With the government shutdown now in its third week, an Army post in central Kentucky is doing what comes naturally to the military: showing resiliency.
But the funding impasse still threatens the livelihoods of active duty service members and civilian employees, as well as the nation’s defense readiness.
One of the places being impacted is The Gathering Bakery, located about a mile from the Ft. Knox Army post in Radcliff. But these days, there’s not much of a gathering here.
”Usually, we have green-suiters in here left and right. These are our regular customers, people we see a minimum of once a day, sometimes twice a day," said owner Deb Suratt. "They’re not going to work so they’re not coming in, and the ones who are working are either not getting paid or unsure when they’ll get paid, so they’re not spending money on coffee and Red Bull spritzers. They rather keep the lights on.”
At lunch time on a recent Tuesday, the bakery had only two customers seated inside. Suratt says her business is down 25% since the government shut down on Oct. 1.
“We try not to fret about it too much and I haven’t had to make any schedule adjustments, but I will if it continues," said Suratt.
The last challenging time for this coffee and sandwich shop was during COVID-19, but Suratt says this time is worse. During the pandemic, most patrons were still getting paid and had discretionary income for croissants and lattes.
“We’ll have a ripple effect in the local and even the regional economy," said Ret. Col. Lance O’Bryan.
O'Bryan heads the Knox Regional Development Alliance, a community-based non-profit in Radcliff. He doesn’t know how many Fort Knox employees were furloughed, but the military post is the region’s largest employer with a workforce of 22,000. Fort Knox had an economic impact last year of $5.6 billion, including $1.3 billion in payroll.
Members of the U.S. military were poised to miss their first paychecks of the government shutdown on Wednesday, but active duty troops are getting some reprieve under President Trump’s order to reshuffle some Pentagon funds. But that doesn’t help those furloughed during the lapse in government operations, including civilian personnel at Fort Knox.
One resource at Ft. Knox is trying to soften the blow by providing a food pantry and other basic necessities. The Warrior Warehouse serves families stretched thin between paychecks, but since the shutdown, requests for help have increased.
Community donations stock the warehouse with everything from canned goods and diapers to bed frames and washing machines.
"It’s a sticky situation when people don’t know if they’ll get paid, and while we can't help with the paycheck aspect, we can help fill the gap," said volunteer Holly Baker. "So, if they need a coffee maker, if they need to get some clothes for their kids, those are all areas where we can fill those gaps.”
Military spouse Amy Grimm founded the Warrior Warehouse which allows soldiers to shop at no cost.
"A lot of them are young and this is their first duty station. The Warrior Warehouse is their month to month shop opportunity to make ends meet," said Grimm. "The ones that don't know about us is our challenge right now, reaching out to those who don't understand what programs are available for them."
Aside from the financial strain, the shutdown poses a larger threat, said Ret. Col. Lance O’Bryan.
“If you want to destroy readiness, continuing resolutions and not having a budget will certainly do that," O'Bryan added.
Continuing resolutions have held the military to the previous year’s spending levels with no account for inflation, including no new contracts, on which Ft. Knox and other posts rely heavily.
O’Bryan cautions a prolonged government shutdown threatens our national defense.
“Ft. Knox’s range complex is one of the most highly utilized in the nation and when there’s not a budget for travel for soldiers to come here and train, we don’t have money for range operations, it will certainly constrain the ability to do any training," O'Bryan explained.
In the meantime, members of the local community say they'll keep focused on what they can control, including small acts of kindness.
Van Tran is the owner of General Pho Vietnamese Kitchen, a food truck outside the Post Exchange, or PX, which is the shopping center on the installation. He spent more than 20 years in the Army and went through the 2018-19 government shutdown as an enlisted soldier.
For 35 days, Tran says he experienced what other active duty service members are going through now.
“It’s like a flashback to me," said Tran. "I have four kids, six of us and one income. That uncertainty, how long it’s going to be, was hard on us.”
That’s why Tran is offering free meals to those on post. To redeem the offer, service members must use the code phrase, “Battle buddy, cover me while I move.”
“Same way they have our back. Rain or shine, snow and ice, they still come out here and support us," Tran commented. "Just like in the Army, we always have each other’s back.”
Fort Knox has met major challenges over the years, including the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure when the Armor School was relocated and the post gained new missions including the U.S. Army Human Resources Command. In 2015, the Third Brigade Combat Team at Fort Knox was deactivated as the Army downsized.
Former Garrison Commander, Lance O’Bryan, now director of the Knox Regional Development Alliance, says the shutdown, however long, is just another pivot.
“They are resilient. They’ve been through it before," stated O'Bryan. "They’ll bounce back.”
