Military pay deadline passes without DFAS authorization, leaving 1.4 million troops without paychecks

The October 15 military pay cycle required DFAS to receive authorization by October 13, 2025, but no appropriations authority existed to process the payments. For the first time since the Anti-Deficiency Act framework was established, active-duty military personnel missed a scheduled paycheck. DFAS issued guidance stating that without appropriations authority received by October 13, military pay could not be processed for the October 15 payday. The Trump administration subsequently reallocated other funds to pay troops on October 15, a legally contested maneuver.