    Military Personnel: DOD Needs to Assess Certain Factors in
    Determining Whether Hazardous Duty Pay Is Warranted for Duty in
    the Polar Regions (29-APR-03, GAO-03-554).

    The 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, conducts
    supply missions for scientific research in the polar regions.
    Most unit members do not spend more than 30 consecutive days in
    the polar regions. Therefore, they are not eligible for hardship
    duty pay, which requires more than 30 consecutive days of duty in
    a designated hardship location. Congress considered legislation
    in 2002 to make an exception to the 30-day hardship duty pay
    threshold for polar duty. This legislation was not approved. In
    addition, the 109th Airlift Wing proposed designating polar duty
    as a hazardous duty. The Conference Report accompanying the
    National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 directed
    GAO and DOD to conduct separate reviews of special and incentive
    pays for polar duty. GAO assessed DOD's rationale for hardship
    duty pay and the implications of making an exception to hardship
    duty pay. In addition, GAO assessed the 109th Airlift Wing's
    justification for hazardous duty pay for polar duty.
    -------------------------Indexing Terms-------------------------
    REPORTNUM:   GAO-03-554
        ACCNO:   A06731
      TITLE:     Military Personnel: DOD Needs to Assess Certain Factors
    in Determining Whether Hazardous Duty Pay Is Warranted for Duty
    in the Polar Regions
         DATE:   04/29/2003
      SUBJECT:   Hazardous duty pay
    	     Hazardous military-duty pay
    	     Antarctica
    	     C-141 Aircraft
    	     Greenland
    	     LC-130 Aircraft
    	     NSF U.S. Antarctic Program

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    GAO-03-554

    Report to the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee
    on Armed Services

    United States General Accounting Office

    GAO

    April 2003 MILITARY PERSONNEL

    DOD Needs to Assess Certain Factors in Determining Whether Hazardous Duty
    Pay Is Warranted for Duty in the Polar Regions

    GAO- 03- 554

    Hardship duty pay is intended to compensate military personnel assigned to
    areas for more than 30 consecutive days where quality- of- life conditions
    are substantially below those in the continental United States. DOD did
    not support the hardship duty pay legislation on the basis that this pay
    was not intended to compensate stays of short duration and the legislation
    circumvented a DOD process designating hardship duty locations and rates.
    Granting an exception to the 30- day hardship duty pay threshold for

    109 th Airlift Wing personnel deployed to the polar regions would result
    in minimal costs, but this exception could set a precedent for DOD
    personnel performing other short- term missions and could further increase
    costs. Had this exception been in effect in 2001- 2002, the 109 th Airlift
    Wing estimated the costs would have totaled about $127,000. The National
    Science Foundation would incur most of these costs because it reimburses
    DOD for logistic support in the polar regions. The costs of granting an
    exception for short- term missions conducted by DOD personnel at other
    hardship locations are unknown. Based on its review of the intent of
    hardship duty pay and the implications of granting an exception, GAO
    believes that an exception to the 30- day threshold is not justified under
    current DOD policy. The 109 th Airlift Wing justified its proposal for
    hazardous pay on the basis of

    extreme working conditions and exposure to medical hazards. For example,
    maintenance personnel work in temperatures as cold as minus 59 degrees
    Fahrenheit without the protection of hangars and are exposed to potential
    medical hazards such as frostbite, hypothermia, and carbon monoxide
    poisoning. Unit officials expressed concern about the retention of
    personnel who require additional training for polar operations, but they
    did not know what impact hazardous duty pay would have on retention.
    Recent data from exit surveys show that dissatisfaction with pay was not
    among the most frequently cited reasons for leaving.

    The 109 th Airlift Wing Operates 10 LC- 130 Ski- Equipped Aircraft in the
    Polar Regions

    MILITARY PERSONNEL

    DOD NEEDS TO ASSESS CERTAIN FACTORS IN DETERMINING WHETHER HAZARDOUS DUTY
    PAY IS WARRANTED FOR DUTY IN THE POLAR REGIONS www. gao. gov/ cgi- bin/
    getrpt? GAO- 03- 554. To view the full report, including the scope

    and methodology, click on the link above. For more information, contact
    Derek B. Stewart (202) 512- 5140 or stewartd@ gao. gov. Highlights of GAO-
    03- 554, a report to the

    Senate Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Armed
    Services.

