Washington Military Dept.: Over 850 employees sent furlough notices
Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, commander of Washington National Guard
CAMP MURRAY, Wash. -- The commander of the Washington National Guard said furlough notices were sent Tuesday to more than 850 federally funded employees because of the government shutdown.
“These employees do everything from maintaining our vehicles and aircraft – to fighting cyber attackers,” Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, the state’s adjutant general and commander of the Washington National Guard, said in a news release. “The Washington Military Department will suffer a significant reduction in resources due to a shutdown. With that said, we will do our best with what we are authorized to maintain the highest level of readiness possible.”
In the event of a domestic emergency, Gov. Jay Inslee will still be authorized to place Washington National Guard soldiers and airmen on state active duty to assist in a response, Daugherty said.
Employees furloughed include 765 full-time federal technicians – including approximately 250 in the Washington Air National Guard located at Fairchild Air Force Base – who work in everything from maintenance, information technology, purchasing and human resources. The Washington Military Department also informed approximately 90 federally funded state employees that they will be subject to furloughs beginning next week if Congress can’t reach a compromise.
Furloughs will continue until a federal budget allows employees to return to work.
Employees who suffer significant hardship due to the government shutdown are urged to call the Washington Military Department’s Veterans and Families (J9) Directorate at 1-877-585-5655.