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Hostile mines are one qualification for imminent danger pay.
On Feb. 1, a change in the Imminent Danger Pay calculation went into effect, causing some confusion for service members and families on the receiving end. While a daily rate replaces old monthly calculations, the new policy may have less of an impact than many people think.
Here are some things to know about the new Imminent Danger Pay policy:
Prior to the change, any military member in a qualified imminent danger area received a month’s allowance, regardless of how long he or she was there. Now IDP will be paid as a daily rate for the length of time spent in an area. The daily rate is $7.50, but if a member serves an entire month, they receive the full $225.00.
Service members will still receive the full monthly rate if they meet any of the following criteria:
Only those who travel in or out of a designated area in a given month will have their pay affected.
While the pay change may not affect every service member, those it touches could see a difference in pay as early as Feb. 15. As with any pay adjustment, budget adjustments typically follow. A service member may need to start budgeting and find a tool to help or perhaps find a few ways to trim the expenses of their military lifestyle.
Photo courtesy of Tracy Hunter
80 Comments
Did you see the LITTLE amount of money that our Military was receiving for being in a war zone, and now they want to cut it. What kind of President do we have that is so willing to weaken our military to the degree that this one has?
Not the president. By law all bills regarding appropriations at the national level originate in the House of Representatives which by the way is under GOP control. Let us put the blame where it belongs.
Yep lets put the blame where it belongs, on the demoRat Senate that will not approve anything for our troops!! The house sends the bill up and Harry Ried rejects it!
Exactly, NIkki, it’s terrible : (
Seriously. How ignorant. It’s not our president it’s our congress and senate. He has been fighting to not cut as much with military. Let’s talk about what we pay our congress and senate people some more. Most of them make more than the president.
let VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE
You are ignorant, my son is a Navy Officer and has 10 years service, 5 years of that was a Marine Enlisted man before he Commissioned. Obama has gutted our military just as did Carter, Clinton before him. Obama has to go and yesterday was too late! Obama insisted that defense spending was first on the table and stacked the deck against our military with the auto trigger from the doomed super group that was designed to fail from day one. Go get educated
So according to our government, a soldiers life is only worth $7.50 a day????
We were and are considered disposable. Collateral damage.
It is truly a shame that the figure is so low, but could the country really afford to pay the amount it is truly worth? Those of us who have done it, did not do it for the pay.
I am sure many vets,like myself,were not serving for the pay. You’d have to be pretty bad at math to think that..
They are still getting paid the same amount, like it said, if they are there the full month, they get the exact same amount of pay. Why should a soldier who is only there two days out of the month get paid the same as a soldier there the full month?
it only takes a second to kill somebody.
that was profound.. really…profound.
Don’t disagree, but as a Vietnam Vet I think the $225. is too little.
but so would $22,500.00 . not the amount,it’s the damn attitude towards those who are in harms way.
Why should a Congressman who serves one full term get full benefits for life and full retirement?
Our politicians are disgusting are you kidding me $ 7.50 a day while they blow $ 750.00 a day on all thier perks. This is an outrage and it should be the other way around.
@11f9f3e32aee020b27b4c15930c88f8e:disqus – obama gave himself a 4% pay raise and congress got a pay raise during that whole debt crisis last year my bank had to front me a pay chack while I was in the marines. most of the people in congress as well as this current administration need to GO
What were you wasting your money on? I spent 11 years in the military and never had to have my bank front me money. Also you think an all GOP administration will do a better job at taking care of the troops and vets? Please…You better do some research
Research my a** your rude. You don’t know what may be going on in someones life. Stuff a sock in it. If you can’t be any nicer that that.
i wish i could hit like twice!
You better do some research, every major pay increase has come from the GOP, every major pay decrease has come from the DNC. I served 8 years in the Marines, 6 years California Army Gaurd, except for my overseas duty I was stationed in California, pennies mattered, you must have served in Jellystone Park to think you got paid good. I was in under Jimma Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bush Senior and National Guard under Clinton. I don’t need any research, I lived it!