    April 2003

    The 109 th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, conducts supply
    missions for scientific research in the polar regions. Most unit members
    do not spend more than 30 consecutive days in the polar regions.
    Therefore, they are not eligible for hardship duty pay,

    which requires more than 30 consecutive days of duty in a designated
    hardship location. Congress considered legislation in 2002 to make an
    exception to the 30- day hardship duty pay threshold for polar duty. This
    legislation was not approved. In addition, the 109 th Airlift Wing
    proposed designating polar duty as a hazardous duty. The Conference Report

    accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003
    directed GAO and DOD to conduct separate reviews of special and incentive
    pays for polar duty. GAO assessed DOD*s rationale for hardship duty pay
    and the implications of making an exception to hardship duty pay. In

    addition, GAO assessed the 109 th Airlift Wing*s justification for
    hazardous duty pay for polar duty. GAO recommends that DOD, in conducting
    its congressionally mandated study of special and incentive pays for
    reservists

    performing polar duty, assess certain factors to determine if personnel
    performing polar duty

    should receive hazardous duty pay. DOD concurred with this recommendation.

    Page i GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel Letter 1 Results in Brief 3
    Background 4 DOD*s Rationale for Hardship Duty Pay 7 Granting a Hardship
    Duty Exception for the Polar Regions Could

    Set a Precedent for Other Short- Term Missions 8 Factors Cited as
    Justifying Hazardous Duty Pay for Personnel Performing Duty in Polar
    Regions 10 Conclusions 14 Recommendation for Executive Action 15 Agency
    Comments 15 Scope and Methodology 15 Appendix I Extreme Operating
    Conditions and Potential

    Medical Hazards Encountered by Personnel Deployed to the Polar Regions 17

    Difficult Working Conditions 17 Potential Medical Hazards 18 Appendix II
    Comments from the Department of Defense 20

    Figures

    Figure 1: Ski- Tipped LC- 130 Aircraft Operated by the 109th Airlift Wing,
    New York Air National Guard 5 Figure 2: Main Factors Influencing Members
    of the 109th Airlift

    Wing to Leave the Unit (2001- 2003) 13 Contents

    This is a work of the U. S. Government and is not subject to copyright
    protection in the United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in
    its entirety without further permission from GAO. It may contain
    copyrighted graphics, images or other materials. Permission from the
    copyright holder may be necessary should you wish to reproduce copyrighted
    materials separately from GAO*s product.

    Page 1 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel April 29, 2003 The Honorable John
    W. Warner Chairman

    The Honorable Carl Levin Ranking Minority Member Committee on Armed
    Services United States Senate

    The Honorable Duncan Hunter Chairman The Honorable Ike Skelton Ranking
    Minority Member Committee on Armed Services House of Representatives

    Military personnel serving outside the continental United States may
    perform duty in locations with adverse living conditions. Personnel who
    spend more than 30 consecutive days in areas designated by the Office of
    the Secretary of Defense (OSD) as hardship duty locations are eligible for
    hardship duty pay. 1 OSD has designated 170 hardship duty locations and
    has authorized a monthly pay rate of $50, $100, or $150, depending on the
    severity of living conditions. The polar regions of Antarctica and

    Greenland have been designated as hardship duty locations qualifying for
    the maximum monthly pay rate of $150. The 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air
    National Guard, conducts supply missions in the polar regions in support
    of scientific research programs sponsored primarily by the National
    Science Foundation. However, according to a 109th Airlift Wing official,
    most unit members who perform polar duty do not serve more

    1 Section 305 of title 37 U. S. C. authorizes special pay for uniformed
    servicemembers performing hardship duty and directs the Secretary of
    Defense to prescribe regulations implementing hardship duty pay. There are
    two types of hardship duty pay. *Hardship duty pay for location
    assignment* is payable to members for duty in a designated hardship

    location for more than 30 consecutive days. Personnel must be in a
    designated hardship location at least 31 days to qualify for this pay.
    *Hardship duty pay for mission assignment* is payable to members who
    perform investigative or remains- recovery duty in remote, isolated areas
    such as Vietnam and Cambodia regardless of the time spent on the mission.
    This report focuses solely on hardship duty pay for location assignment,
    which hereafter is referred to as hardship duty pay.

