Gov. Shutdown Takes Toll on Military Families

Gov. shutdown takes toll on military families

WASHINGTON — The government shutdown is exacting a heavy mental toll on the nation's military families, leaving them not knowing from week to week whether their paychecks will arrive.

Military Families with Furloughed Spouses Feel Shutdown Strain

At Travis Air Force Base in California, a furloughed civilian Air Force employee and her master sergeant husband slashed their spending to weather the loss of her paycheck during the government shutdown. Yet as the end of October approached, they faced a looming problem: their double mortgage payment. The couple has not been able to sell their house in Texas without taking a loss since they changed duty stations to Travis last year. They’re abl…