Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently attended All-American week at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he made a big announcement.
"For the first time in [decades], here [as] the Secretary of Defense, through the Secretary of the Army, we are increasing jump pay," he declared during his speech to the 82nd Airborne Division.
Hazardous Duty Pay, more often known simply as jump pay, will increase for all paratroopers from its current rate of $150 to $200. Additionally, jumpmasters will receive an extra $150 a month on top of their regular pay.
"Here's to our paratroopers, our jumpmasters, who do the difficult things in difficult places that most Americans can never imagine," Hegseth said.
The "jump" in jump pay comes as the Army is slated to drastically reduce paid airborne slots across the force, by up to 40 percent. During the Biden administration, the Secretary of the Army initiated an Army Airborne Requirements and Structure Analysis, which concluded that a large number of airborne slots could be eliminated.
Many, if not most, of the eliminated slots will affect support elements rather than frontline paratroopers in the Infantry and Special Operations community.
"When I look out at this formation, the eyes of the men and women and these flags, I see the eyes of deterrence; I see the eyes of American strength; I see the eyes that will deter the wars that we don't want to fight," Hegseth said during his trip to Fort Bragg.