DoD announced that after reviewing security and budgetary concerns it has decided to remove 20 areas from the list of locations that qualify for imminent danger pay (IDP). The change will take effect June 1, 2014 and will impact tens of thousands of servicemembers.  

Locations no longer qualifying as imminent danger areas are:  

• Four water areas; the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea.
• The water of and air space above the Persian Gulf.
• Six land areas and air space above Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro.
• Nine land areas; East Timor, Haiti, Liberia, Oman, Rwanda, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.  

Those serving in the above locations will no longer qualify for the $225 monthly IDP.  

This is DoD’s first review of IDP locations since 2007.  

Defense officials conducted the periodic review and recertification of the IDP areas in coordination with the Joint Staff, combatant commands and the military services.  

“Periodic recertification of IDP ensures that imminent danger designations match the actual conditions of designated countries so that the department can provide fair entitlements and benefits,” according to the DoD announcement.  

IDP will continue for Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, and Egypt.