Defense Department Confirms Service Members Operating in Niger and Mali will Receive Imminent Danger Pay

After hearing from a constituent who was deployed in Niger last year without receiving IDP, Courtney questioned General Waldhauser about the situation during a House Armed Services Committee hearing yesterday

(Washington, DC) —Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced that he has received confirmation from the Department of Defense (DOD) that service members serving in Niger and Mali will receive Imminent Danger Pay (IDP), given the risk associated with deployments in those countries. The change will be made retroactively to June of last year when U.S. Africa Command made the initial request for IDP.

Yesterday, Courtney questioned General Thomas D. Waldhauser about the need for military personnel serving in Niger and Mali to be provided with IDP, given the inherent danger that was evident last year when four service members were killed while on patrol in Niger. General Waldhauser agreed with Courtney that service members deployed in Niger should receive IDP and indicated that U.S. Africa Command had submitted its recommendation to provide the increased pay several months ago, but suggested the change was being held up at higher levels of the department. Today, following the hearing, Courtney's office was notified that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness has approved IDP for additional areas in the Sahel region, including Niger.

"I am very pleased that the military was able to provide a resolution for our service members, who clearly deserve Imminent Danger Pay when operating in hostile environments in the Sahel region of Africa," said Courtney. "One of my constituents, serving in the Navy and deployed to Niger, wrote me to ask why he wasn't receiving additional compensation despite the inherent risks associated with that area. On Tuesday, I had the chance to ask the AFRICOM commander directly in a public hearing. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will continue to ensure that our military personnel receives the compensation they deserve when sent in harm's way."

WATCH CONGRESSMAN COURTNEY QUESTION GEN. WALDHAUSER ABOUT IDP YESTERDAY

Courtney raised the issue during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee after hearing from a constituent who serves in the Navy and was deployed to Niger in December 2017 without receiving IDP.

There are now 18 countries in Africa where deployed service members receive IDP as well as Hardship Duty Pay.

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