The Department of Defense (DoD) frequently reassesses and updates the areas that qualify for Imminent Danger Pay (IDP). Imminent Danger Pay is a benefit given to troops serving in locations that are deemed to be hostile or dangerous. The benefit provides troops in imminent danger areas a payment of $7.50 per day, up to the maximum monthly rate of $225.
Hostile Fire Pay (HFP) is often lumped together with Imminent Danger Pay. However, you only need to serve in the qualifying area to qualify for IDP. You must actually be exposed to hostile fire, or a hostile mine explosion event, to be eligible for Hostile Fire Pay.
While IDP is prorated based on the number of days in the month the member served in the Imminent Danger Pay location, Hostile Fire Pay is a non-prorated benefit. Members exposed to hostile fire will receive the full monthly amount of $225, regardless of the number of days they served in the area.
Members cannot receive both IDP and HFP in the same month.
Table of Contents
Qualifying for Imminent Danger Pay & Hostile Fire Pay
IDP is a location and risk-based benefit. In general, the DoD considers areas where service members are at high risk or subject to the threat of physical harm or imminent danger on the basis of civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism, or wartime conditions. This includes exposure to gunfire, mines, rockets and mortar attacks, and similar acts of aggression.
The commander determines HFP based on whether a member is:
- Subject to hostile fire or mine explosions
- In an area near hostile fire or mine explosions which endanger the member
- Killed, injured, or wounded by hostile fire, mines, or any hostile action
There are also three special situations that affect HFP/IDP. These apply to members who are:
- Captured or missing
- Hospitalized as a result of hostile action
- Otherwise entitled to HFP/IDP but are missing from the area for an entire calendar month
Imminent Danger Pay Locations
The Department of Defense regularly reviews IDP locations and will, from time to time, add or remove countries from this list based on “the imminent threat of physical harm to U.S. military personnel due to civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism or wartime conditions.”
| Area | Includes | Effective Dates (From - Through) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Land area and airspace | Nov 01, 1988 | |
| Algeria | Land area | Mar 07, 1995 | |
| Arabian Peninsula (Sea Area Adjacent to) | The surface area of the following sea boundaries: - Red Sea; - Gulf of Aden; - Gulf of Oman; and - Arabian Sea: north of 10° 00’N Latitude; and west of 68° 00’E Longitude | Sep 19, 2001 | May 31, 2014 |
| Azerbaijan | Land area | Jun 09, 1995 | |
| Bahrain | Land area and airspace | Jun 13, 1997 | May 31, 2014 |
| Burundi | Land area | Nov 29, 1996 | |
| Cameroon - Far North - North | Land area Land area | Jun 07, 2017 Jun 07, 2017 | |
| Chad | Land area | Aug 11, 2008 | |
| Colombia | Land area | Jun 01, 1985 | |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of (formerly Zaire) | Land area | Nov 29, 1996 | |
| Cote D’Ivoire | Land area | Feb 27, 2003 | May 31, 2020 |
| Cuba | Limited to Service members performing duties within the Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay Detention Facilities | Dec 26, 2006 | |
| Djibouti | Land area | Jul 31, 2002 | |
| East Timor | Land area | Oct 31, 2001 | May 31, 2014 |
| Egypt | Land area | Jan 29, 1997 | |
| Eritrea | Land area | Jul 31, 2002 | May 31, 2020 |
| Ethiopia | Land area | Sep 13, 1999 | |
| Greece | Land area within a 20-km radius from the center of Athens (38° 01’ N, 23° 44’ E) | Mar 27, 2007 | Dec 01, 2017 |
| Haiti | Land area | Nov 23, 1994 | May 31, 2014 |
| Indonesia | Land area | Oct 31, 2001 | May 31, 2014 |
| - City of Jakarta | Land area | Jun 01, 2014 | May 31, 2020 |
| - Provinces of: -- Central Java, -- East Kalimantan, -- Region of Aceh | Land area Land area Land area | Jun 01, 2014 Jun 01, 2014 Jun 01, 2014 | May 31, 2020 May 31, 2020 May 31, 2020 |
| - Provinces of: -- Central Sulawesi, -- Papua | Land area Land area | Jun 01, 2014 Jun 01, 2014 | |
| Iran | Land area | Nov 04, 1979 | |
| Iraq | Land area and airspace | Sep 17, 1990 | |
| Israel | Land area | Jan 31, 2002 | |
| Jordan | Land area | Jan 29, 1997 | |
| Kenya | Land area | Jul 31, 2002 | |
| Kosovo | Land area and airspace | Jun 22, 1992 | |
| Kuwait | Land area and airspace | Aug 06, 1990 | May 31, 2014 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Land area | Sep 19, 2001 | May 31, 2014 |
| Lebanon | Land area | Oct 01, 1983 | |
| Liberia | Land area | Aug 06, 1990 | May 31, 2014 |
| Libya | Land area and airspace | Mar 19, 2011 | |
| Malaysia | Land area | Oct 31, 2001 | May 31, 2014 |
| - State of Sabah | Land area | Jun 01, 2014 | |
| Mali | Land area | Feb 05, 2013 | Sep 30, 2013 |
| Jun 07, 2017 | |||
