Every year on Veterans Day, the country honors those who serve — but this year, it comes at a time when many troops, veterans and their families are worried about making ends meet.
Troops still have to work during the government shutdown. The Trump administration had pledged to keep paying them, but an advocate for military families says many were already struggling to stay afloat even before the shutdown.
As local food pantries face lines out the door, some of the families who count on these groceries are those who serve this country.
“We face all of the same problems that every American family has. We struggle to find two jobs and keep them. We struggle to put food on the table sometimes,” said Raleigh Duttweiler, a military spouse who works for the National Military Family Association.
The group advocates on Capitol Hill and offers resources to military families, such as scholarship programs and summer camps.
Duttweiler says although the Trump administration pledged to keep paying troops during the shutdown, her group has heard from servicemembers who say their checks have been inconsistent.
“People have gotten paychecks that do not align with what their pay stub says, that what they’re seeing in the bank is different than the pay stub, that they’re getting significantly less than they did,” Duttweiler said.
Hunger has already been a big issue around the country. Last year, the USDA reported about 10% of civilian adults were facing food insecurity, compared to 25% of military adults.
This past summer, NBC News spoke with several military spouses in Texas who rely on food banks to feed their families.
“You’re out there risking your life, you want to feel sound of mind knowing your family is going to be taken care of,” one military spouse told NBC News.
Another said: “It’s my birthday and I’m at a pantry. Because if I miss today’s pantry, that’s gonna determine how the rest of the week goes.”
Nearly 40% of children at Department of Defense-run schools on U.S. military bases currently qualify for lunch assistance, up from 30% six years ago, an NBC News records request found.
And according to Navy Federal Credit Union, military families sometimes have to pay certain moving costs up front, then get reimbursed later.
Duttweiler says she knows families who are still waiting on those reimbursements, but the money isn’t flowing during the shutdown.
“They’re the ones carrying that interest every month. So they’re literally holding the bill for our country’s defense during the shutdown,” she said.
News4 reached out the Department of Defense for comment but have not yet heard back.
The Pentagon previously said it would use money from its research and development account to pay troops during the shutdown.
The Pentagon has also confirmed it received an anonymous $130 million donation to cover military paychecks. It’s not clear where that money came from.
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