It’s not just that. thier whole policies need to be changed. our soldiers are putting thier lives on the line everyday. they should be getting way more pay than they are. did you know we have military families on public asst.? that’s a shame.
The real issue, I think is how little they pay for hostile fire pay as it is. How many of our politicians would be willing to put their life on the line for $7.50 a day or even $225. a month? If they had to do it, it would probably be more like a $1,000. a day.
I agree but it would be more like $100,000.00 a day they are all million airs because of legal insider trading. They make me sick when i see them patting a brave soldier on the back and saying thanks for your service. I would not let one touch me or shake hands with one.
As an e/4 in Nam I slept in a muddy foxhole, maybe 4 to 6 hours a night when I was not on Patrool, We were under direct morter and small arms fire constantly.This went on for 13 months.When I finally got R&R to Hawaii. I arrived with a towell wrapped around my lower body to cover my private parts,because my clothes had rotted off me and left me exposed. when I arrived it had been 99 days since i had even crossed a good clear water ditch to bathe in. still had 1/4 inch of dried mud caked on me from my foxhole. I was paid $240.00 for being e/4, base pay, $65.00 a month for combat pay, and $10.00 overseas pay. Of course it is all volunteer now, so they have to pay more.
that isw still good. we only got 65 a month combat pay for viet nam
Sorry Steve the real point is that a military persons life is worth $7.50 a day.
Big Tiger Steves point was owr lives were only worth $2.17 a day, get it.
me too, but a gallon of gas cost .30 cents . By todays standards,these troops are getting ripped hard. I hate what is being done to them. 4,5 and more deployments,debating on approving equipment upgrades. Get real people..
As a Vietnam Veteran, we got $60.00 a month “Combat Pay”. I guess that we were only worth $2.00 a day.
WHAT?????????????????? Stick to the point. The complaint is regarding paying the senate, congress, and other govt officials far more than they are worth. Not a comparrison btwn Vietnam and now.
Hey there BigTiger, how about you stick to the point, this isn’t about Congressional pay, it is about hazard pay for our military in combat.
different time,different setup. compared to WW II troops we were affluent. Think before you make lame observations.
Let pay out military what congree, representives,president and senators get paid. They are in harm way but not the same as our soldiers. President Obama I hope will not see a second term. He has really bought our country down.
I’m a Vet and Obama as done more for Vets than any president I served under, go look at the facts, before blindly making comments.
Did you check the President’s budget for 2013? From you comment I don’t think so.
I am a Veteran also, give me a break, my dad a WWII Veteran was cut off most of his medications at the VA Hospital after obummer was elected and now he has to make co-pays on the rest of them. He only gets $900 a month from SS. You are the blind sheep following obummer off the cliff!
this is going to mess up pay for soldiers. as it is, if the Army screws up with my soldier’s pay, we have to wait FOREVER for them to fix it. But if the Army pays us too much, they take it without so much as a “by the way we overpaid you… So how are the soldiers supposed to keep up with what days they were where in regards to their pay? Do they not have enough to worry about? — incensed Army wife.
That is exactly what they are planning for,the fact that a person will not meet There requirements for proving that they are eligable for the pay ,next they will want signed proof that you were in that area,and had a legitemate reason for being there.
