§212 Advancement of Basic Pay: Members Deployed in Combat Zone for More Than One Year

Summary

If a service member is ordered for one year or more (or their order is extended past one year) to an area that qualifies for special pay under section 310 or section 351(a)(1) or (3), they can ask while on the assignment for up to three months of basic pay in advance. A one-month advance must be given; the Secretary may approve a second or third month if the member shows financial hardship. The advance must be paid back in equal monthly installments over one year, starting on the first day of the first month on or after the member receives the money. If the member is on active duty during a repayment month, the installment is taken from that month’s basic pay. The member’s estate does not have to repay any advance still unpaid when the member dies.