DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
1010 DEFENSE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1010

SEP 26 2013

MEMORANDUM FOR ALL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EMPLOYEES
SUBJECT: Potential Government Shutdown

The Department continues to strongly believe that a lapse in funding should not
occur. There is enough time for Congress to prevent a lapse in appropriations, and the
Administration is willing to work with Congress to enact a short-term continuing resolution to
fund critical government operations and allow Congress the time to complete the full year 2014
appropriations. However, prudent management requires that we continue to prepare for all
contingencies, including the possibility that a lapse could occur at the end of the month.
As part of our effort to keep employees apprised of planning efforts, we are providing further
information on how a potential lapse will affect our staff and operations. Under a lapse in
funding, our actions and decisions about what operations continue are governed by legal
opinions issued by the Attorney General and the Office of Legal Counsel of the Department of
Justice.

We have worked to determine which of our activities may continue under these legal
requirements. Similarly, we have worked to determine which of our employees would continue
to report to work in the event of a lapse in funding, and which employees would be placed on
furlough. Should a lapse occur, and depending on the length of the lapse period, these
determinations may change over time as circumstances evolve. All military personnel would
continue in a normal duty status; however, a large number of our civilian employees would be
temporarily furloughed. Importantly, the categorization of employees and whether or not
someone is furloughed is not a reflection on the quality of their work, nor of their importance to
our agency. It is merely a reflection of the legal requirements that we must operate under should
a lapse occur.

Your commanders and supervisors will be reaching out to you to provide additional detail
on our contingency plans and your status under a potential lapse. These conversations are
designed to provide clarity on how a potential lapse will affect you, but they do not constitute an
official notice of furlough. Official furlough notices will only be issued on October 1“ if a lapse
in funding has occurred.

The uncertainty of the current circumstances puts our workforce in a difficult situation.
Should a lapse occur, it could impose hardships on many employees, as well as the people that
we serve every day. We will work closely with all staff to do our best to support you throughout
this period. In addition, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has created a document to
address some of the questions related to a lapse that may be on your mind. The document can be
accessed on OPM’s website (http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/furlough-
guidance).

I want to thank you for your hard work, dedication, and patience, particularly during such
a period of fiscal duress. I know how hard this has been for your and your families, and I regret
that a lapse in funding could impose further hardship. Secretary Hagel and I value greatly your

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contributions to national security and we appreciate your continued devotion and service to this
Department and to the Nation.