Except as provided in this section, each member of the Senate and House
of Representatives is entitled to a meal allowance
in the amount of $32 and a housing allowance in the
amount of $38 for each day in attendance at sessions of the Legislature
and for each day the member occupies overnight
accommodations away from home either immediately preceding or
immediately following
attendance at daily sessions of the Legislature. The
presiding officers may establish reasonable policies regarding
allowances
for meals and overnight accommodations for the day
immediately preceding the session, which may include policies regarding
whether an allowance is paid, whether the full amount or a
portion of the statutory allowance is paid and whether receipts
are required. In lieu of the meal and housing allowance,
each member is entitled to a daily meal allowance in the amount
of $32 and actual daily mileage allowances in an amount
up to but not exceeding $38 per day. Each member of the Senate also
receives an annual allowance for constituent services in
the amount of $2,000, $1,300 in January and $700 in the month following
adjournment of the regular session. Each member of the
House of Representatives also receives an annual allowance for
constituent
services in the amount of $1,500, $1,005 in January and
$495 in the month following adjournment of the regular session.
when do we get rid of them and start over just clean house we all could us the money for something better for the USA the guys in the service need better pay for what they do for us not any better then their pay now when I was Nam
November 2012, vote the bums out. That is the bums on both sides of the aisle! We have too many progressives and rino’s in the house!
A good President would realize his pay is too high and service persons too low..
and where is President Lincoln..
there is nothing quite as disturbing as realizing you are fighting for a country that could give a crap about you or your pay…what are you guys talking about you elected all of them! time to weed out the government! civil war style….
Wow. All of a sudden folks are starting to realize just how little our service men and women are getting paid to put their lives on the line.
Not so much a comment as a question , in terms of pay, trust , and appreciation who do you value most ,the GI that has your back or the desk-jockey in DC??–Now another question , who gets the better deals the mooks-in-suits or the troops-in-boots ??
I am the mother of 2 soldiers and one of them just returning 3 days ago….and with all due respect, everybody makes it sound like these soldiers are not getting paid and that is not the case! They get paid very well and where else can you work and get full medical for your entire family, plus the soldier get full dental and eye care. Where else can you work that you have your employer pays you for you mortgage or your rent and utilities because that is what the BHA is, money to pay all your living expenses and that is determined by State and location but 1 of my sons receive $1160.00@ month just for living needs. Then comes their regular salary, their travel expenses and PCS they even pay for the moving of all their household goods to be moved to where ever they are going next. They just enjoyed a four day weekend for the SUPER BOWL…and have many , many four day weekends they are paid for and don’t work! They receive generous amounts of vacation days, where else can you get 30/45 days a year paid vacation???? Looking at the big picture and the total truth, they are paid what no one else could be paid out here in the civilian world! Then some of them have been in for five or six years and never left the base and are spending their day looking for something to do all day long. Add up all the benefits, and don’t just focus on one!!
As an Army wife living in housing I must say that BAH DOES NOT COVER ALL UTILITIES!!! We are allotted a set amount for power and gas and if we go over we have to pay out f pocket! I have my heat set at 68 and my house is always cold and we are over on our power. We do receive many benefits that the civilian world does not but there are NO civilian jobs that sent you to a war zone away from your families for a year to 18 months for less the $40,000 a year. Civilian contractors that or in the war zones are making well over $100,000 a year with full benefits!!!!
Then by all means, have your husband get out and become a civillan. The grass is not always greener on the other side. Plus, you do have the option to live off post.
Two4oneisgreat, WTF over. I don’t believe you have two son’s serving at all or you would have your facts straight. Or they are POGUES, in the rear with the gear. $1,800 BAH in California when the rent is $2,500 doesn’t cut the mustard. Then you take in account that our military has signed a blank check to us up to and including their life it doesn’t add up to overpaid as you claim. Trust me when I say 18 months away from your children and wife and they get 30 days vacation and somehow you think that is too much? I am a Veteran and it sucks to be a family and deal with the deployments, expenses on minimum wage. I was a helicopter mechanic and 12-16 hour days was the norm, duty on the weekends, deployments and you think it is wrong they got a 96 hour pass for the Super Bowl? They are paid better now then when I was in, but cost of living has doubled also. As a Marine Sgt I got $1,695 a month base pay, at the time they called it VHA which was $800 a month, $2,495 a month for a 24/7 job was overpaid? The pay is better now thanks to Ronald Reagan we got a big increase when he was eleted but it still was below poverty. My hazard pay was $110 a month, and we needed it to survive while I was deployed. The troops that stormed Omaha Beach were only in combat one day as they lay dead on the beach on the invasion, you think they were only worth $7.50? Get you head out, obummer has to go and all his democrat anti-military cronies!!!! You want to cut the fat, how about starting with Michelle Obama’s lavish vacations to Africa with her family and friends on our dime?
