LAYTON – As the federal government shutdown drags on with no end in sight, thousands of civilian employees at Hill Air Force Base are feeling the strain financially and emotionally.

Some have turned to zero-interest loans and local food banks to get by. But for many, the uncertainty of not knowing when their next paycheck will come, or if they’ll even return to work, is taking a toll.

Brenda Jaramillo, President of the American Federation of Government Employees union, or AFGE local 1592, that represents the 8,000 civilian workers on base, said the situation is demoralizing.

“We have jobs that we take pride in,” she said. “When did the federal employees become the enemy? And why isn’t Congress and the Senate being furloughed? They’re federal employees, and they’re the ones not doing the

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