    United States General Accounting Office Washington, DC 20548

    Page 2 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel than 30 consecutive days and are
    therefore not eligible to receive hardship duty pay. With the goal of
    securing incentive pay for polar duty, the 109th Airlift

    Wing developed a proposal in 2000 to authorize hazardous duty pay for duty
    performed in the polar regions. Hazardous duty pay, which is separate from
    hardship duty pay, is intended as an incentive for personnel to occupy
    hard- to- fill occupations that involve risky or hazardous duty. 2 The
    proposal was submitted to the New York Guard and subsequently

    brought to the attention of Congress, but it was not provided to the
    Department of Defense (DOD) for consideration in DOD*s process for
    reviewing personnel compensation proposals. Although the 109th Airlift
    Wing*s proposal addressed hazardous duty pay, Congress considered a
    legislative provision in 2002 to authorize hardship duty pay, on a
    prorated basis, for each day of work performed in the polar regions. 3 The
    provision would, in effect, have made an exception to DOD*s 30- day
    threshold

    requirement and would have increased the monthly rate established by DOD
    from $150 to $240. Although the provision was not approved, the Conference
    Report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
    2003 4 directed us to review special and incentive pays for reservists 5
    who perform frequent and continuous duty on ski- equipped aircraft
    operating in the polar regions while assigned temporarily to

    locations where conditions are extremely harsh. The Conference Report also
    directed DOD to include a study of the same issue in a review of reserve
    component personnel compensation directed by the Senate. 6 In response to
    the mandate, we reviewed (1) DOD*s rationale for hardship

    2 Both hardship duty pay and hazardous duty pay are categorized as
    *special and incentive pays,* which are compensation to uniformed
    servicemembers in addition to their basic pay and allowances. These pays
    are authorized to help the uniformed services meet specific

    manpower requirements. 3 House Resolution 4546, National Defense
    Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, section 615. 4 H. Rept. 107- 772.

    5 For this report, we use the terms *reserves* and *reservists* to refer
    to the collective forces of the Air National Guard, the Army National
    Guard, the Army Reserve, the Naval Reserve, the Marine Corps Reserve, and
    the Air Force Reserve.

    6 Senate Report 107- 151 accompanying the National Defense Authorization
    Act for Fiscal Year 2003 directed the Secretary of Defense to conduct a
    reserve personnel compensation review aimed at determining the extent to
    which personnel compensation policies and

    statutes appropriately address the demands placed on guard and reserve
    personnel. The results of this review are to be submitted no later than
    August 1, 2003.

    Page 3 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel duty pay, including the 30- day
    threshold; (2) the potential implications, including costs, of making an
    exception to the 30- day threshold; and

    (3) the 109th Airlift Wing*s justification for granting hazardous duty pay
    for polar duty. In subsequent discussion with your staff, we agreed to
    provide an assessment of granting an exception to the 30- day hardship
    duty threshold for personnel performing duty in the polar regions.
    Hardship duty pay is intended to compensate military personnel assigned

    to areas where quality- of- life conditions are substantially below those
    experienced by most personnel assigned in the continental United States.
    OSD, which establishes and reviews hardship duty pay locations and rates,
    concluded that personnel on duty in a hardship location for 30 consecutive

    days or less do not endure the same range of physical hardships
    experienced by those who are permanently assigned. According to an OSD
    official, an OSD working group linked the 30- day hardship duty threshold
    to family separation allowance, which compensates military personnel
    deployed away from their family for more than 30 consecutive days. OSD did
    not support the legislative provision to create an exception to the 30-
    day threshold for missions to the polar regions. OSD asserted that the
    proposed legislation circumvents DOD*s hardship duty location and rate
    designation process. We found no basis to disagree with the criteria DOD
    has established for hardship duty pay.

