FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The Pentagon will raise hazard pay for U.S. Army paratroopers, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced during his Thursday visit to Fort Bragg.
The raise in “jump pay” will include a bump to $200 a month for all paratroopers with “jump status,” while giving jump-masters charged with training an additional $150 monthly bonus on top, a Pentagon official told the Daily Caller News Foundation after Hegseth’s announcement. Hegseth visited the famous Army base for the first time after changing the name back to Fort Bragg in March, honoring the 82nd Airborne Division in a grand ceremony at the base.
“I cannot thank you enough or express our gratitude enough for what you do,” Hegseth said to the 82nd Airborne Regiment. “Like those who came before you, you keep showing the world the stuff you’re made of, because we know you are ready for the important work that lies ahead.”
Hegseth’s address came on the end of a ceremony honoring the Division, nicknamed the “All-American” regiment. The division stood under the baking sun of North Carolina in defiance of the humidity, marching in front of Hegseth, top Army officials and a large crowd.
The installation’s name was changed to “Fort Liberty” under former President Joe Biden in 2023 because it was initially named after Confederate General Braxton Bragg. Hegseth reversed the Biden-era renaming early in his tenure at the Pentagon, choosing to name the base after World War II Army paratrooper and Silver Star recipient Private First Class Roland L. Bragg.
The parachute duty pay was formerly $150 a month for standard jumpers and $225 a month for High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jumpers on top of standard pay, according to the Pentagon. The pay is meant to provide compensation commensurate with the additional risk of jumping out of airplanes.
Regular service members also received a 4.5% pay raise in January, while a 10% raise for junior enlisted went into effect on April 1, according to the Pentagon.
“On behalf of the President of the United States, on behalf of the office of the secretary of defense, and on behalf of a grateful nation, Godspeed to all of you,” Hegseth said to the troops as he concluded his remarks.
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