The Red Bulls

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – Seven dollars and fifty cents.

That’s now how much service members who spend one day in a warzone will end up getting for hostile fire pay.

It’s quite a pay cut from $225, which is what they would have previously earned in hostile fire pay for that one day.

A service member could once spend as little as one day a month in a combat zone to earn full monthly combat benefits, but under section 618 of the new defense authorization bill signed Oct. 29, service members will receive prorated war-zone pay for the 2010 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1, 2009.

Payment of hostile fire pay, imminent danger pay, hazardous duty pay, assignment pay, skill incentive pay and associated tax breaks will be based on actual days of qualifying service per month.

Experts cite widespread allegations of people manipulating the system (including stories of people arranging flights into a combat zone during the last few days of one month and the first few days of the next, earning two full months of combat pay) as the basis for the new law.

Service members at Contingency Operating Base Basra were spilt about the decision. 38% of service members polled agreed with the new law, while 54% disagreed and 8% were neutral.

Many who agreed with the policy said the law was long overdue.

“I believe it’s the more fiscally responsible thing to do,” said Sgt. Joel Peterson, a Duluth, Minn., native and protection administrator for the 34th Infantry Division.

However, the majority of service members objected to what they consider a pay cut.

“I believe this is a poor decision,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Sonnen, a St. Paul, Minn., native and deputy information operations officer with the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division. “I would say that getting a full month of combat pay at the end of a year-long combat tour is one of the few perks that Soldiers get for the long deployments and hardships they face while separated from their families. I think the number of abuses is small in comparison to the 200,000 or more men and women currently serving extended combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

“They’re punishing all the Soldiers because of a few bad apples,” said Maj. Juan Jose Perez, deputy division safety officer. “If you’re willing to come to a combat zone, then the Army should compensate you for that. You made a commitment to the military, and I think the military should honor their commitment to the Soldier.”

Many service members found themselves switching back and forth between opinions, and some agreed with the law but thought that it could be better.

“I agree that the military should become more efficient, but there are better ways than to take a Soldier’s pay,” said Spc. Andrew Zandlo, a Braham, MInn., native and an aviation operations specialist with the 34th Inf. Div.

Financial services in Contingency Operating Base Basra said they had not yet received guidance on the change.