SitRep: More U.S. troops supporting health care wo...: One hundred Marines have arrived in Liberia to join a growing international effort to contain the Ebola virus. A force that's expected to number upwards of four-thousand in the coming weeks.
Airmen from the 633rd Medical Group set up tents for a 25-bed hospital to aid Liberian health workers infected with Ebola on October 8 near Monrovia, Liberia. (John Moore / Getty Images)
U.S. troops deploying to West Africa for the Ebola mission could earn up to $400 a month in special pays, according to Defense Department officials.
One would be hardship duty pay-location of $150 a month for those troops in Liberia and Sierra Leone. This entitlement is retroactive to the day of arrival after 30 days in theater.
The second would be family separation allowance (for members with dependents) of $250 a month. This entitlement is retroactive to the day of arrival after 30 days in theater.
Troops on this mission will not get the combat-zone tax exclusion on their regular basic pay because that benefit is specifically designated for troops in declared combat zones. Similarly, hostile fire pay will not apply to this mission because it is not a declared hostile fire zone.
More than 400 U.S. troops are now in West Africa, and total deployments may reach 4,000 over the next few weeks. The size and scope of the mission has expanded from initial estimates in September, when officials said it would last six months and require about 3,000 troops.
Pentagon officials announced Wednesday about 100 Marines based in Moron, Spain, will deploy temporarily to the Liberian capital of Monrovia to provide “interim resupply and transportation support” for a few weeks until an Army unit arrives to take over for the longer term.
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