| Mediterranean Sea | Water area of the Mediterranean Sea extending from the North African Coast northward into Mediterranean Sea, bounded on the east at: 26° 00’ E longitude; extending north to: 34° 35’ N latitude; and extending west to: the East Coast of Tunisia | Mar 19, 2011 | |
| Montenegro | Land area and airspace | Jun 22, 1992 | May 31, 2014 |
| Niger | Land area | Jun 07, 2017 | |
| Oman | Land area | Sep 19, 2001 | May 31, 2014 |
| Pakistan | Land area | Nov 29, 1996 | |
| Persian Gulf | Water area and airspace | Mar 01, 1998 | May 31, 2014 |
| Philippines | Land area | Oct 31, 2001 | Dec 31, 2015 |
| - Mindanao, Island of | Land Area | Oct 05, 2017 | |
| - Sulu Archipelago Island of | Land Area | Oct 05, 2017 | |
| Qatar | Land area and airspace | Aug 07, 1997 | May 31, 2014 |
| Rwanda | Land area | Oct 06, 1997 | May 31, 2014 |
| Saudi Arabia | Land area and airspace | Aug 02, 1990 | May 31, 2014 |
| Saudi Arabia | Land area | September 14, 2019 | |
| Serbia | Land area and airspace (includes the province of Vojvodina) | Jun 22, 1992 | May 31, 2014 |
| Somalia | Land area and airspace | Sep 28, 1992 | |
| Somalia Basin | Water area of the Somalia Basin with coordinates: - 11° 10’N - 51° 15’E; - 06° 00’N - 48° 30’E; - 05° 00’N - 50° 30’E; - 11° 30’N - 53° 34’E; - 05° 00’N - 50° 30’E; - 01° 00’N - 47° 00’E; - 03° 00’S - 43° 00’E; - 01° 00’S - 41° 00’E; and - 06° 00’N - 48° 30’E | Dec 26, 2006 | |
| South Sudan | Land area and airspace | Jul 09, 2011 | |
| Sudan | Land area and airspace | Oct 04, 1993 | |
| Syria | Land area | Jul 31, 2003 | |
| Airspace | Sep 21, 2014 | ||
| Tajikistan | Land area | Mar 31, 1997 | May 31, 2014 |
| Tunisia | Land area and airspace | Mar 19, 2011 | |
| *Turkey | Land area excluding the Turkish Straits (i.e., the Dardanelles; the Sea of Marmara; and the Bosporus Straits). | Jan 29, 1997 | |
| Airspace: south of 37° 45’N; and east of 43° 00’E | Mar 01, 1998 | ||
| - Izmir | Geographic area encompassing a 40 mile radius from the center of Izmir | Mar 01, 1998 | Oct 24, 2014 |
| Uganda | Land area | Jan 19, 2000 | |
| United Arab Emirates | Land area | Sep 19, 2001 | May 31, 2014 |
| Uzbekistan | Land area | Sep 19, 2001 | May 31, 2014 |
| Yemen | Land area | May 25, 1999 | |
IDP Location Notes:
1. The designation of a land area encompasses all internal waters, unless otherwise noted. For HFP and/or IDP purposes, the term “internal waters” is defined as waters landward of the baseline, drawn in accordance with international law.
2. The designation of a water area (such as the Persian Gulf) includes the territorial seas of those waters, but not the internal waters of the coastal lands. For example, all waters of the Persian Gulf seaward of the baseline of the coastal states, drawn in accordance with international law, would be included in the Persian Gulf designation.
3. Unless otherwise specifically indicated, airspace is NOT part of the included area. When airspace is specifically included, it will normally be that space directly vertically above the approved land or sea area.
4. This figure reflects all designated areas, which were active within the last ten years.
Update: July 22, 2020. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) announced an update to include the land area of Saudi Arabia for IDP, effective September 14, 2019. This includes service members who were on a Temporary Change of Station (TCS), on Temporary Duty (TDY), and or mobilized to Saudi Arabia.
If you served in this area at any time from September 14, 2019, and forward, you should bring a copy of one of these forms to your finance office: (1) TCS/TDY mobilization orders, (2) the DD Form 1351-2, Travel Voucher or Sub voucher, and /or the (3) Defense Travel System (DTS) voucher.
Tax-Exempt Combat Pay
Many tax-exempt combat zones are eligible for Imminent Danger Pay or Hostile Fire Pay, though the lists are not identical. Some areas that are listed on the IDP/HFP list are not considered tax-free combat zones.
Check your VA Home Loan eligibility and get personalized rates. Answer a few questions and we'll connect you with a trusted VA lender to answer any questions you have about the VA loan program.
Hostile Fire Pay / Imminent Danger Pay is Added to Your Paycheck
HFP/IDP should be added to your paycheck once your finance office processes your orders. This will often be done as a group if you deploy as a unit. However, if it is not, you will need to take a copy of your orders to your finance office to ensure they start your HFP/IDP pay.
Keep in mind this benefit is prorated over the month, so you want to ensure you get the benefit started and stopped in a timely manner to ensure you are not overpaid for your time in country.
Finally, because this benefit may be processed manually, you may find that the payment is made out of your normal military paycheck schedule.
HFP / IDP is a tax-free military benefit.
You can find additional information within the DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Chapter 10, or on the DFAS website.
About Post Author
About the comments on this site:
These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.