§372 — Title 37 Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services | U.S. Code

Summary

If a service member is wounded, injured, or becomes ill while serving in a combat operation, combat zone, hostile fire area, or after exposure to hostile fire and is hospitalized for treatment, the Secretary may keep paying all of the member’s pay and allowances that they were receiving when hurt. This includes bonuses, incentive pay, special pay, or similar benefits, even if other rules would normally stop the pay. These payments can continue until the end of the first month after the earliest of: the member returns to non‑medical duty (or, for those under a military department, is found fit for duty); one year after first being hospitalized (the Secretary can extend this in six‑month increments); or the date the member is discharged, separated, or retired, including temporary disability retirement.

Title 37, §372

Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)If a member of a uniformed service incurs a wound, injury, or illness in the line of duty while serving in a combat operation or a combat zone, while serving in a hostile fire area, or while exposed to a hostile fire event, as described under section 351 of this title, and is hospitalized for treatment of the wound, injury, or illness, the Secretary concerned may continue to pay to the member, notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, all pay and allowances (including any bonus, incentive pay, or similar benefit) that were being paid to the member at the time the member incurred the wound, injury, or illness.

(b)The payment of pay and allowances to a member under subsection (a) may continue until the end of the first month beginning after the earliest of the following dates:

(1)The date on which the member is returned for assignment to other than a medical or patient unit for duty; however, in the case of a member under the jurisdiction of a Secretary of a military department, the date on which the member is determined fit for duty.

(2)One year after the date on which the member is first hospitalized for the treatment of the wound, injury, or illness, except that the Secretary concerned may extend the termination date in six-month increments.

(3)The date on which the member is discharged, separated, or retired (including temporary disability retirement) from the uniformed services.

(c)In this section, the term “bonus, incentive pay, or similar benefit” means a bonus, incentive pay, special pay, or similar payment paid to a member of the uniformed services under this title or title 10.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 119–60 struck out “of a regular or reserve component” after “If a member”. 2019—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–92 amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “The date on which the member is returned for assignment to other than a medical or patient unit for duty.”

§372 Continuation of Pays During Hospitalization and Rehabilitation Resulting From Wounds, Injury, or Illness Incurred While on Duty in a Hostile Fire Area or Exposed to an Event of Hostile Fire or Other Hostile Action

Summary

Title 37, §372

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata