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Special pay and benefits apply to eligible civilian Federal employees assigned to duty in certain combat zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the Department of Labor administer many of the pay and benefits programs provided to Federal civilian employees working in overseas locations, including combat zones. Pay and benefits may vary depending on the employee's pay system, assignment location, scope and nature of duties, and nature of assignment. Please check with your agency's local human resources office to verify the benefits that apply to you.

Pay and Benefits for Federal Civilian Employees in Combat Zones

We at OPM are committed to recruiting, retaining, and honoring a world-class workforce to serve the American people. This commitment includes doing all we can to help ensure that deployed civilians receive fair and accurate compensation and benefits in a timely way.

Below is a brief list of some of the major authorities currently available to agencies that may help attract and retain Federal civilians in a combat zone.

• Effective January 1, 2012, section 1104 of Public Law 112-81, December 31, 2011, extends to calendar year 2012 the authority provided in section 1101(a) of Public Law 110-417, October 14, 2008, as amended by section 1103 of Public Law 111-383, January 7, 2011, for the head of an agency to waive the premium pay cap provisions under 5 U.S.C. 5547. NOTE: Since the United States no longer has a military operation in Iraq, the higher premium pay cap cannot be applied to employees working in Iraq on that basis. However, the President issued a notice on May 18, 2012, that continues the declared national emergency in Iraq for 1 year (through May 22, 2013) to support stabilization efforts. The higher premium pay cap may be based on the Presidentially-declared national emergency in Iraq. The waiver authority expires December 31, 2012. Please see CPM 2012-02 and CPM 2012-05 for additional information.
• Section 1112 of Public Law 112-81, December 31, 2011, amends section 1603(a)(2) of Public Law 109-234, June 15, 2006, as amended by Public Law 110-417, October 14, 2009, to grant the head of an agency the discretionary authority to provide allowances, benefits , and gratuities comparable to those provided by the Secretary of State to members of the Foreign Service under section 413 and chapter 9 of title I of the Foreign Service Act of 1980. This authority was provided until September 30, 2013. Therefore, OPM's Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, CPM 2009-26, December 29, 2009, continues to apply regarding the use of the Foreign Service Act provision.
• OPM regulations give agencies the discretionary authority to provide recruitment, relocation, and retention incentive payments (of as much as 25 to 100 percent of basic pay, in some cases) to address difficulties in recruiting or retaining employees in combat zones. (See 5 CFR part 575, subparts A, B, and C.)
• Going to a combat zone can be considered "a life event" that allows employees an opportunity to elect different health insurance coverage or enhanced life insurance coverage.
• The ceiling on the amount of annual leave that may be carried over to the next year is 360 hours for employees serving overseas, compared to 240 hours for those serving in the U.S.
• Agencies have the ability to offer time off awards. (See 5 U.S.C. 4502(e).)
• The Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) provide a number of important allowances, such as post differential (for hardship conditions) and danger pay.
• The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), 5 U.S.C. 8101 et seq, provides comprehensive workers' compensation coverage for deployed employees in zones where armed conflict may take place. (See also 20 C.F.R Part 10, Federal (FECA) Procedure Manual and related guidance available from the website identified below.) A wide variety of benefits are available under FECA including medical and wage loss benefits, schedule awards for permanent impairment due to loss of hearing, vision or certain organs, vocational rehabilitation for injured employees; survivor benefits are available if an employee is killed in performance of duty or if an employee later dies from a covered injury. The Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs is authorized to pay an additional death gratuity of $100,000 to the survivor(s) of an "employee who dies of injuries incurred in connection with the employee's service with an Armed Force in a contingency operation." For more information, please refer to the Department of Labor's regulations on these provisions at http://www.dol.gov/owcp/dfec/index.htm and http://www.dol.gov/owcp/dfec/DeathGratuity.htm.

Medical Care for Federal Civilian Employees in Combat Zones

In many of these combat zone areas, the Department of Defense's (DOD's) medical facilities are the only source of health care available to Federal employees. As such, non-DOD civilian employees of Federal agencies who become ill, contract disease, or are injured or wounded while serving in these areas are authorized treatment at military treatment facilities (MTF) in theater or, if necessary, air evacuation to an MTF outside the area of operations at the same level and support as the military until medical management disengagement and/or discharge.

If a non-DOD Federal employee would like to continue treatment at a military MTF, the employee must submit a written request to the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness, USD P&R) explaining the compelling circumstances that warrant continued care at a MTF. For example, the MTF is distinguished and has special or unique experience in treating an employee's injury, disease, or illness. However, the employee must first have an accepted Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA)(5 U.S.C. 8101 et seq) claim for his/her assignment related to the illness, disease, or injury from the Department of the Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs. The request form for continued care at DOD's MTFs can be submitted electronically and through regular mail. The request form is located on DOD's web site.