Some soldiers – including drill sergeants and recruiters – will see an increase in Special Duty Assignment Pay beginning Jan. 1, the Army announced Wednesday.

The Army also has authorized extra pay for soldiers serving in the Old Guard's Caisson Platoon and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

"These updates to incentive pay allow us to target and recognize those soldiers who simply have difficult assignments," said Larry Lock, chief of the 2016 Special Pay Panel, in a statement.

SDAP is a discretionary incentive pay that eligible enlisted soldiers in the grade of E-3 or higher may receive based on their duty assignment, according to information from the Army.

Army officials on Wednesday evening could not provide specifics on which assignments or jobs now qualify for SDAP, which soldiers might see a bump in special pay, or how much eligible soldiers might receive every month.

Typically, SDAP ranges from $75 a month to $450 a month, depending on the assignment.

As an example, drill sergeants had been receiving $300 a month; before January 2014, they had been receiving $375 a month.

Special duty assignments are those designated as having extremely demanding duties requiring extraordinary effort or an unusual degree of responsibility, according to the Army.

"The goal of the Special Pay Panel was to validate recommendations of challenging positions that require soldiers to consistently perform in an 'above and beyond' manner and then make recommendations concerning levels of incentive payments," Lock said.

The panel, which meets biennially to review SDAP, looked at every military occupational specialty or program that requested consideration for the special pay.

Officials said soldiers should speak to the human resources specialists in their unit to see what duty assignments are approved for SDAP under the new policy.

About Michelle Tan

Michelle Tan is the editor of Army Times and Air Force Times. She has covered the military for Military Times since 2005, and has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Haiti, Gabon and the Horn of Africa.

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