Hardship Duty Pay – Location (HDP-L)
Hardship Duty Pay – Location, or HDP-L, is payable to service members performing duty in areas designated by the Secretary of Defense as hardship duty. The OIF/OEF daily rate is currently $3.33, and the monthly rate is $100. Wounded Warriors are entitled to HDP-L for up to 12 months after injury as long as they remain in a continuous hospitalized status. A member is considered hospitalized if he/she is admitted as an inpatient, or is receiving extensive rehabilitation as an outpatient at a facility that is affiliated with the military health care system, and attached/assigned to a medical/patient unit. An example for the Army would be the assignment/attachment to a Warrior Transition Unit (WTU).
Hostile Fire Pay/Imminent Danger Pay (HFP)
Hostile Fire Pay/Imminent Danger Pay, or HFP, is paid to military personnel serving in an area designated by the President. HFP is paid at a rate of $225.00 per month without proration and regardless of pay grade. This includes most areas affected by Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF). HFP entitlement begins upon entry into a designated area and continues or stops as follows:
Effective May 15, 2008, this entitlement will continue for up to twelve months past the month of injury as long as the patient is hospitalized. A Warrior is considered hospitalized if he/she is admitted as an inpatient, or is receiving extensive rehabilitation as an outpatient at a facility that is affiliated with the military health care system and attached/assigned to a medical/patient unit.
HDP and HFP Examples
Example 1:
Chief Smith is medically evacuated on March 16 from a combat zone. Chief Smith will continue receiving HDP and HFP for up to 12 months after the month of MEDEVAC as long as he remains in continuous hospitalized status.
Example 2:
Chief Smith is medically evacuated on March 16 from a combat zone. Chief Smith then returns to duty in the combat zone on April 12. Since Chief Smith was away from the zone for less than 30 days, HDP and HFP payments should be paid continuously without break, regardless of hospitalization status between MEDEVAC and redeployment to the combat zone.
Example 3:
Chief Smith is medically evacuated from a combat zone on March 16. Chief Smith returns to the zone on April 28. If Chief Smith was in a continuous hospitalization status for the period of March 16- April 28, his HDP and HFP would continue. However if Chief Smith was not in a continuous hospitalized status HDP and HFP would stop once Chief Smith was no longer hospitalized and restart on April 28.
Example 4:
CPL Lang leaves the combat zone on April 15, designated to receive outpatient care at a military hospital. CPL Lang is receiving extensive rehabilitation in a facility affiliated with the military healthcare system, or is assigned/attached to a Warrior Transition Unit (WTU). CPL Lang departs hospital and WTU on 2 August to his unit located at his Permanent Duty Station in a status of return to duty. HDP and HFP continue through the end of the month of August.
Example 5:
CPL Lang is medically evacuated from the combat zone on August 1, 2006 and is in an inpatient status until October 1, 2006. CPL Lang is then transferred and assigned to the WTU until the end of November as an outpatient. CPL Lang is entitled to HDP, HFP and CZTE for August, September, and October. For November CPL Lang is authorized HDP and HFP at the taxable rate.