A pay cut is coming for Marines who plan to work as drill instructors, security guards, or in other special duty assignments. That's because the Marine Corps is slated to slash Special Duty Assignment Pay (SDAP) starting Oct. 1.
According to a Marine Corps news release, the move was made to help the Corps save $35 million over the next five years.
Marine Corps compensation chief 1st Lt. John Krahling said making the decision to cut SDAP wasn't made in haste:
“We spent significant time evaluating all relevant factors before making a final decision on the changes. As the Department of Defense and Marine Corps move into a more resource-constrained environment, we must fully evaluate each of our programs by weighing total costs and benefits of the current programs.”
Marines currently working as embassy guards, drill instructors, recruiters, and on other special duty assignments don't have to worry - the pay cut will only affect Marines who begin serving special duty after Oct. 1.
But Stars and Stripes reports Marines who become subject to the pay cuts...
...will be placed at lower SDAP levels than their predecessors. However, some servicemembers impacted by the reductions will later be bumped up one SDAP tier after serving 12 months in their new billets, depending on their assignment.
