A soldier may be entitled to Imminent Danger Pay (IDP) when serving on official duty in an area designated by the Department of Defense as eligible for IDP. The same entitlement amount is also received by meeting different eligibility requirements that qualify a soldier for Hostile Fire Pay (HFP). This entitlement is usually listed together as Hostile Fire Pay/Imminent Danger Pay. A soldier can receive IDP or HFP but not both.

A soldier is eligible for Imminent Danger Pay (IDP) for any month when the soldier was entitled to basic pay for active duty or compensation for inactive duty and the soldier is on official duty in a designated IDP area as listed in Department of Defense (DoD) Financial Management Regulation (FMR) Volume 7A, Chapter 10, Figure 10-1.

Soldiers may receive either IDP or Hostile Fire Pay (HFP), but not both. If not on official duty in a designated IDP area, the appropriate commander must certify the soldier's eligibility for Hostile Fire Pay (HFP) under the following conditions:

• Subjected to hostile fire or explosion of a hostile mine, or  

• On duty in an area in close proximity to a hostile fire incident and the member is in danger of being exposed to the same dangers actually experienced by other Service members subjected to hostile fire or explosion of hostile mines, or

• Killed, injured, or wounded by hostile fire, explosion of a hostile mine, or any other hostile action.

Prior to December 31, 2011, members eligible for IDP were paid the full monthly rate of $225 for any complete or partial month they served in a qualifying area. The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act modified IDP payments, limiting eligibility to only the actual days served in a qualifying area. Now service members will receive $7.50 for each day they are on official duty in an IDP area up to the maximum monthly rate of $225. The monthly rate is paid to members who serve an entire calendar month in an IDP area regardless of the number of individual days in that month.

Members who are exposed to a hostile fire or hostile mine explosion event are eligible to receive non-prorated Hostile Fire Pay (HFP) in the full monthly amount of $225. Members cannot receive both IDP and HFP in the same month.

Reading your Leave & Earnings Statement  

If you serve an entire calendar month in a designated IDP area, your LES will reflect the maximum monthly amount of $225. If you are in the area less than a month, your LES will reflect payment for only the period you were eligible for IDP. It is important that you review your LES to make sure you have received the correct entitlement.

Instances where a soldier is not considered to be on official duty in a designated IDP area and would not be eligible to receive Imminent Danger Pay include the following:

• In the IDP area while on leave from a duty station outside the IDP area; or

• Traveling through the IDP area (by any means of transportation) in order to travel between two points that are both outside the IDP; or

• In the IDP area for personal convenience

Special situations may affect a soldier's eligibility for HFP/IDP:

• Soldier Captured or Missing: When a soldier is entitled to HFP/IDP immediately before being designated the status of missing, missing-in-action, interned in a foreign country or captured by a hostile force, the HFP/IDP will continue to be paid for as long as the status applies

• Soldier Hospitalized Outside the Theater of Combat Operation or Combat Zone: Soldiers entitled to HFP/IDP who in the line of duty incurs a wound, injury or illness while serving in a combat operation or a combat zone; while serving in a hostile fire area; or while exposed to a hostile fire event (regardless of location), and who is hospitalized for the treatment of such a wound, injury, or illness, may continue to receive HFP and/or IDP.  Members may be paid HFP and/or IDP for up to 12 months from the date of hospitalization under the Pay and Allowance Continuation (PAC) Program.

• Soldier Absent from the Designated Area: A soldier assigned to a designated IDP area, and therefore entitled to HFP/IDP, that is absent from the designated area for an entire calendar month is not eligible for HFP/IDP for that month.

Imminent Danger Pay webpage maintained by the Department of Defense:
https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Special-and-Incentive-Pays/HFP_IDP/

Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay:
https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/payentitlements/specialpay/hfp_idp/

Volume 7A: “Military Policy – Active Duty and Reserve Pay”
https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/Volume_07a.pdf

Wounded Warrior Pay section of the Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) website:
https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/woundedwarrior/woundedwarriorpay/