Virgin Islands National Guardsmen and most VING support employees were recalled to duty Monday under provisions of the Pay Our Military Act, the Guard announced Wednesday.

The POMA was passed Sept. 30, just before the government shutdown. The act permits the Department of Defense to pay military personnel and civilian Defense employees. Reimbursement of pay lost due to the furlough is still to be determined,

Most National Guard members are part-time military members and hold regular civilian jobs. The Department of Defense aims to bring all civilian employees back to work as soon as possible.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, the V.I. National Guard recalled 128 furloughed civilian employees back to work, noting that nonexempted employees and federally reimbursed employees are still furloughed.

According to the National Guard Bureau, 385,000 Army National Guardsmen and 114,000 Air National Guardsmen were affected across the nation as a result of the federal government shutdown.

The adjutant general for the Virgin Islands, Maj. Gen. Renaldo Rivera, said he regretted having to furlough employees and expressed the hope that Congress resolves the budget impasse in a timely manner.

Guardsmen are paid to train one weekend each month and two weeks each year. As a result of the shutdown, the V. I. National Guard canceled last weekend’s training exercise due to lack of funding for training events.

Although Guardsmen are under the command of a state’s adjutant general and governor, they are paid by the federal government during the monthly training period.