Coming straight on the heels of the United States Coast Guard Reserve's 78th birthday on Feb. 19, the U.S. Navy Reserve will celebrate its 104th anniversary on Sunday, March 3, 2019.

Created at the outset of the first World War and active in every major war the U.S. has fought since, the Navy Reserve has been "Ready Now, Anytime, Anywhere" for over a century.

More than 100 years of service

Reservists have been important to America ever since the days of the Revolutionary War, when in 1775 the first citizens took to the sea to fight the British, even before the Continental Congress had created the Continental Navy.

Yet the present institution was not officially formed until March 3, 1915, when legislation was passed to create what was then known as the Naval Reserve Force.

The Reserve resulted from the efforts of Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and his assistant, a young Franklin D. Roosevelt, who lobbied Congress for funding after the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Once the United States entered the war in 1917, American reservists served in the cockpits of biplanes and hunted down German U-boats.

Despite the dire financial situation the U.S. found itself in during the Great Depression, the Naval Reserve managed to find funding and actually expand with the creation of the Naval Aviation Cadet program and the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. This put the Reserve in a strong position once World War II broke out in 1939, and by 1941 nearly all of its members were serving on active duty. Later that year, it was reservists who fired the first U.S. shots of the second World War, when sailors from Minnesota serving aboard the USS Ward sunk a Japanese mini-submarine outside the entrance to Pearl Harbor.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and America's entrance into the war, the Navy swelled from a force of 383,150 to one of more than 3.4 million. The vast majority of them were reservists, five of whom would go on to serve as U.S. presidents: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. Jimmy Carter also served in the Reserve before becoming Commander in Chief, though he did so after the conclusion of WWII.

The Cold War that followed sent naval reservists to Korea and Vietnam, and the organization expanded once more during the defense build-up of the 1980s. In the next decade, over 21,000 reservists supported Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Recognizing the work of today's reservists

In 2005, the Naval Reserve changed to the Navy Reserve.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, there have been more than 70,000 mobilizations of Selected Reservists, and over 4,500 deployments by reservists serving on Full-Time Support. Today there are over 100,000 reservists serving as either the Selected Reserve (SELRES) or Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Sailors, amplifying the Navy's core capabilities, such as forward presence, deterrence, sea control, humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

According to Military.com, on any particular day, a full quarter of the Navy Reserve is hard at work delivering global operational support to our fleet and combat forces.

On Sunday, March 3, Americans should heed the words of Admiral William J. Fallon, who once urged the nation to "remember that the Reserves, which represent twenty percent of our warfighting force, are absolutely vital to our Navy's ability to fight and win wars now and in the future."

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, the United States Coast Guard Reserve will celebrate its 78th year of being "Semper Paratus," or "Always Ready."

Though still a spring chicken compared to the Coast Guard, which was itself formed in 1790 as one of America's five armed forces, the Coast Guard Reserve's nearly eight decades of history is worth reflecting upon.

From World War II to today, reservists have served our nation proudly, responding to foreign enemies as well as natural disasters. Here is a look back at the rich heritage that many will be observing this Tuesday.

USCG Reserve created just in time to serve in WWII

The U.S. Coast Guard Reserve actually traces its beginnings back to the signing into law of the Coast Guard Reserve Act on June 23, 1939, which created a non-military reserve service made up of volunteer boat owners and yachtsmen, performing the types of tasks handled by today's Auxiliary.

It was not until the Auxiliary and Reserve Act of 1941 was signed into law on Feb. 19, 1941, that the two organizations became separate entities, which is why the Reserve celebrates the 19th as its birthday. The legislation designated the Coast Guard Reserve as a military branch of the Active service, and turned the civilian volunteers into the Auxiliary, creating a separation that still exists to this day.

The service's birth couldn't have come at a more opportune time, as America entered into World War II later that year after the Japanese bombed the American fleet in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Active Duty "regular reservists" ended up serving side by side with their regular Coast Guard shipmates in all phases of wartime operations, with their heroics on display in locations ranging from Iwo Jima to Normandy.

