Mass. Coast Guard members won't receive paycheck due to partial government shutdown

Thousands of members from the United States Coast Guard will not see a paycheck Friday as the partial government shutdown nears the end of its third week.

The Coast Guard will be the only branch of the military to not receive a paycheck because they fall under the Department of Homeland Security.

In the end, the men and women keeping the oceans safe will struggle to keep their own households above water.

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With no foreseeable end to the partial government shutdown, United States Coast Guard members in Massachusetts are scrambling to prepare for weeks, maybe months, without a paycheck.

"The Coast Guard has a huge and very important role, and not to be funded over political issues just sounds silly," a woman named Julie, whose husband has served in the Coast Guard for over 14 years, said. "To have literally no end in sight, that’s scary and no one should have to go through that. Especially when your loved one is up there essentially risking their lives."

>> Unique food center helping Coast Guardsmen without pay amid government shutdown

Julie's husband is a helicopter mechanic, and to add more pressure to an already-risky job, their family, along with many others, will now have to scrape to pay for the essentials.

"You start crunching the numbers like, 'Can I afford to put gas in my car? Do I have to make the choice between going to work today or paying for my kid's day care?'" Julie said. "Those are really serious things."

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Julie said, although she knows they'll get through it thanks to savings and her sole income, she believes the military members who put their lives on the line every day should not worry about where their next meal is coming from.

"Please pay these men and women," Julie said. "They’re protecting us, they’re saving us, they’re helping us protect borders that don’t have walls; they're made of water."

There have been several food banks set up on the Joint Base Cape Cod to help out these families, but there is still no end in sight for these military members.

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