A service member may be entitled to Hostile Fire Pay (HFP) when the appropriate commander certifies that the member has met the requirements for entitlement to Hostile Fire Pay for a given month. Certification of entitlement shall be made at the lowest level of command. Certification shall include the name and social security number of each member entitled to the hostile fire pay, a short description of the incident, and when and where it occurred. A death certificate or injury report may be substituted in place of the certification if the document establishes the cause of the death or injury was due to hostile fire or an explosion of a hostile mine.

The same entitlement amount is also received by meeting different eligibility requirements that qualify a service member for Imminent Danger Pay (IDP). This entitlement is usually listed together as Hostile Fire Pay/Imminent Danger Pay. A service member can receive Imminent Danger Pay or Hostile Fire Pay but not both.

A service member is eligible for Hostile Fire Pay for any month when the service member was entitled to basic pay for active duty or compensation for inactive duty and the service member is:

• 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 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.

 Special Situations

• Service member Captured or Missing: A member entitled to Hostile Fire Pay immediately prior to entering status of missing, missing in action, interned in a foreign country of captured by a hostile force shall continue to be credited with HFP for each month while in such status

• A service member entitled to Hostile Fire Pay, who is hospitalized for a wound or injury incurred as a result of hostile action, incurs a wound, injury or illness in a combat operation or combat zone designated by the Secretary of Defense and is hospitalized outside of the theater for treatment is entitled to Hostile Fire Pay for 12 months.

Hostile Fire Pay is a special pay entitlement currently paid at the rate of $225 per month. Service members may receive either Hostile Fire Pay or Imminent Danger Pay (IDP), but not both. Service members entitled to HFP or IDP may also be entitled to Combat Zone Tax Exclusion.

As stated in Chapter 10 of the DoD Financial Management Regulations. Hostile Fire Pay (HFP) is paid when certified by appropriate commanders to military members subjected to:

• Subjected to hostile fire or explosion of a hostile mine

• 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

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

Members are eligible for Imminent Danger Pay (IDP) when serving on official duty within a designated IDP area.

For more information, please visit the Hostile Fire Pay webpage maintained by the Department of Defense (DoD):
https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Special-and-Incentive-Pays/HFP_IDP/

For additional information on possible changes to this benefit as a Wounded Warrior, please visit the Wounded Warrior Pay section of the Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) website at:
https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/woundedwarrior/woundedwarriorpay/

DoD Instruction 1340.09: Hazard Pay (HzP) Program:
https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/134009p.PDF?ver=2018-01-30-123041-040