    Allowing an exception to the 30- day threshold for members of the 109th
    Airlift Wing deployed to the polar regions would result in minimal costs,
    but this exception could set a precedent for DOD personnel performing
    other short- term missions. The 109th Airlift Wing estimated that granting
    this exception for its personnel would cost approximately $125,000 to
    $130, 000 a year based on past years* deployment trends. The National

    Science Foundation, which reimburses DOD for 109th Airlift Wing logistic
    support in the polar regions, would incur most of these increased costs.
    DOD officials said granting this exception would set a precedent for
    additional exceptions at other hardship duty locations that, if approved,
    could increase future hardship duty pay costs. DOD refused a similar
    request from the Navy in 2002 for an exception to the 30- day threshold
    for duty on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. The costs of granting an
    exception for DOD personnel performing short- term missions conducted at
    other hardship locations are unknown.

    The 109th Airlift Wing justified its proposal for hazardous duty pay for
    military personnel performing duty in the polar regions on the basis of
    the extreme working conditions they encounter and their exposure to
    Results in Brief

    Page 4 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel potential medical hazards. For
    example, flight crews routinely conduct takeoffs and landings in remote
    areas on snow and ice, and maintenance personnel work in temperatures as
    low as minus 59 degrees Fahrenheit,

    without the protection of hangars. Furthermore, personnel are exposed to
    potential medical hazards such as hypothermia, frostbite, carbon monoxide
    poisoning, ultraviolet radiation exposure, and dehydration. Unit officials
    also expressed concern about the retention of unit personnel who require
    additional training for the unit*s specialized missions in the polar
    regions. However, they did not know what impact the proposed hazardous
    duty pay for polar duty would have on retention. Exit surveys conducted at
    the unit with separating personnel show that dissatisfaction with pay

    was not among the most frequently cited reasons for leaving. Based on our
    review of the intent of hardship duty pay and the implications of granting
    an exception, we believe that granting an exception to the 30- day
    hardship duty threshold is not justified under current DOD policy.
    Concerning the 109th Airlift Wing*s request for hazardous duty pay for
    polar operations, this report contains a recommendation that DOD, in
    conducting its congressionally mandated study of special and incentive
    pays for reservists performing duty in the polar regions, assess certain
    factors in determining whether personnel performing polar duty should
    receive hazardous duty pay. In commenting on a draft of this report, DOD
    concurred with our recommendation.

    The National Science Foundation conducts scientific research in the polar
    regions of Antarctica and Greenland and funds and manages the U. S.
    Antarctic Program. This program sends nearly 3,000 scientists and support
    personnel to Antarctica each year to support scientific research in areas
    such as astrophysics, atmospheric chemistry, biology, earth sciences,
    ocean and climate systems, and glaciology. The National Science Foundation
    also chairs an interagency committee to coordinate the scientific research
    efforts of all federal agencies in the Arctic region, including Greenland.
    The 109th Airlift Wing is the main provider of air logistic support for
    National Science Foundation activities in Antarctica. The unit also
    supports the activities of the National Science Foundation and other
    agencies in Greenland. Members of the 109th Airlift Wing train on and
    operate unique LC- 130 ski- equipped aircraft that take off and land on
    snow and ice (see fig. 1). The unit operates 10 LC- 130 aircraft.
    Background

    Page 5 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel Figure 1: Ski- Tipped LC- 130
    Aircraft Operated by the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard
    The 109th Airlift Wing supports U. S. Antarctic Program mission
    requirements from mid- October to the end of February each year. 7 It

    employs 220 full- time Active Guard and Reserve members whose principal
    task is to support this program. It receives additional support from
    *traditional* guardsmen, other Active Guard and Reserve members, and
    military technicians of the 109th Airlift Wing, as well as members from

    7 Under a 3- year transition period beginning in fiscal year 1997, the
    109th Airlift Wing assumed responsibility for operating and maintaining
    the LC- 130 aircraft from the Department of the Navy in support of the U.
    S. Antarctic Program. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
    Year 1996 authorized the Air National Guard to assume the Navy*s role in
    air logistic support to the National Science Foundation. The Navy had
    provided support to this program since 1955 when U. S. presence at McMurdo
    Station, Antarctica, was established. The 109th Airlift Wing began to
    support the Navy in 1988.

