1,500 civilian employees are being placed on furlough at Travis and Beale Air Force bases in Northern California amid the Federal government shutdown.
900 employees are effected at Travis and 600 employees at Beale, according to Air Force officials. Military personnel will continue to work but will not be paid until Congress reaches a budget deal.
The civilian employees who are being asked to report to work Monday will be ordered to close down their offices, and will be sent home on unpaid leave until the government reopens.
“The lack of appropriations to fund those civilian positions and pay our Airmen will certainly cause a great deal of distress in their lives and certainly impact not just the members but their families as well,” said United States Air Force Captain Clay Lancaster, stationed at the Beale Air Force Base.
Jerline Wallace and her husband own CJ’s BBQ just outside Travis Air Force Base. Many of their regular customers work at the base. Wallace expects to take a financial hit in the coming weeks as hundreds will likely not be returning to work and others will likely spend less during shutdown.
“If they don’t make money, they won’t be able to spend money,” Wallace said.
Other members of the Travis Air Force Base community say they want Congress to pass a deal and are frustrated with how it’s effecting military families.
The Travis Air Force Base library and family education services will close Monday. The commissary closes Wednesday if a budget deal isn’t reached.
