Special Pay Verification

Special Pay Categories

Common to track.

• Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay (HDIP).
• Hostile Fire Pay or Imminent Danger Pay (HFP/IDP).
• Sea Pay.
• Aviation Incentive Pay (flight pay).
• Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus (FLPB).
• Special Duty Assignment Pay (SDAP).
• Career Sea Pay Premium.
• Diving Duty Pay.
• Hazardous Duty Pay.

Each has eligibility criteria, start dates, stop dates, and rate tables. The active rate sits in DoD FMR Volume 7ADoD FMR Volume 7A.

Identifying Eligibility

Surface eligibility through.

• Billet assignment that triggers the pay.
• Qualification earned (flight wings, dive, language).
• Duty location (sea duty, hostile fire zone, foreign language area).
• Special duty designation (drill instructor, recruiter, MSG).

A Marine arrives in your section already eligible. A Marine earns eligibility while in your section. A Marine loses eligibility on PCS or qualification expiration.

Start Date Verification

When eligibility triggers.

• Verify the package routed to S-1.
• Verify the LES reflects the special pay starting on the eligibility date.
• Verify the rate matches the FMR table.
• Catch retroactive missing pay if start date pre-dated the LES entry.

A Marine eligible for HDIP from January 1 whose LES shows the pay starting February 15 has 6 weeks of missing pay.

Continuing Eligibility

Some special pays require continuing qualification.

• FLPB requires periodic language testing.
• Flight pay requires continuing flight time.
• Dive pay requires continuing dive currency.
• SDAP requires continuing assignment.

Quarterly verification catches expirations the Marine forgot to address.

Stop Date Verification

When eligibility ends.

• PCS out of the qualifying duty.
• Qualification expiration without renewal.
• Billet change.
• Reassignment out of the special duty.

Verify the stop date is correct. A pay that continues past the stop date may produce overpayment recovery later.

Brief the Marine

Marines often do not know their special pay eligibility in detail.

• Brief on the active special pays during initial counseling.
• Brief on continuing requirements (testing, currency).
• Brief on stop triggers.

A Marine briefed sees the special pay on the LES and verifies it monthly.

Tracking the Section

Update at counseling sessions and at billet changes.

Coordinating Corrections

When the LES is wrong.

• Pull source documentation.
• Submit correction request through S-1.
• Track to resolution.
• Verify on next LES.

Special pay corrections often require Branch coordination beyond S-1.

Common Special Pay Failures

• Eligibility triggers but package never routes.
• Rate calculated against old FMR table.
• Continuing qualification expires without notice.
• Stop date missed, overpayment surfaces months later.
• Marine never briefed, never self-verifies.

Where to Go Next

• BAH error catch for the parallel BAH check.
• Pay problems escort for the broader pay error path.
• LES coaching at the Marine view link.