orders.