According to the Reserve, there were 6,800 Reserve Officers, 300 Reserve Warrant Officers and over 135,200 Reserve enlisted by the end of the war, outnumbering the regular Coast Guard by a ratio of five to one.

Evolving roles in the years that followed

After the conclusion of WWII, the Reserve was disbanded, with all of the regular and Temporary Reservists returning to their civilian status.

This remained the case for several years, until a 1948 executive order from President Truman ordered all five branches to "stimulate, enlarge and train" their respective Reserve components. The following year, the first federal funding was finally approved for Coast Guard Reserve units, and in 1950, hundreds of Coast Guard Reservists volunteered for Active Duty in the first year of the Korean War.

During the early phase of the Vietnam War, the Coast Guard Reserve hit peak recruitment numbers, with more than 18,000 members recorded in 1965. Yet numbers dwindled as the conflict wound down, and there was again discussion of disbanding the Reserve, according to Military Benefits.

But in October of 1972, Congress tasked the Coast Guard Reserve with a new mission when it authorized the involuntary call up of Coast Guard Reservists for peacetime assistance. Since then, the Reserve has responded to numerous accidents and natural disasters, including the Mississippi, Ohio and Red River floods, the 1980 Mariel Boatlift, as well as multiple vessel explosions, sinkings and airplane crashes.

More recently, Reservists supported rescue and recovery operations related to the earthquake in Haiti and helped out in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, and participated in the recovery efforts following Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Today, as it enters its 78th year, the United States Coast Guard Reserve continues to uphold its Semper Paratus pledge, promising to be always ready, whether at home or overseas, and whether man-made or natural. 

Life Happens, a non-profit organization formed in 1994, was created to encourage Americans to take personal financial responsibility by obtaining life insurance and related products.

To educate the public on the importance of life insurance, Life Happens communicates its message through a variety of outreach strategies, including advertising, informational programs, public-service announcements and a variety of social media posts. The organization also coordinates three industry-wide awareness campaigns each year, including Life Insurance Awareness Month in September, Disability Insurance Awareness Month in May and the Insure Your Love campaign that takes place each January or February.

This year's campaign is already in full swing, reminding Americans across the country that life is for living.

2019 campaign centers on "Life is for Living" theme

This year's annual Insure Your Love campaign is based on the success of the organization's tearjerker "Life is for Living" video.

The 90-second video, which debuted late last year, features a young girl getting ready for bed. Before going to sleep, she pulls out a picture book titled "Life is for Living." Her father appears sitting beside her in the bedroom, and he begins narrating the book to his daughter as she turns the pages. The text of the book encourages the reader to keep living on, even when loved ones are gone.

As the young girl finishes the book and drifts off to sleep, the video reveals that the father was never really there, as he has passed on, and the book was meant to reassure the daughter that she and her widowed mother will still be safe and protected without him. 

The short film ends with the words, "Make sure your loved ones live on… with life insurance."

The emotionally resonant video is meant to express the message that although life insurance can never make up for the loss of a loved one, it can ensure that your family remains financially secure even after you are no longer there to provide for them.

Insure Your Love campaign offers facts and resources

This message is further echoed by the other resources that Life Happens is putting out this month as part of its annual Insure Your Love campaign.

The non-profit organization is using this moment to remind Americans of some unpleasant yet sobering statistics, such as the fact that more than one-third of households would feel the financial impact within a month if the primary wage earner died. Similarly, a 2018 Insurance Barometer Study found that a third of respondents wished their spouse or partner had more life insurance. 

Other figures show that the issue is sometimes complicated more by priorities and perceptions than inability to afford life insurance. For example, the same Insurance Barometer study found that 61 percent of people don't buy any or more life insurance because they have "other financial priorities," while nearly half of all millennials overestimate the cost of life insurance by as much as five times the actual amount.

