The Navy is offering some sailors a chance to extend their contracts in order to get full separation benefits once the government shutdown ends. 

A memo from the Navy’s Pay and Personnel Support Center released on Nov. 6 allows sailors who were set to separate from the military on or before Dec. 5 to extend their contract’s expiration by up to 30 days as the government shutdown continues in its second month.

A Navy official confirmed the memo’s authenticity, sharing both the full document and an excerpt of it as a statement to Task & Purpose.

“By direction of the Chief of Naval Personnel and effective immediately, Sailors with a Soft Expiration of Active Obligated Service (SEAOS) on 5 December 2025 or earlier who are unable to separate due to the FY-26 lapse in appropriations may execute a voluntary extension not to exceed 30 days,” the memo reads. “This extension allows for additional time to ensure continuation of benefits and execution of separation requirements.”

Military Times first reported on the memo and extension. The move by the Navy follows similar actions by the Departments of the Air Force and Army as the government shutdown continues. As Task & Purpose previously reported, in those cases, the Antideficiency Act bars the military from spending money while the government is shut down. The shutdown is the longest in American history. 

The move, as the memo notes, is voluntary. In the case of the other branches, troops set to separate were given extensions late in October by the military to make sure they would get full benefits. Separating without the full official discharge procedures could impact the benefits retiring service members are eligible for in the future. Those who do have their contracts extended maintain regular active-duty pay, leave and other entitlements.

Sailors who are eligible are directed to submit the Agreement to Extend Enlistment form. Sailors were specifically instructed to include the language “I agree to voluntarily extend my current enlistment for 30 days IAW Ops Alert 029-25 to allow additional time for processing of separation requirements due to the FY-26 lapse in appropriations” in the document.

The Navy did not say if further extensions could be offered should the shutdown continue.

It is not clear how many sailors were set to separate on or before Dec. 5. In the case of the Department of the Air Force, roughly 50 airmen and Space Force guardians are having their service extended to ensure they get separation benefits. 

On Sunday evening, the U.S. Senate moved forward with a procedural bill to fund the government. However, the House has yet to reconvene and the government has not yet reopened. If Congress does move forward with ending the shutdown, the process could take several more days. 

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