| What is Hardship Duty Pay (HDP-M and HDP-L)? Other types of pay include Hardship Duty and there are two categories. HDP-L is for service members serving in areas located in 150 countries designated by the Secretary of Defense as arduous. The second type is HDP-M for service members assigned to or on temporary duty to or under operational control of the Joint Task Force Full Accounting or the Central Identification Lab, Hawaii. HDP-L pay is designated for service members who serve over 30 days in these designated areas. They receive an amount varying from $50 to $150 month depending on the designated area of service. Those service members serving in areas such as Afghanistan and Iraq qualify for both Imminent Danger Pay and Hardship Duty Pay and can earn up to $325 per month in additional compensation. HDP-M pay is at a rate of $150 monthly to perform investigations and excavations of crash sites to recover remains of United States service members in remote areas such as Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and North Korea. Some service members may qualify for both HDP-L and HDP-M. They can receive a maximum of $300 a month. There are bonuses for higher risk duty that are taxable unless paid in a combat zone. They include Master Divers who receive up to $340 a month in taxable income; Officers and enlisted personnel who handle toxic chemicals are entitled to hazardous duty pay of an extra $150 monthly; service members engaged in HALO jumping parachuting receive an additional $225 a month. |