Are we inching back to normalcy? On Saturday, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that most of the Department of Defense's 400,000 civilian employees have been ordered back to work according to Pentagon interpretations of the Pay Our Military Act. The act, which was passed on Tuesday, ensures that members of the military will continue to be paid on time as they work throughout the shutdown. It also allows room for Pentagon-affiliated civilians who provide defense support. Perhaps more excitingly, it also means that nearly half of the 800,000 government employees furloughed will be back at work on Monday.