Some Tinker AFB employees are being sent home during shutdown

Tinker Air Force Base, which is the Oklahoma City metro area's largest employer, will be affected by the U.S. government's budget shutdown .

The full extent of employees who were sent home on furlough or who are being asked to work without pay is not immediately available, however.

The base provides several critical functions for the military, including maintenance, repair and overhaul of combat aircraft. It also houses highly secretive missions related to the United States' nuclear deterrent and communication with submarines around the world.