You always have the option to join too and see how well you like the minimal pay, long hours (hubby got home 2 hours after quitting time today) deployments where you don’t know if they will ever come home again, and then you may start telling people they should get out. My hubby and all the soldiers are fighting for you and you care nothing about the sacrifice they make. As for the option to live off post, when we were assigned to our duty station the closest available home for rent that was in out BAH range and would fit our families needs was over an hour away.
You don’t sound much like a loving mother of 2 soldier to me. While non of your statements are false on the surface the problem is your comments show you only look at or know the surface; giving rise to my speculation that you are not truly a mother of 2 soldiers.
Exactly Sailor, just as I said earlier, phony! From a fellow Veteran (Marine) thank you for your service and for the ride to hell you gave us. My son is now a SWO on a Gator Freighter.
Congress Lady,Congress..
REALLY!!!…$ 7.50 a day to potentially get blow to bits. Think we can do a bit better don’t you.
was only $60 a month when i was in nam
Just so all the Vietnam vets know. Inflation needs to be considered when talking about your 60 dollar pay. 60 dollars back then was worth around 430.00 dollars now. So you NAM vets got paid better than us. That is besides the point though. I personally think that this saves money in the long run. I personally think they should of been prorating it a long time ago. If you were only in ID for 2 days then you should only get the pay for it. And yes we need to cut all pay in the whitehouse and get our damn country back
Why must our military men and women be treated so unfairly! I don’t see any of our government officals putting their lives on the line for a measley $7.50 a day! Where is the justice in that!!!! Our men and women in uniform sacrifice so much and always get the raw end of the deal! DISGUSTING!!!!!! A military mom
A job is a job. Don’t like the pay? Don’t apply.
Now that was really smart, most of our miltary is 18 years old average and went in blind to life in general. They thought $1,000 a month was cool since they wern’t getting anything in high school. Then it is too late, they signed the contract, got deployed to a war zone and it is amazing how reality slaps them in the face. Then obama and people like you just keep slapping them at will.
#1, $7.50 per day sucks. I would be ashamed to offer such for someone willing to possibly give their life , so we can live free. #2, All soldiers in a hostile country should be getting Danger pay. Higher ups need to look at this picture at another angle. People that aren’t associated with the military and their families, don’t have a clue to what they encounter every day. I was military and also a military dependent. Its not easy. Our soldiers don’t get paid enough.
How insulting to our heroes. By making this a daily rate, we are telling them that we “appreciate what they are doing, but ONLY if they are there for an entire month.” I’m absolutely disgusted by this. The SecDef, Socialist-in-Chief and his staff of numbskulls need a good ass-kicking for this. Another campaign talking point to show how they are “fixing” the budget on the backs of those who would serve for much less, if they were given the respect they have earned. Let me give you a hint, Mr. President…insulting the military with this kind of childish activity is yet another transparent attempt to “pay your fair share.” Why would anyone want the ENTIRE $225 for not spending an ENTIRE month in harm’s way??? Get a clue…this cut doesn’t’ do a thing for your spending habits and will ultimately hurt recruitment and retention (if you even care about such things).
Washington disgusts me.
Chuck Wooten
Command Chief Master Sergeant, USAF (ret)
CMS Wooton, I think CONgress should also be on the Per Diem Rate, any day they do not show up for Work They should be docked too. Days at home, on vacation, on Recess, take their pay away from them, Hey they are the fat cats..they want to Tax the fat cats, why not show your actions with something more than talk. God Bless Our Troops.
