🚢 Coast Guard 2018-19 Case Study
When active duty military service members went unpaid for the first time in U.S. history
🚨 A Historic First
January 15, 2019
For the first time in American history, U.S. active duty military service members missed a paycheck due to a government shutdown.
During the longest government shutdown in U.S. history (December 22, 2018 - January 25, 2019), members of the U.S. Coast Guard became the only military branch to miss paychecks. While their colleagues in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Space Force received regular pay, Coast Guard members worked without compensation.
📅 The Timeline
🏛️ Shutdown Begins
Government shutdown starts at midnight due to dispute over border wall funding. DHS (including Coast Guard) lacks appropriations.
💰 Last Regular Paycheck
Coast Guard members receive their December 31st paycheck as scheduled - the last they would see for weeks.
🚨 Paycheck Missed
The historic moment: Coast Guard active duty and reserve members miss their mid-month paycheck. Service members receive pay statements showing $0.00.
📢 National Attention
Commandant Admiral Karl Schultz releases video message acknowledging the hardship. Stories emerge of Coast Guard families using food banks and struggling to pay bills.
✅ Shutdown Ends
After 35 days, President signs temporary funding bill to reopen government for 3 weeks. Coast Guard members await back pay.
💵 Back Pay Arrives
Coast Guard processes back pay. Most members receive missed wages within a week of shutdown ending, but 35 days of uncertainty had taken its toll.
💔 The Human Impact
The 2018-19 shutdown revealed the financial vulnerability of many Coast Guard families, despite their critical national security mission.
"You as a Coast Guard member will not be paid. To the best of my knowledge, never in American history has the government ever failed to pay its military."— Admiral Karl Schultz, Coast Guard Commandant, January 2019
🤝 Community Response
When the government failed Coast Guard families, communities, organizations, and businesses stepped up to provide support.
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA)
Provided interest-free loans to Coast Guard members. Processed over 20,000 applications and distributed millions in emergency assistance.
Food Banks & Pantries
Local food banks opened special hours and delivery programs for Coast Guard families. Some base commissaries created emergency food programs.
Local Businesses
Restaurants offered free meals with military ID. Landlords waived late fees. Utility companies agreed to delay shutoffs.
Faith Communities
Churches and religious organizations provided financial assistance, food, and support services to affected families.
Crowdfunding Campaigns
Online fundraisers raised thousands to help individual families with immediate expenses like rent and groceries.
Credit Unions & Banks
Many offered zero-interest loans, waived fees, and worked with members on mortgage and loan payment deferrals.
💡 The Silver Lining
While the community response was heartwarming, it highlighted a troubling reality: active duty military service members should never have to rely on charity or emergency assistance to feed their families while serving their country.
⚠️ Still a Risk Today
The Structural Problem Remains Unchanged
Despite the 2018-19 experience, the Coast Guard remains at risk of missing paychecks during future government shutdowns.
🔑 Why They're Still Vulnerable
- Still funded through DHS: The Coast Guard remains part of the Department of Homeland Security, not DoD
- No permanent protection: No law guarantees Coast Guard pay during shutdowns (unlike DoD special appropriations precedent)
- Legislative oversight: Each shutdown requires separate Congressional action to include Coast Guard in military pay protection
- Political gridlock: If DHS appropriations are the subject of dispute, Coast Guard pay becomes collateral damage
🔮 What Would Help
📜 Legislative Fix
Permanent law guaranteeing Coast Guard pay during shutdowns, regardless of DHS funding status
🔄 Funding Transfer
Move Coast Guard back to DoD or create separate appropriations protected from shutdowns
⚡ Automatic Continuing Resolutions
Automatic funding at prior year levels if new appropriations aren't passed
💭 The Bottom Line
The 2018-19 shutdown was a wake-up call, but structural reforms have not been implemented. Future government shutdowns could once again leave Coast Guard members—the only military branch at sea protecting our shores—working without pay.