Those who would like a firmer grasp on the real costs of life insurance can use some of the tools found on the Life Happens website, which allows you to calculate how much your family would need in the event of your passing, and how much it would cost you to provide such coverage.

Originally known as the LIFE Foundation, Life Happens was formed in 1994 by seven leading insurance producer organizations, and now receives financial support from more than 140 of the nation's leading insurance and financial services organizations. The non-profit organization does not endorse any specific products or companies, however, and exists only to encourage consumers to seek out the protection they need for themselves and their families.

Black History Month can trace its origins back 50 years, to when black educators at Kent State University first proposed the idea in February 1969. The following year, the public research college in Northeastern Ohio observed the first Black History Month, which since then has expanded across the United States, as well as to Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and  Ireland.

While African Americans have made countless positive contributions to our country's cultural, economic and political fabric, their service in our nation's armed forces deserves special recognition. From the 5,000 black soldiers who fought during the Revolutionary War to the Tuskegee Airmen who piloted bombers in WWII, African Americans have been serving the United States since it's inception, even at times when the U.S. failed to serve them.

And of the many pioneering black servicemen and women worthy of praise, special attention should be given to Lillian E. Fishburne, who in 1998 became the first African-American woman to hold the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.

The life and career of Rear Adm. Fishburne

Lillian Elaine Fishburne was born into a naval family in Patuxent River, Maryland, on March 25, 1949–just one year after the integration of minorities and women in the military.

Fishburne was raised in Rockville, Maryland, by an active-duty father who never doubted his daughter's military ambitions. After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Lincoln University in 1971, she spent two years at the Women Officers School at Newport, Rhode Island, becoming an ensign after graduating in February 1973.

According to Black Past, Fishburne's first naval assignment was serving as a personnel and legal officer at the Naval Air Test Facility in Lakehurst, New Jersey. She went on to act as an Officer Programs recruiter in Miami, then as the officer in charge of the Naval Telecommunications Center at the Great Lakes, Illinois Naval Base.

Fishburne then went back to school for another two years, earning her Master of Arts in Management from Webster College in St. Louis, Missouri. She spent the next two years at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, graduating with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Systems Management in 1982.

Thanks to appointments to positions such as executive officer at the Naval Communications Command in Yokosuka, Japan, and special projects officer for the Navy's Command, Control, and Communications Directorate, Fishburne was eventually selected for the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

After becoming Chief of the Command and Control Systems Support Division in Washington, D.C., and commanding the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Eastern Pacific, in Hawaii, Fishburne made history by attaining the rank of Rear Admiral on Feb. 1, 1998, and was promoted by President Bill Clinton.

A legacy of heroism

Fishburne retired in February 2001, with a long list of decorations that included the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals, and the Navy Achievement Medal.

During a 1998 ceremony to honor Fishburne, along with other military members, Secretary of Defense William Cohen delivered a speech in which he quoted novelist and retired Air Force Maj. Albert Murray as saying, "Heroism… is measured in terms of the stress and strain it can endure, and the magnitude and complexity of the obstacles that it overcomes… which bring out the best in [heroes]."

"Considering the stresses and strains endured by African-Americans in the defense of our country, it's little wonder that we have so many heroes among us," Secretary Cohen added, according to Military.com.

Retired Rear Admiral Lillian E. Fishburne is just one of the many heroes that all Americans should reflect upon and honor during Black History Month.

First responders put their lives on the line, rushing into dangerous fires, accidents, emergencies and natural disasters before anyone else.

Yet the immense physical risks involved in being a first responder are in many cases less severe than the danger of psychological scarring.

An alarming report commissioned by the Ruderman Family Foundation recently revealed that first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty, according to WGN.

The study found that the mental health effects of experiencing or witnessing trauma, grisly accidents, shootings and more has led to a rate of PTSD and depression for police and firefighters that is five times higher than the civilian population.

