Troops fighting Ebola will earn up to $400 extra per month

Troops fighting Ebola will earn up to $400 extra per month

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Airmen from the 633rd Medical Group set up tents for a 25-bed hospital to aid Liberian health workers infected with Ebola on October 8 near Monrovia, Liberia.

U.S. troops deploying to West Africa for the Ebola mission could earn, in addition to their regular pay, up to an additional $400 a month in special pays, according to Defense Department officials.

One special pay would be for hardship duty pay-location – $150 a month for those troops in Liberia and Sierra Leone. This entitlement is retroactive to the day of arrival after 30 days in theater.

The second entitlement would be for family separation allowance (for members with dependents) of $250 a month. This entitlement too is retroactive to the day of arrival after 30 days in theater.

iHLS Israel Homeland Security

Troops on this mission will not get the combat-zone tax exclusion on their regular basic pay because that benefit is specifically designated for troops in declared combat zones. Similarly, hostile fire pay will not apply to this mission because it is not a declared hostile fire zone.

More than 400 U.S. troops are now in West Africa, and total deployments may reach 4,000 over the next few weeks. The size and scope of the mission has expanded from initial estimates in September, when officials said it would last six months and require about 3,000 troops.

Pentagon officials announced Wednesday about 100 Marines based in Moron, Spain, will deploy temporarily to the Liberian capital of Monrovia to provide “interim resupply and transportation support” for a few weeks until an Army unit arrives to take over for the longer term.