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As the government shutdown continues, the US Army is advising soldiers stationed in Germany to seek assistance from food banks. This is being suggested as the worst-case scenario if military personnel do not receive their paychecks for November. That scenario now seems increasingly likely, given that an end to the shutdown is not in sight. Even with the shutdown, the government earlier managed to pay the soldiers, thanks to the emergency funding. $2.5 billion from summer tax cut legislation, $1.4 billion from military procurement accounts, and $1.4 billion from research and development were taken to carry out the payments, according to The Mirror US. Scott Bessent spoke to CBS News about the issue while revealing that there is a real possibility that the troops won’t get paid for the second half of November. The US Treasury Secretary noted that the soldiers will most likely receive their wages at the beginning of November. “But by 15 November, our troops and service members who are willing to risk their lives aren’t going to be able to get paid,” he added. At the moment, 36,000–37,000 Army personnel are stationed in several bases and stretched across Germany. Salaries of the soldiers stationed at Ramstein Air Base and the bases under the US Army Garrison Bavaria are at risk. Previously, the US Army Bavaria website featured a section that offered guidance to soldiers who were at risk of running out of money for basic living costs. The said section is now nowhere to be found, with the Army chiefs noting that the specific advisory only applied to German residents employed by the US Army. “The list of local food support was created weeks ago, when the US Army was concerned that its German employees might not be getting paid during the lapse in appropriations,” an official statement read. The statement added that this could have caused them to need “temporary assistance.” The soldiers were guided to social benefits, loans, and food-sharing organizations. With the shutdown stretching into day 38, making it the longest one in US history, the website warned that even these could be affected. “The shutdown will impact services provided by the garrison at installations across Rose Barracks, Tower Barracks, Hohenfels, and Garmisch,” it noted. The statement continued to note that the US Army Garrison Bavaria team would still continue to provide life, health, and safety services to individuals “working and living” within the community. The website emphasized the need to be cautious while entering into any “agreements without knowing their full repayment requirements and timelines.” The soldiers have managed to stay afloat thanks to several favours from different entities. The German Finance Ministry stepped in to help in October by sharing that the federal government would initiate an additional expenditure, which would help ensure that the salaries for October are paid. An anonymous source also donated $130 million, according to a Pentagon spokesperson. Sean Parnell spoke to CNN while reiterating that the money came from a “friend of President Trump.”