It's a disturbing national trend, and one that will be difficult to eradicate, but at least one state is seeking a legislative cure for the problem.

West Virginia legislators trying to provide workers comp to first responders with PTSD

Lawmakers in West Virginia are pushing to pass a bill that would make first responders suffering from PTSD eligible for workers compensation.

The issue is sadly relevant to Bob Coleman, a retired firefighter who lost his son, Chris, to suicide last year. At the time of Chris' death, he was following in his father's footsteps as a first responder with the Huntington Fire Department.

"We hope that no other family has to go what we went through," Coleman told WOWK. "A physical injury is compensatable but a mental injury should be, too. Us first responders…. firefighter, EMS, police… we see things that we can't unsee."

That sentiment was echoed by Ceredo Fire Chief Dave Caudill, who spoke with WVAH about the stressful situations first responders deal with constantly, and the corresponding mental toll.

"Everybody can't do first responder work because you see a lot of stuff that really you shouldn't have to see," Caudill told the local news outlet. "I've actually seen situations over the years where you have somebody who's never really dealt with that before get into that situation and… that's the end of their career."

Such occurrences could be higher than the average person might suspect: A study conducted by the University of Phoenix found that 85 percent of all first responders deal with some sort of mental illness at some point during their career.

Bills introduced in both House and Senate

The effort to better care for the mental wellbeing of first responders appears to have the support of many local lawmakers, as legislators in both the House and the Senate have introduced bills that would provide worker compensation to first responders diagnosed with PTSD.

"This is a life or death issue," Cabell County Delegate Chad Lovejoy, who sponsored the House's version of the bill, told WOWK. "We have men and women whose lives are being taken, sometimes at their own hands, sometimes by coping mechanics. This is not a small undertaking, but this could really save some lives."

According to the language of the legislation, a first responder would need to be diagnosed with PTSD by a licensed psychiatrist, and the traumatic incident must have occurred on the job.

Although a similar bill was unsuccessfully introduced last session, Lovejoy remains optimistic that this new attempt will have a different result.

"More people have come on board," Lovejoy said. "I think we have seen the trend here and more people recognize how big of a problem this actually is."

The United Service Organizations will be celebrating its 78^th birthday on Monday, Feb. 4, 2019.

Better known as the USO, the private, not-for-profit organization works in cooperation with the Department of Defense to provide live entertainment and other services to members of the United States military and their families.

Born in 1941, the USO claims six different parents—the Salvation Army, the YMCA, the YWCA, Catholic Community Services, National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board. President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked the six agencies to combine their resources to boost the morale of troops fighting in World War II.

Although congressionally chartered, the USO is not a government agency, and has relied on charitable donations and the efforts of tens of thousands of volunteers for all of its nearly eight decades of history.

A new organization gives Hope to America's heroes

After being formed in 1941, the USO quickly became known for its live performances, which began with stateside military theaters spread throughout the country, and soon led to Hollywood stars heading overseas to entertain the troops.

Of those stars, the one most closely associated with the organization was comedian Bob Hope, who performed his first USO show only three months after its founding. Hope went on to entertain troops for the next 50 years, making his last trip overseas in 1990 during the Gulf War.

In 1997, the U.S. Congress declared Bob Hope the "first and only honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces," in recognition of his half a century of entertaining those serving in the nation's wars. The USO Center at the Los Angeles International Airport also bears his name.

Of course, no one could have originally imagined that Hope would eventually develop such a lengthy tenure as an ambassador for the USO—especially since the organization originally disbanded in 1947, after the Axis powers surrendered and ended WWII.

But in 1949, with America at the beginning of what would eventually become a lengthy Cold War, the USO's six original founding organizations decided to revive the agency. But due to funding issues, it wasn't until the Korean War began that the USO was back entertaining troops overseas, and the Defense Department earmarked $13 million for the organization's operations.

