The U.S. Coast Guard acknowledged the partial government shutdown and its impact on Coast Guard families as a cutter and crew departed for a multi-month deployment on Sunday.

The Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf and 170 crew members left Alameda, Calif. to support military operations in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a video about the deployment, Coast Guard officials noted that due to the lapse in funding, there has been increased “tension and anxiety” among crew members.

“Our [U.S. Coast Guard] members sail across the world to protect U.S. national interests while their loved ones cope w/ financial challenges & no pay at home,” Coast Guard commandant Adm. Karl Schultz tweeted.

Today, the 418-foot @USCG Cutter Bertholf departed for a multi-month deployment in support of a @DeptofDefense Combatant Commander. Our #USCG members sail across the world to protect U.S. national interests while their loved ones cope w/ financial challenges & no pay at home. pic.twitter.com/GtSo1GTUnp — Admiral Karl Schultz (@ComdtUSCG) January 21, 2019

Vice Adm. Linda Fagan praised the “outpouring of support” for Coast Guard families.

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“I know it is hard for these crews to be leaving behind their dependents and spouses – it’s a thousand times more so when everyone is wondering when their next paycheck will be, and how they can support the family that they are leaving behind,” she said.

Coast Guard members, who fall under the Department of Homeland Security, are among the federal workers that have not received paychecks since Dec. 31 due to the funding lapse. Service members in other military branches are covered by the Department of Defense, which is not affected by the shutdown.

Schultz told members in a letter earlier this month that he believes it is the first time U.S. armed forces service members have not been paid because of a shutdown.

Some Coast Guard members have turned to food pantries and other aid during the shutdown, which has now entered its fifth week.