The National Guard's Furlough Starts on Monday
Thousands of full-time National Guard soldiers and airmen will return from America Weekend to a sequestration furlough, with a pay reduction of 20 percent for the next three months.
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Apparently, the military pay cuts were intended for civilian positions only in the military, but that's not quite how it's going to play out in the Guard, because of the inclusion of military technicians among the furloughed group. Active duty personnel, however, are exempt. The Associated Press explains:
The military’s furloughs were only supposed to involve civilians, but large numbers of National Guard members who wear Army and Air Force uniforms full-time will experience them as well. The National Guard added military technicians to the furlough list in May, after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel gave official notice to begin furloughs for civilians.
Some states are worried that the cuts will affect the Guard's ability to help respond to the fallout of the swiftly approaching hurricane season (Florida has been having something of a tiff over how to handle the cuts there). Others note that the Guard also steps in to help tame wildfires, which are having a particularly severe year so far in the west. But guys, at least our commercial planes are running on time.
