Pentagon readies contingency plans for government shutdown

WASHINGTON — With less than two days left before the US government potentially shuts down, the Department of Defense has issued contingency guidance to the force outlining six priorities and contracting plans.

“Activities that are determined not to be excepted, and which cannot be performed by utilizing military personnel in place of furloughed civilian personnel, will be suspended when appropriated funds are no longer available,” the document said. The secretary of defense “may, at any time, determine that additional activities shall be treated as excepted,” it added.

Fiscal 2025 is sunsetting when the clock strikes midnight Wednesday. Congress has not yet approved FY26 spending bills, and Democrats and Republicans have not reached an agreement on a continuing resolution to keep the government open. If a stopgap measure is not approved by both chambers and signed by President Donald Trump, the federal government will shut down.

For DoD, that means that military personnel on active duty — including reserve component personnel on federal active duty — will continue reporting for duty and may be asked to carry out non-excepted activities normally done by civilian personnel that have been furloughed.

“Civilian personnel, including military technicians, who are not necessary to carry out or support excepted activities, are to be furloughed using lapse in appropriations (often referred to as ‘shutdown’) procedures and guidance provided by the Office of Personnel Management,” the Pentagon guidance said. “Only the minimum number of civilian employees necessary to carry out excepted activities will be excepted from furlough.”

The department’s “highest priorities,” according to the guidance, will revolve around operations securing the US Southern border, operations in the Middle East, designing Golden Dome, depot maintenance, shipbuilding and critical munitions.

“As in every case, efforts supporting these activities may occur during a lapse when resourced with funds that remain available,” the planning guidance said.

“Where costs for such efforts must be charged against a lapsed appropriation, Component and subordinate leaders will closely evaluate individual activities to determine whether they are ‘excepted’ consistent with this planning guidance and continue or initiate them, as appropriate, when supported by the facts,” the document later added. 

When it comes to work on big-ticket weapons programs, contractors are able to continue working on previously awarded deals. However, the department is not allowed to execute new contracts.

“The expiration of an appropriation does not require the termination of contracts (or issuance of stop work orders) funded by that appropriation unless a new obligation of funds is required under the contract and the contract is not required to support an excepted activity,” the guidance continues.