Category:
Pay & Allowances

Subcategory:
Incentive/Special Pay

Created:
2005-12-12

Modified:
2015-03-17

Hardship Duty Pay (HDP)

Question

What is Hardship Duty Pay (HDP) and who is entitled to receive it?

Answer

Hardship Duty Pay (HDP) is a special pay used to compensate Service Members who are either serving in locations where living conditions create undue hardship or who are performing designated hardship missions. It is payable to all members who are performing official duties for more than 30 days in a designated hardship duty location.  HDP begins on the date of arrival to the duty location and ends the date of departure or the last day of the effective period.  The entitlement is prorated on a daily basis.  Note that HDP supersedes foreign duty pay (FDP).

HDP-M
Hardship Duty Pay for Mission Assignment (HDP-M) is payable to both officers and enlisted members for any part of a month in which they perform a designated hardship mission. The current rate for HDP-M is $150.

HDP-L
Hardship Duty Pay for Location (HDP-L) is additional compensation paid to service members assigned to locations where living conditions are substantially below those conditions encountered in the contiguous United States (CONUS). There are two types of HDP-L:

  • (1) Designated Areas (HDP-L(DA)), which is payable to officers and enlisted members when assigned to duty in the locations listed in the DoD FMR Volume 7A, Chapter 17, figure 17-1. HDP-L(DA) is either $50, $100, or $150 per month.
  • (2) Certain Places (HDP-L(CP)), which is payable only to enlisted members when assigned to duty in the locations listed in the DoD FMR Volume 7A, Chapter 17, figure 17-2. HDP-L(CP) is being phased out and is payable at a rate of $150 per month.

    For more information on HDP, visit The DoD Military Pay Website.

    To view this FAQ's reference, visit the DoD FMR Volume 7A Chapter 17.

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    incentive pay special duty allowance allowances alowance alowances hdp hardship foreign fdp hdp-m hdpm mission hdp-l hdpl hdp-l(da) hdpl(da) dhplda hdp-lda hdp-l(cp) hdpl(cp) hdplcp hdp-lcp location designated area certain places combat deploy deployment deployed
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