Pentagon considers doubling monthly combat pay for troops

According to budget documents released by the Air Force, troops deployed to war zones could see their special pay doubled next year if a new Pentagon proposal is approved by Congress.

Currently, troops who are deployed in designated combat zones receive up to $225 per month in imminent danger pay or hostile fire pay. That number could double to $450 each month later this year, according to Air Force budget officials, if Congress approves a proposal in the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2027 budget request.

“The Department of War is currently evaluating the specific increase to these rates within the authorized statutory limits,” an Air Force spokesperson told Task & Purpose. “Specific policy implementation details remain under review.”

The proposed boost in combat pay was noted in an Air Force presentation on the fiscal year 2027 budget request and an Air Force spokesperson told Task & Purpose that the budget request includes a “new proposed rate” of $450 maximum for imminent danger and hostile fire pay.

The proposal was released by the Air Force, but combat pay rates have long been the same across services. All military pay — from base salaries to housing allowances — is set by the Department of Defense in its annual budget. Department of Defense budget officials did not respond to Task & Purpose questions on the proposal.

The higher pays are “aimed at recruiting and retaining warfighters,” according to the presentation.

Two versions of combat pay

When troops receive either type of special pay, they are capped at $225 a month, according to federal law. In order to change that rate, the Pentagon’s 2027 proposal would need to be approved by Congress.

Lawmakers are currently holding hearings on the budget request for fiscal year 2027, which begins in October. However, recent budget history suggests any pay raise may be delayed. It has become increasingly rare for Congress to pass a budget on time, with negotiations over final versions sometimes stretching for weeks or months into the new fiscal year.

U.S. troops have long collected an extra monthly bump in paychecks when deployed to active war zones and other hot spots. Under current rules, the Pentagon doles out two versions of the pay: hostile fire pay, which is approved a full month at a time, and imminent danger pay, which is paid daily.

Imminent danger pay is for troops deployed to a location where they are “subject to the threat of physical harm or imminent danger based on civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism, or wartime conditions in a designated foreign area.”

It is paid out as $7.50 per day that they are actually on duty in that location. The 2027 budget proposal would increase the rate to $15 per day.

Troops are eligible for hostile fire pay if their unit is engaged in hostile action, if their base is attacked, or if they are injured or wounded by hostile fire or an explosion. Those who qualify for hostile fire pay receive a flat rate of $225 per month, regardless of how many days a service member faced direct combat.

The locations where deployed troops can collect combat pay have been routinely updated since 1979. In March, the Pentagon updated the list of eligible locations to include troops deployed for Operation Epic Fury, adding several countries and bodies of water across the Middle East where U.S. troops are engaged in combat operations against Iran.

Under the updates, troops deployed to the following countries can receive imminent danger pay: the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The list was also updated to include the airspace over Iran.