Yet the agency dealt with similar funding issues after the war concluded, and became dormant once more, remaining inactive until the U.S. entered the conflict in Vietnam.

Eventually, the USO received a government charter, and the organization also began placing more emphasis on improving the lives of military families, while still providing entertainment to soldiers as well.

Over 35 million troops served

Today the USO claims over 200 locations spread across 14 countries, including America, where it has a presence in 27 states. Over 30,000 volunteers help the organization realize its mission, as do the many musicians and entertainers who continue to perform live shows for military service members.

In 2016, during a gala event to celebrate the USO's 75^th birthday, retired Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. estimated that the USO had served more than 35 million Americans over the course of its history, according to The Providence Journal.

That service continues to take many forms, including family counseling for military members returning home from deployment, services for troops at airports as they travel to and from duty overseas and various programs that allow those deployed overseas to connect with their families stateside

As mentioned, the USO is a charity organization with a small paid staff, which relies on volunteers and charitable donations. To give the USO a birthday gift, head to their donation page and show your support.

Late last year, just days before breaking for the holidays, the 115th United States Congress managed to pass two pieces of legislation aimed at improving education benefits for members of the military transitioning into civilian life.

The Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act, which was designed to correct mistakes made by the Department of Veterans Affairs that led to delayed and inaccurate payments for thousands of Post-9/11 GI Bill users, passed both houses with unanimous consent. Further bipartisan support was shown for the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act, which had a similar goal of protecting student veterans, as well as easing voting rules for military spouses and expanding burial benefits for military families, among other provisions.

President Donald Trump has since signed both bills into law. Here's what the new legislation will mean for military members and veterans moving forward.

GI Bill students underpaid due to VA errors to receive reimbursement

The first bill pertains to those taking college classes or getting on-the-job training through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which provides up to 36 months of education benefits to qualifying veterans or active duty military members with at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001.

Veterans were previously required to use these education benefits within 15 years of completing their service, yet that deadline was erased with the creation of the Forever GI Bill. Unfortunately, a Forever GI Bill provision that changed the way housing stipends are calculated was not implemented on time due to major technology failures at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which led to many students being underpaid, according to Military Times.

Not only did some students struggle to pay their rent or mortgage bills as a result, but many were also hit by late fees for tuition that the VA also failed to pay on time.

The Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act of 2018 holds the VA accountable for retroactively fixing inaccurate payments and reimbursing affected students, while also barring schools from the practice of charging GI Bill students for tuition payments that are delayed through no fault of their own.

"For many student veterans, every dime counts," said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, who co-sponsored the bill. "That's why the VA needs to get this right and pay student veterans the full amount of money they were promised. I'm glad that my colleagues in the Senate saw how important this issue is, and I hope this bill stays on the fast track to becoming law, so we can make this right for our veterans."

More benefits for student, transitioning and homeless veterans

These student veterans protections are complemented by a provision in the new Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, which requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide GI Bill users with electronic proof that they will be receiving housing payments from the VA.

The new requirement will enable students to prove to landlords their ability to pay for housing even if they are a full-time student without active employment. The new law also enables the spouse of a service member who dies on active duty to terminate a residential lease without penalty for up to one year after the death.

In addition to students, transitioning service members and homeless veterans are also set to receive greater assistance acclimating to life on the homefront, thanks to the new law.

The VA is now required to contract with a non-federal entity to identify and post a list of programs and organizations that can help service members transition out of the military.

Another provision gives homeless veterans up to 60 days after moving into housing to apply for employment assistance under the federal Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program. Previously, only veterans living on the streets or in a shelter were eligible for assistance.

The spouses and family members of U.S. military members are also impacted by the new legislation, according to Air Force Times.

Military spouses are now allowed to use the same residence as their active-duty spouse for state and local voting purposes, whether or not they meet the residency requirements of a state on their own merits.

