Fort Meade Garrison Staff Back to Work Monday

Fort Meade garrison employees were expected back to work on Monday, along with most other civilian defense workers. 

The government shutdown is still in effect, but the majority of Department of Defense workers were ordered back to work Monday after Pentagon officials said furloughs would no longer apply to them. 

About half of the 800,000 civilian defense workers had been placed on furlough due to the government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1. 

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said the majority of the remaining 400,000 could return Monday, after Pentagon attorneys concluded that the law allowed furloughs to be eliminated for anyone crucial to the morale, readiness and capabilities of service members. 

For those employees of the 116 tenant organizations at Fort Meade, workers were asked to check with their supervisors to learn if they were expected to report to work Monday. 

Many services at Fort Meade had remained open during the furloughs, but others were expected back open Monday, including the commissary.