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Deploying to a combat zone stacks several special pays on top of your normal paycheck — and makes a lot of it tax-free. Pick your grade and the pays that apply to see the extra monthly money, from the 2026 DoD rates.
Sources: DoD FMR Vol. 7A (HFP/IDP, FSA, HDP, CZTE), 37 U.S.C. 427 — Family Separation Allowance ($300), Active-duty pay calculator
Extra monthly pay while deployed
+$525
on top of your $4,110 basic pay · total $4,635/month
The rates are DoD FMR Vol 7A (2026): Hostile Fire / Imminent Danger Pay is $225/month (you get one, not both); the 2026 Family Separation Allowance is $300/month (raised from $250 by the FY2026 NDAA); Hardship Duty Pay – Location runs $50–$150/month and is capped at $100 when combined with HFP/IDP.
The big one is the Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE). For a qualifying month in a combat zone, an enlisted member or warrant officer pays no federal income tax on their military pay — basic pay and these special pays included. Commissioned officers get the same exclusion but capped at the maximum enlisted basic pay plus IDP. That tax break is often worth more than the special pays themselves.
Not shown: BAH and BAS (which continue), per diem, savings-deposit-program interest, and branch-specific pays. This is the combat-zone special-pay stack, not total compensation. Confirm your entitlements with your finance office. See your base pay. Educational estimate, not a pay statement.
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Related: your base pay by rank, your BAH (which continues while deployed), and how combat-zone pay is taxed.