The law also extends veteran burial rights to the spouses and children of active-duty service members, even if they pass away before the military member. Previously, being buried in veteran cemeteries required approval from the VA.

 

When President Trump first suggested the creation of a Space Force during a March 2018 speech, the grand and seemingly sci-fi proposal was met with mockery in some corners.

Some of the more serious criticisms of the idea came from the Air Force Association, which voiced objections based on the “indivisible” nature of air and space and the high cost of creating a separate military branch. The AFA instead suggested merging the current air and space forces of the United States into something called the “United States Aerospace Force.”

Though it now appears the Aerospace Force counterproposal will not come to fruition, after months of deliberation, the Space Force is presently poised to reside under the Air Force, according to Defense News.

Sixth branch of military would fall under Department of the Air Force

A draft of a legislative proposal set to be put forward with the fiscal year 2020 budget states, “There is established a United States Space Force as an armed force within the Department of the Air Force,” reports Defense News.

The relationship will be similar to the way in which the Marine Corps falls under the Department of the Navy.

The new, sixth branch of the military will be overseen by two newly created roles, the undersecretary of the Air Force for the Space Force and a Space Force chief of staff. The latter will sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joining the Military Service Chiefs from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.

Though no one has gone on the record to outline the details of the legislative draft, the existence of the draft was at least confirmed by a statement from Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, who said, “In concert with White House guidance, we are moving forward with a legislative proposal for Space Force.” The proposal is reportedly set to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for inclusion in the Department of Defense budget sometime soon.

New proposal seen as big win for Air Force

This decision represents a major victory for the Air Force, which took issue with President Trump’s earlier statement that the two branches would be “separate but equal.”

At the time, the creation of a new bureaucracy was opposed by now-former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and active Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. Though the latter eventually announced her support for the creation of a Space Force, it seems clear that the Air Force would like to continue to have a say in the area of military space, as the branch currently manages a three-star Space Command headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

Of course, just because the Air Force is satisfied with the new proposal does not mean that Congress will be, and political opposition could still keep Space Force from launching.

Representative Adam Smith of Washington, the incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has previously voiced opposition to the high cost of creating a separate service, reports ABC News. Estimates vary, as the Air Force projected that a new service could cost $13 billion over the first five years, while Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan put the figure at less than $5 billion.

For now, it remains uncertain whether Space Force will ultimately become a separate branch of the United States military or a new branch under the Air Force.

The government shutdown that began on Dec. 22 has continued on into the new year, amid threats that it could last for months. The length of the shutdown has broken the previous record of 21 days, which was set during the government shutdown that extended from Dec. 5, 1995 to Jan. 6, 1996.

Much attention has been paid to the impact that the shutdown has had on government workers, as hundreds of thousand of federal employees have been furloughed or are working without pay. Yet the shutdown is impacting the livelihood of more than just those directly employed by the federal government, as many government contractors are now also feeling the pinch.

A range of responses from contractor community

How deeply a government contractor is impacted by the shutdown depends largely on the nature of their work.

"The government shutdown has certainly created anxiety throughout the contractor community, but the impact is very different for each contractor depending on which government clients the contractor serves," said Mark Colturi, executive vice president of Sevatec, an advanced technology company that has partnered with the government on border security and data protection.

"For some government contractors, including Sevatec, contracts are operating close to normal," Colturi said in an interview with Clearance Jobs. "In other circumstances, government contractors have been issued stop-work orders, which can be very difficult on employees who may have to take vacation time or leave without pay."

Whether a government contractor continues working throughout the shutdown is largely determined by whether or not their contract is deemed critical. Companies that have hundreds of individual government contracts, both of the essential and inessential variety, typically have some of their workforce operating at full capacity, and other employees working at diminished capacity.

Defense industry expressing concerns

Defense firms are among the government contractors most worried about the effect that this indefinite pause in business could have on the continuation of business as usual.

