Status Unknown for Retroactive Pay for Furloughed Civilians

Thousands of Fort Bragg civilian employees returned to work Monday morning.
Here's the most recent information on military/civilian pay. Active duty military members will be paid on Oct. 15 and civilians who are working now will also be paid on time under the Pay Our Military Act. Retroactive pay for furloughed civilians is still awaiting Senate approval.

Robert F. Hale, DOD comptroller and chief financial officer provided an explanation for the terms in which certain personnel were called back to repot to work  according to the American Forces Press Service.

“When we got Pay Our Military Act … we immediately began working with the Department of Justice on how to implement it,” Hale said. “The [Department of Justice] expressed the opinion that the law does not permit a blanket recall of all DOD civilians.”

Hale said under DOD’s current reading of the law, the standard for civilians who provide support to members of the armed forces requires that qualifying civilians focus on the morale, well-being, capabilities and readiness of military members that occurs during a lapse of appropriations. 

“They’ll be working now, and under POMA, we can pay them in a timely manner – their Oct. 11 pay will be on time and in full,” Hale stated. "DOD established categories of civilians beginning with some excepted civilians who already are working to ensure military operations of safety, lives and property.”

Hale said it also appears an act approving retroactive pay will be approved soon, because while Senate approval is pending, “the House passed it 407-0 and the president has said he would sign it," in the Armed Forces Press Services report.

“If this act is passed, everyone, even if they remain on furlough, will eventually be paid,” he said. “Those who remain on furlough will not be paid until we have an appropriation.”