U.S. Government Shutdown Halts Pay for Thousands at Overseas Military Bases

MADRID — Record-long shutdown interrupts pay for local staff supporting U.S. bases in Europe

The longest U.S. government shutdown on record is doing more than stall activity at home: it has interrupted pay for thousands of local employees who support American military installations across Europe. Since the shutdown began nearly six weeks ago, workers who provide food service, construction, logistics, maintenance and specialized technical services have faced delayed or suspended salaries.

Who is affected

How local employees are paid depends on agreements between the U.S. and each host nation. Some workers are direct hires of U.S. forces, while many are employed by private contractors. Amber Kelly-Herard, a public affairs spokesperson for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, said local workers were expected to continue fulfilling their contractual duties during the shutdown.

"It’s an absurd situation because nobody has responses, nobody feels responsible," said Angelo Zaccaria, a union coordinator at Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy. "This is having dramatic effects on us Italian workers."

Host nations step in

Responses have varied by country. Germany's finance ministry said it stepped in to pay the salaries of nearly 11,000 civilian employees who support U.S. bases, including the strategically important Ramstein Air Base. German officials said they expect to be repaid after the shutdown ends, noting that civilians were paid by the U.S. in prior funding lapses.

In Italy, roughly 4,600 nationals work at five U.S. bases; Italy's foreign ministry reported that about 2,000 — mainly at Aviano and Vicenza — were not paid in October. Union leaders say workers are struggling to cover mortgages, childcare and transport costs while still reporting to work.

At Lajes Field in the Azores, more than 360 Portuguese employees have not received pay, according to Paula Terra, head of the Lajes base workers' committee. Because the U.S.-Portugal base agreement does not recognize furloughs, Terra said staff are still showing up to avoid possible disciplinary action. The Azores regional government approved a bank loan to temporarily cover payroll while details are finalized.

Pentagon response and expert view

The AP sought comment from the Pentagon about the pay interruptions. Officials provided a brief statement: "We value the important contributions of our local national employees around the world," and declined follow-up questions.

Linda Bilmes, a public policy professor at Harvard Kennedy School who studies public finance, said contractors are generally the most at risk during U.S. shutdowns. Full-time employees have typically been made whole after past shutdowns, she noted, but contractors may not be covered, and some suppliers add contract provisions to mitigate funding interruptions. "But I doubt anyone anticipated this length of delay," Bilmes said.

On-the-ground impact

Workers across affected countries report immediate financial strain as bills come due. Spain, where some delays affected more than 1,000 workers at Moron and Rota bases, said a payment issue was resolved with government help. Other host governments — including Poland, Lithuania and Greenland — did not respond to requests for comment about whether they had provided temporary relief.

What to watch

The situation highlights how U.S. domestic budget gridlock can ripple overseas, testing bilateral agreements and placing local communities under stress. Host nations that step in to cover payroll are likely to request reimbursement from the U.S. government once funding is restored.

Reporting: Associated Press journalists contributed from Washington, Lisbon and Berlin.