Majority of 800 Local Furloughed Navy Workers Return Monday

The majority of the approximately 800 Newport Naval Station civilian employees sent home last Tuesday as a result of the government shutdown returned to work Monday morning. 

This comes after the the Pentagon announced Saturday it would call most of its 350,000 furloughed civilian workers back to their jobs, citing a recent law that allows officials to consider them critical to protecting national security.

Commanders around the Newport base began yesterday notifying their personnel whose responsibilities contribute to the morale, well-being, capabilities and readiness of the service members to return to work, according to Lisa M. Woodbury Rama, public affairs officer.

This criteria has resulted in commands on the installation recalling all instructors and support personnel; Naval Health Clinic New England recalling the majority of its nearly 200 civilian staff; the Naval War College calling back 380 of the 381 staff members to resume planned curriculum schedules; the Naval Academy Preparatory School recalling its entire civilian staff and resuming classes today and all other commands resuming operations. Employees' pay, however, will be withheld pending a budget resolution and many functions requiring appropriations that remain unfunded.

The following is an update to services on the base:

1. The Commissary will reopen Tuesday, Oct. 8 for normal operations (Tues-Fri 9 to 7/Sat-Sun 9 to 6)