Partial Government Shutdown: Why the Coast Guard Still Gets Paid
On February 14, 2026, a partial government shutdown went into effect, forcing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to cease all non-essential functions, including civilian employee labor at the U.S. Coast Guard.
In spite of the partial shutdown, active duty and reserve component members of the Coast Guard have not missed paychecks, but it’s unclear how long that scenario might continue.
>> Never miss deals, discounts, or savings for military and veterans. Sign up today to receive the MyMilitaryBenefits discount newsletter free in your inbox.
Partial Government Shutdown: Why the Coast Guard Still Gets Paid
This is a unique situation. The Coast Guard falls under DHS, not the Department of Defense, and is therefore funded with DHS money. Typically, during any government shutdown, military pay stops along with civilian employee pay, unless Congress passes special provisions allowing troops to continue receiving paychecks.
In 2026, that leads some to ask, “How long has the Coast Guard been going without pay during the government shutdown?”
The answer may surprise some, as a number of Coast Guard civilians have gone without pay. But Coast Guard members currently serving have not missed paychecks at press time. Why?
>> Never miss deals, discounts, or savings for military and veterans. Sign up today to receive the MyMilitaryBenefits discount newsletter free in your inbox.
Running the Shutdown Numbers
According to CBS News, some 76,600 people work for the Coast Guard. That includes more than 41,000 active-duty service members, 6,400 reservists, and close to 10,000 civilians.
For the military component, paychecks keep coming, but only because the Coast Guard is using discretionary funds to keep that pay going. When those discretionary funds run out, that may change. Coast Guard families expected to start missing paychecks in February due to the partial government shutdown, but at press time, there is no official word about how those long discretionary funds might last.
Resources for Coast Guard Families
Military aid societies typically step in during times like these to offer financial help and support for qualifying military families. That includes the U.S. Coast Guard.
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA) offers interest-free loans up to one paycheck after taxes, with a maximum of $6,000. According to the official site, CGMA loans are available to active-duty service members, reservists on active duty, general schedule employees, and full-time non-appropriated fund employees.
Financial institutions like Navy Federal Credit Union, USAA, First Command, PenFed, SeaWest, and other banks and credit unions may provide military families with paycheck advances or short-term support until the crisis ends.
>> Never miss deals, discounts, or savings for military and veterans. Sign up today to receive the MyMilitaryBenefits discount newsletter free in your inbox.
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
