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Despite congressional approval, some soldiers in Alaska still don’t receive incentive pay set up by Alaska delegation
While an “arctic pay” incentive was added to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023, the Dept. of Defense has not enacted the incentive for all members of the military that serve in Alaska.
It’s cold, dark and far away from the rest of the country. Adding to the difficulties of living in Alaska is the financial stress faced by families moving to the 49th state. But, Alaska’s senators worked to ease that burden and implement a bit of a bright side for soldiers stationed in the far north. As part of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act or NDAA, a special “arctic pay” incentive was passed to help soldiers stationed in the frigid north. However, the Dept. of Defense has yet to see full implementation with only the Army having a broad pay-out program and only specific Air Force members receiving extra income.
“This bill that Senator Murkowski and I were working on… was moving forward and we made some good progress on getting all kinds of enhancements for service members in Alaska,” said Senator Dan Sullivan, Alaska’s junior senator.
An arctic pay incentive was just one of the enhancements included in the bill. The incentive was meant to help pay for the extra expenses incurred by service members and their families in the last frontier which often requires them to incur unique expenses such as plug in car battery warmers and specialized winter gear.
“What we’re talking about here is recognizing that when you are living and working in an arctic environment, you need different stuff,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska’s senior senator.
Despite being passed by congress, the arctic pay incentive has not been enacted by the Pentagon. This is partly due to existing compensation for soldiers in Alaska, but the benefits aren’t equal. “The Army has put this in place to their credit,” Murkowski said.
Members of the Army stationed in Alaska receive a one-time payment between $1,000 and $4,000 to help pay for needed purchases as they transition to the arctic environment they face in Alaska. The Air Force however has not implemented a branch wide incentive for Alaska’s soldiers. “I am justifiably upset at [the] Air Force, who I think has basically thumbed their nose at a very clear directive,” said Murkowski. She also said she thinks the Air Force is doing a disservice to their members by not including a broad scope program like the Army. But, some airmen are eligible for what they call hardship pay. Yet, most do not receive the $150 monthly benefit.
Alaska’s senior senator also said the incentive is about more than finances and soldiers. “This is recognizing the stress that living in an arctic environment adds to families,” said Murkowski. “It can be challenging particularly in the winter if you’re not from Alaska,” Sullivan said.
From the seemingly endless winter darkness to distance from family and friends, the stress can add up. “When we look at those triggers that bring about mental depression, that bring about suicide or suicidal ideation, so much of it comes back to financial stressors,” Murkowski said.
While many service members remain without the already approved arctic pay, senators Sullivan and Murkowski said they plan to keep working on aiding military members in Alaska. “There’s more work to do there’s no doubt about it,” said Sullivan.
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