Sal – Staff Sgt – USAF ’68-’72
Instead of letting the President spend a day with the Marines in the rear, let him spend it at the front lines in Afganistan. I got paid in Active Army times back in the 1980′s, and yes, we didn’t go to any war, but we did get trained in Fort Irwin, CA. many times. We had to “play” the games. The issue we had, while we are away, the wives had to pay the bills, and keep food on their table, plus, we had to be able to buy the things we wanted while out there. It’s all about budgeting. And, now helping other soldiers live. But, we did. And, I probably didn’t need more than one vehicle, but we did, just to have one running at a moment notice. If they get paid per day, who is keeping the count of it? Someone in the drones, watching from the rear? Do they get combat pay also? And, for the person that was talking about good first aid to all soldiers, not always. I didn’t. And, now suffer daily. Proof will be in the pudding. All, I ever wanted to do, while in training, was to go home to my family. Course, because of lack of first aid, we never could have children ever again. If you see SFC Nolan, he needs to know, that we love to have our own chidlren, but thanks to him, we can’t. And so we can’t get our tax deductions for them either. But, I’m retired, but disabled now, and live off of SSDI, until my claim is honored. And, we will never quit fighting for it. It’s the only way for us to be debt free, once the payments are received by us. Our compensation claim has been in the works for almost 9 years. So, if you get a compensation claim honored for less than this. Be kind and thank them for their service. At least one of us got what is needed. I’ve what they call Degenerated Disc Disease, I’ve 4 ruptured disc in my lower spine, and if I do something wrong, a piece can rupture and tap the nerve and something hurts very bad, so bad, you have to take baby steps to get from one place to another. Or in my case, I use a wheelchair from the VA. It’s on loan. Almost worn it out, but can’t afford to have them reburnish it, yet. When the claims is honored, we will buy my own. And, take a long vacation, we just never had. Because of their great first aid, my brain got slightly fried. And, have some memories that won’t recall them. Or they are fuzzy in not clear. But, do miss my brothers and sisters we served with. Even the ones that don’t want to talk to anyone. Ya all take care.
Just like the good old government! In their attemt to save money, they always start at the bottom and cut the pay of the folks who need it most! I can understand their concept though. In Nam we had people who flew only one mission in and out of the war zone and would recieve combat pay for the entire month. Same for naval vessels going in and out of the zone. And of course there were those who made sure they flew in and out of the zone every month to qualify for the pay. Didn’t seem fair for those with their boots on the ground for 13 months! But what the hell, none of us got paid what we were worth! The civilian contractors in Nam were knocking down over a hundred grand a year plus a 30 day paid vacation every year for doing the same type work us SeaBees were doing. Kinda makes the U.S. gov look like a bunch of pikers!
As a former Crew Chief on CH-53′s I can assure you that one flight in the zone was just as intense as your boots on the ground. We were sitting ducks for RPG’s while we resupplied you and extracted your *** out when you you were up to your neck in aligators. Not to mention medivac missions. Bet you didn’t hesitate to call for close air support, and we aviators were there without question. You are correct we all deserved more, and so do our troops now. Everytime I flew into or over a hostile area I sure as hell wasn’t thinking about my flight pay or hazard pay. I had flak jackets on the floor and pucker factor 9, know what I mean?
I think that every single person male/female over the age of 18 should be required to serve for three years in some branch of the military. If that happened we might have citizens who actually cared and would become good citizens. I am a veteran of the Vietnam era, my father was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge in WWII, my sons have all served in the past 16 years.
Only when our elected representatives must watch their children marching across a Parade field and onto a plane will we see a change in the rate of pay and/or any improvement in the quarters for enlisted families etc. Only those who have lived in those quarters can sympathize with what families have to contend with. Our electeds need to have their pay rescinded for their housing and food allowances and make it in line with that the our soldiers get.