    Page 6 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel other military units. 8 Operations
    are conducted from McMurdo Station, the permanent logistics station for U.
    S. operations in Antarctica. The

    109th Airlift Wing schedules between 450 and 500 flights in Antarctica for
    the 5- month operational season to meet National Science Foundation
    requirements. According to the 109th Airlift Wing, personnel typically
    deploy for a period of 1 to 13 weeks, which includes up to 1 week of
    travel from New York to Antarctica. These deployments are conducted on a
    rotational basis. The 109th Airlift Wing maintains a presence of
    approximately 120 personnel (50 operational, 61 logistic, and 9 support)
    at McMurdo Station from October to the end of February.

    In Greenland, the 109th Airlift Wing performs training missions for unit
    personnel who will deploy to Antarctica. The unit also performs scientific
    support missions for the National Science Foundation as well as for the
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European research
    programs. 9 Unit operations in Greenland run from mid- March to September
    each year and are conducted from staging locations at Thule Air Base and
    Kangerlussuaq. Missions are flown to all parts of the Greenland Ice Cap,
    northern Canadian locations, and Arctic Ocean camps. The 109th conducts 10
    to 12 1- week deployments to Greenland.

    Within OSD, the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) is
    responsible for DOD personnel policy, including oversight of reserve
    affairs and military personnel pay and benefits. The Under Secretary of
    Defense (Personnel and Readiness) leads the Unified Legislation and
    Budgeting process, which was established in 1994 to develop and review
    personnel compensation proposals. 10 In addition, the Office of the Under
    Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) is conducting the

    8 Active Guard and Reserve members provide full- time active duty support
    to Guard, Reserve, and Active Component organizations. Military
    technicians are dual status active duty members who perform day- to- day
    management, administration, and maintenance. They are civil service
    employees of the federal government who must be military members of the
    unit that employs them. 9 The 109th Airlift Wing took over the mission of
    supporting the Defense Early Warning radar installations located on the
    Greenland Ice Cap from the Air Force Alaskan Air

    Command in 1975 and has conducted support for scientific research since
    1978. 10 The Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) chairs
    biannual meetings, which are attended by the principal voting members from
    the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness),
    including the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs), the
    Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), and the Assistant
    Secretary of Defense (Force Management Policy); the Office of the Under
    Secretary of Defense (Comptroller); the Joint Staff; and the service
    secretaries.

    Page 7 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel congressionally mandated review of
    special and incentive pays for reservists performing duty in the polar
    regions.

    Hardship duty pay compensates military personnel on duty for more than 30
    consecutive days in harsh or difficult living conditions. The Secretary of
    Defense has the authority to establish implementing regulations for such
    pay, including the designation of hardship duty locations and rates. 11
    Within OSD, the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management

    Policy) tasked a working group in 1998 to develop hardship duty pay
    policy. 12 The working group determined that (1) uniformed members who
    perform duty in designated hardship locations for more than

    30 consecutive days are eligible for hardship duty pay and (2) this pay is
    not intended to compensate for difficult working conditions. According to
    DOD, personnel assigned to an area for a short period do not endure the

    same range of physical hardships as those in the area on a long- term
    basis. According to an OSD official, the working group linked the 30- day
    hardship duty threshold to family separation allowance, 13 which

    compensates members who are away from their families for more than 30
    consecutive days. We found no basis to disagree with the criteria DOD has
    established for hardship duty pay.

    OSD, in its appeal submitted in response to the National Defense
    Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, opposed the legislation creating
    an exception to the 30- day hardship duty threshold for missions to the
    polar regions on the grounds that it *unnecessarily circumvents a process
    that has proven to be a fair and equitable means of setting hardship duty
    pay location rates worldwide.* The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force
    Management Policy) 14 regularly reviews and determines hardship duty
    locations and rates. In certain instances, the Assistant Secretary of
    Defense (Force Management Policy) automatically designates hardship duty
    locations. All installations located on land areas or an ice shelf above
    66 degrees 33 minutes north latitude (Arctic region) or below 60 degrees
    south latitude (Antarctica) are designated as hardship duty locations. For

