Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Army Times
May 19, 2008
Pg. 9
Compensation akin to Navy's sea pay
By Jim Tice
The Army is preparing to ask the Defense Department to move forward with a new type of compensation for soldiers who serve repetitive deployments in a combat zone.
Called “warrior pay” by the Army, the special version of hardship-duty pay has been on the drawing board for several years.
Similar to the sea pay available to sailors, Marines and Army mariners, warrior pay would recognize the cumulative time a soldier spends deployed over the course of a career.
While Pentagon sources declined to provide specific details about Army coordination efforts with the Defense Department, legislation approved by Congress in January, and now part of federal law, authorizes up to $1,500 per month in hardship-duty pay.
The top-end payment is double the $750 maximum authorized for hardship-duty pay before enactment of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act.
Soldiers currently receive much less than the maximum in both the old and new laws.
For example, soldiers in the combat theater receive $100 per month in hardship-duty pay for their first 12 months of deployment, and $200 in hardship-duty pay plus $800 per month in assignment incentive pay if they are involuntarily extended.
Sources said they believe that, when implemented, warrior pay will be paid to officers and enlisted soldiers who are in a location that is eligible for hostile-fire pay. That means it will be tax-free.
Because the program would recognize cumulative deployments, payment levels would increase each time a soldier deploys.
“Our vision is that this will carry through a soldier’s entire career so that anytime he deploys, he will not only be adding to his deployment history, but will receive extra money during the time he is deployed,” said one Pentagon source.
More than 838,200 soldiers have deployed to support Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, according to Defense Department data as of March 31.
Of those, 576,908 have deployed once, and 261,347 have served more than once. In addition, 171,912 soldiers currently are deployed.
Briefing materials provided to Congress last year by the Defense Department included a notional chart of pay rates for junior officers and enlisted soldiers; mid-career NCOs and officers; and senior NCOs, field-grade officers and generals.
Pay levels for all three categories began at $200 per month for the first year of deployment, increased to $400 for the second, $600 for the third and fourth, and up to $1,000 per month for the fifth and sixth year deployment, depending on grade.
May 19, 2008
Pg. 9
Compensation akin to Navy's sea pay
By Jim Tice
The Army is preparing to ask the Defense Department to move forward with a new type of compensation for soldiers who serve repetitive deployments in a combat zone.
Called “warrior pay” by the Army, the special version of hardship-duty pay has been on the drawing board for several years.
Similar to the sea pay available to sailors, Marines and Army mariners, warrior pay would recognize the cumulative time a soldier spends deployed over the course of a career.
While Pentagon sources declined to provide specific details about Army coordination efforts with the Defense Department, legislation approved by Congress in January, and now part of federal law, authorizes up to $1,500 per month in hardship-duty pay.
The top-end payment is double the $750 maximum authorized for hardship-duty pay before enactment of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act.
Soldiers currently receive much less than the maximum in both the old and new laws.
For example, soldiers in the combat theater receive $100 per month in hardship-duty pay for their first 12 months of deployment, and $200 in hardship-duty pay plus $800 per month in assignment incentive pay if they are involuntarily extended.
Sources said they believe that, when implemented, warrior pay will be paid to officers and enlisted soldiers who are in a location that is eligible for hostile-fire pay. That means it will be tax-free.
Because the program would recognize cumulative deployments, payment levels would increase each time a soldier deploys.
“Our vision is that this will carry through a soldier’s entire career so that anytime he deploys, he will not only be adding to his deployment history, but will receive extra money during the time he is deployed,” said one Pentagon source.
More than 838,200 soldiers have deployed to support Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, according to Defense Department data as of March 31.
Of those, 576,908 have deployed once, and 261,347 have served more than once. In addition, 171,912 soldiers currently are deployed.
Briefing materials provided to Congress last year by the Defense Department included a notional chart of pay rates for junior officers and enlisted soldiers; mid-career NCOs and officers; and senior NCOs, field-grade officers and generals.
Pay levels for all three categories began at $200 per month for the first year of deployment, increased to $400 for the second, $600 for the third and fourth, and up to $1,000 per month for the fifth and sixth year deployment, depending on grade.