Federal employees face unprecedented hardship during the current government shutdown. Nearly 750,000 workers have been furloughed and 730,000 others must work without pay. This ranks among the most disruptive shutdowns in recent memory. Almost one-third of discretionary federal staff remain on unpaid leave[-3]. The situation affects active-duty service members who must report for duty without guaranteed paychecks. The financial impact could reach staggering levels by December