While the Defense Department has been funded for fiscal year 2019, allowing work on the military's weapons programs to continue uninterrupted, many defense companies hold contracts with agencies that have not received funding, according to Defense News. Among the agencies going without funding during the shutdown are NASA and the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection.

One notable example of shutdown consequences is the suspension of weapons sales and transfers to U.S. allies due to the closure of the State and Commerce Departments.

Now defense industry figures and lobbying groups such as the Aerospace Industries Association are advocating for an end to the government shutdown, and warning that its extension could have a negative impact on the balance of federal employees and contractors.

"There might be near-term collateral damage if people leave government service, but a 1-3 year factor to consider is how this shutdown and the potential for future ones accelerates reliance on federal service contractors," Byron Callan, an analyst for Capital Alpha Partners, said to Defense News.

Senators propose authorizing back pay for contractors

The Washington Post recently reported that a group of 34 Democratic United States senators released a letter urging federal agencies to work with contractors to provide back pay for low- and middle-income workers impacted by the government shutdown.

The senators argued that agencies have the authority to negotiate back pay for contracted employees, and therefore should act to ensure that the most vulnerable contracted workers are still paid during the shutdown.

Whether agencies will act to ensure that government contractors aren't going without paychecks, or if and when an agreement between Congress and the White House will eventually be reached, remain looming questions as the government shutdown lingers on.

The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history, Camp Fire caused at least 86 civilian fatalities, injured 12 civilians and 5 firefighters and wiped out thousands of homes and other structures.

Yet while many tragic stories came out of the recent California wildfires, the natural disaster also served to highlight the truly inspiring level of commitment and heroism that our nation's first responders are capable of achieving.

At the height of deployment, there were over 5,500 firefighters, along with 700 soldiers activated by the National Guard and 100 military police officers, many of whom went above and beyond the call of duty.

Many first responders help others despite own losses

Many of the first responders who worked to contain the blazes and assist those endangered or displaced by the disaster served in spite of the fact that they themselves had lost their homes in the fire.

According to CNN, four days after Camp Fire began, there were more than 50 firefighters working to contain the fire that had already destroyed their own homes. Similarly, more than 30 sheriff's deputies reported for duty even though they too had lost their homes, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office.

Several tales of selflessness have emerged, including one of a first responder who engaged in a firefight that was just blocks away from his own home, unsure whether his house was itself burning, or whether his fiancée had gotten out.

Police Sergeant Jarrod Hughes at least had time to get his son and animals out of his home and to safety when the fire got closer, but immediately afterwards he got his uniform and patrol car and headed back to help.

"It's my community. It's where I grew up. It's something I absolutely had to do," Hughes explained to CNN affiliate KTXL. "There was no question about it. It was get my family to safety so I can get in and get back up there and help everybody else."

Leland Ratcliff, captain of the US Forest Service's Feather River Hotshot crew, had a similar rationale for choosing to evacuate neighbors when he still had keepsakes and other valuable items he could have been rescuing from his own home.

"We just do what we do because we like it. We like helping people," Ratcliff said when asked about the bravery of first responders. "The adrenaline rush and helping people. We like making a difference."

First responders still serving during the holidays

As one would expect, the first responders called to action during the California wildfires didn't take any time off for the holidays.

On the contrary, many were still serving on Thanksgiving, and in some cases, literally serving meals to those living in tents after Camp Fire destroyed their homes.

"To me this is almost like… I'd rather be here," firefighter Jim Irving told CBS. "You know it's helping other people and that's part of what Thanksgiving's about."

Irving had already spent weeks on the fire when he decided to provide meals to strangers instead of having dinner with his family.

On a holiday devoted to the concept of gratitude, the sacrifices of first responders like Irving did not go unappreciated by those who benefited.

"I thank every one of them as soon as I meet them," said wildfire victim Ron White, who lost his home and his father's home in Camp Fire. "I think that these are absolutely wonderful people. They deserve every consideration that they can get."