THE ALASKA STORY
Oct. 5, 2026 – The Pentagon has doubled hostile fire pay and increased imminent danger pay for eligible service members across the military, ending a nearly quarter-century freeze on the supplemental compensation.
The new rates took effect Oct. 1, the start of fiscal year 2027. Hostile fire pay increased from $225 to $450 per month, while imminent danger pay rose from a maximum of $225 to $275 monthly. Both had remained at $225 since October 2002, according to the department’s announcement.
The increases apply to troops who meet the eligibility requirements, including Alaska-based personnel serving on qualifying assignments. They are separate from basic military pay.
A memorandum signed in July by Timothy Dill, assistant secretary of war for manpower and reserve affairs, established the higher rates. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the change Thursday, describing it as a way to better compensate troops for different levels of operational risk worldwide.
Hostile fire pay is issued at the full $450 monthly rate for a qualifying month in which a service member is exposed to a hostile fire event. Imminent danger pay is based on time spent in a designated danger area, at $9.16 per day, up to the $275 monthly maximum.
The distinction recognizes the difference between serving where an attack is possible and actually facing hostile fire. If conditions in a designated imminent danger area escalate into active combat, commanders can transition eligible personnel to hostile fire pay.a
Service members cannot receive both payments for the same period of service.
The Marine Corps announced the higher rates in September. The Pentagon’s Oct. 1 announcement confirmed the increase extends across military services.
Congress had already authorized the higher ceilings under federal law. The department’s action implements those amounts, doubling hostile fire compensation and adding $50 to the maximum monthly imminent danger payment.
Troops and their families should consult their command financial specialists or local finance offices about eligibility and how the changes will appear on their Leave and Earnings Statements, the department said.
