It's going to be a happy new year for a handful of soldiers who are due for pay bumps, including drill sergeants, some recruiters and members of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Caisson platoons at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Army's new special duty pay list now includes the soldiers who guard the Unknown Soldier and those who escort coffins during funerals, as well as senior NCO operational advisors in the Asymmetric Warfare Group, U.S. Army Pacific Command Northern Warfare Training Center instructors and the defense secretary's security team.
Depending on their assignments, more than 20,000 soldiers a year receive between $75 and $450 extra a month, according to Army spokesman Lt. Col. Randy Taylor.
Drill sergeants and production recruiters will also have the opportunity to move up from $300 to $375 a month based on performance and meeting training requirements.
Warrior Transition Unit leaders will see their special pay knocked from $225 to $150, and Criminal Investigation Command Agents will see their $150-a-month extra cut in half, then phased out over the next year.
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