Thats Oboma, cut of fources, cut their pay, and still wants all of our branches of government under his control so he can stop all elections and become our KING/DICTATOR . He has screwed up our nation enough, Quit monkeying around wil GOD, do not take in GOD we trust off our money
How much do you think obama has spent or will spend to get Sec of Trans Lahoods son back from Egypt? At the end of the day it will be a group of Marines or Navy Seals valued at $7.50 a day going in to rescue the idiot who went into a hostile country and placed himself in peril. The girl they just rescued in Somalia cost us millions yet the men who went into the fire are only worth $7.50 a day. That’s right they were there just one day, parachuted in assaulted the compound and were out. And obummer wants to prorate their pay from $250 to $7.50 for that mission? And somehow many of you here are supporting that?
BTW, obama just spent $16 dollars a piece for muffins for a meeting. I see that our troops are worth less then his muffin’s are. Anyone following this logic?
Getting rid of the draft was the one biggest mistake of our govt in the last 50 years. Now our military is nearly a vigilante for hire organization run by corrupt demokraps and politikos. ALL children of the rich, the politicians and illegal immigrants should serve 3 years. There must be NO exceptions to this mandate. Only blind or mentally/ physically handicapped should be excused because they cannot perform combat duties. Living in one of the only cushy freedom [or used to be] nation carries responsibilities, meaning that in order to enjoy the goodies, each person must [by law] be required to support by military service the rights, freedoms and constitution of our nation. Dont lie it? GTHO !!
7.50 a day for combat pay? Are you for real? Any member of service
Who is in combat should be paid twice their normal pay.
At the cost of any war, thats the least we (the united states)
Should pay our boys who dawn the uniform that protects our
Freedon… PAY THEM WHAT THEY ARE WORTH!!
If you look at it in real pay it comes to $0.3125 per hr. Since the US military gets payed 24/7 the goverment will change the rules to only pay if you are out in the field and no pay if you are on a base. If we could only pay are goverment the days they are in office and no pay for holidays, campaining, fundrasing, exc how much would we the taspayer save. Thanks Obamma
Okay, I have a novel idea, pay attention now for those of you who are supporting this BS. How about we cut all the foriegn aid to Pakistans and Egypts military first. Boy howdy would they squeal like a PIG
Is $225 a month worth dying?
i have been reading most of all the comments , im currently in the army[reserve] and so is my husband[active] who is currently deployed….bah and bas doesnt cover ssquat… our bah is 990 a month then we get food of 325… our house and justutilities and food go over that not to mention formula and diapers for our infant …. yes we signed up… bc i value my LIFE AND FREEDOM …..and if it wasnt for the vets before us living and those whos lives were lost we wouldnt be able to live happily…. we contract to protect these rights….if those ignorant ppl dont remeber we were attacked on US soil …. were over there to protect those who dont fight …and yes maybe its time to come home ….. deployments suck … im a soldier and i have had so many briefings and crap ….but one thing there dont teach is how to live through a deployment … im doing that alone …. and its sad that anyone wouldnt think that 7.50 a day is such a small amount get real ppl….. u have a job..or unemployment or welfare….. living freely..and why BECAUSE OF OUR ARMY,AIRFORCE,MARINES,NAVY&&COAST GUARD …SO LEAVE U WIFE, CHILD, PARENTS, SPOUSE …EVEN YOUR BELOVED PETS FOR A MEER 7.50 EXTRA A DAY FOR THE CHANCE U JUST MIGHT NOT COME BACK ….. PATHETIC….MAYBE THEY SHOULD MANDATE IT THAT EVERYONE HEALTHY HAS TO SERVE ONE DEPLOYMENT FOR THE MINDSET …EVEN PRESIDENTS AND CONGRESS …..
BC THEN I THINK PEOPLE WOULD UNDERSTAND ,
Obama was the one that wanted our service men & women to pay for their health insurance