Like other Department of Defense employees, workers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center will begin taking 11 days of unpaid leave starting July 8. The cutbacks will impact about 2,400 workers. (Contributed photo/Walter Reed)

Civilian workers are the country's main facility for
treating wounded combat soldiers are facing furloughs starting this summer.

Like other Department of Defense employees, workers at
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center will begin taking 11 days of
unpaid leave starting July 8. The cutbacks will impact about 2,400 workers,
according to Fox News.

In a letter first obtained by Federal News Radio, officials
blame the cutbacks on "extraordinary and serious budgetary challenges." The
letter says the furloughs are due to sequestration, which is removing some $37
billion from Pentagon coffers this year.

"The Department of Defense will need funding in other
accounts that can be used to provide the warfighters with what they need to
protect national security and fight the war," the May 28 letter reads.
"This furlough is proposed to help meet their need while avoiding a
deficit of funds in Fiscal Year 2013."

According to Fox News, 94 percent of the civilian staff at
Walter Reed will be affected by the furloughs. None of the facility's 4,500
contractors or military personnel will be impacted and officials have pledged that
patient care will not be affected by the cuts.