    11 37 U. S. C. 305. 12 Hardship duty pay was authorized in 1999 and went
    into effect on January 1, 2001. 13 37 U. S. C. 427. 14 This position has
    been replaced by the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
    (Personnel and Readiness). DOD*s Rationale for

    Hardship Duty Pay

    Page 8 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel all other locations, unified
    commanders with regional responsibilities submit a completed Hardship Duty
    Location Assessment Questionnaire to the Assistant Secretary of Defense
    (Force Management Policy), who

    reviews these requests twice a year. Monthly pay rates for hardship duty
    are $50, $100, and $150 and are based on the severity of living
    conditions. Living conditions are placed into three categories: (1)
    physical environment, which includes factors such as climate and physical
    and social isolation; (2) living conditions, including sanitation,
    disease, medical

    facilities, housing, food, and recreational and community facilities; and
    (3) personal security, including political violence, harassment, and
    crime. Hardship duty performed for more than 30 consecutive days in
    Antarctica and Greenland qualifies at the $150 monthly rate.

    Allowing an exception to the 30- day hardship duty threshold for members
    of the 109th Airlift Wing who deploy to the polar regions would result in
    minimal additional costs. The National Science Foundation reimburses DOD
    for 109th Airlift Wing logistic support in the polar regions and would
    incur most of these additional costs. However, allowing this exception
    could set a precedent for DOD personnel performing other missions lasting
    30 days or less. The costs of granting an exception for short- term
    missions conducted at other hardship locations are unknown.

    The 109th Airlift Wing estimated that granting an exception to the 30- day
    hardship duty threshold for unit members deployed to the polar regions
    would cost approximately $125,000 to $130,000 a year based on deployment
    trends in past years. We did not verify the cost data. In fiscal

    year 2002, for example, the unit had a total of 1,478 deployments to the
    polar regions, including 690 to Antarctica and 788 to Greenland. 15 Unit
    members deployed for a total of 15, 846 days, including 11,906 days in
    Antarctica and 3,940 days in Greenland. According to a unit official,
    approximately 30 unit members deployed for more than 30 consecutive days.
    The 109th Airlift Wing estimated that if the exception to the 30- day
    threshold had been in effect in fiscal year 2002, hardship duty pay costs
    for that year would have increased by about $127,000, including 15 These
    figures include unit members who deployed more than once to the polar
    regions.

    Thus, the total number of individuals deployed was less than the total
    number of deployments. Granting a Hardship Duty Exception for

    the Polar Regions Could Set a Precedent for Other Short- Term Missions

    Estimated Costs of Granting the 109th Airlift Wing an Exception to the 30-
    Day Threshold

    Page 9 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel approximately $95,000 for
    deployments to Antarctica and approximately $32,000 for deployments to
    Greenland.

    The National Science Foundation would incur most of these increased costs.
    It directly reimburses DOD for 109th Airlift Wing logistic support
    performed in Antarctica, including personnel and training costs above and
    beyond the unit*s wartime task requirements. The reimbursements from the
    National Science Foundation include funding for the 220 full- time Active
    Guard and Reserve members employed for the polar mission and for all
    flying training hours required for these personnel to maintain their
    qualifications. The National Science Foundation reported that the total
    costs in fiscal year 2002 for the unit*s support of Antarctic missions
    were $22.7 million. For operations in Greenland, the 109th Airlift Wing is
    reimbursed by its customers, including the National Science Foundation,
    based on a rate structure established by DOD for each particular mission.

    For example, the National Science Foundation reimbursed the 109th Airlift
    Wing about $375,000 in fiscal year 2002 for missions in Greenland.

    Other military personnel performing short- term assignments in the polar
    regions would also benefit from an exception to the 30- day hardship duty
    threshold. For example, the Air Force Reserve*s 445th Airlift Wing and the
    452nd Airlift Mobility Wing conduct passenger and cargo flights on C- 141
    wheeled aircraft between Christchurch, New Zealand, and McMurdo Station,
    Antarctica. An OSD official said information was not readily available on
    the additional estimated costs of granting the exception for these
    personnel.

    According to officials within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
    (Personnel and Readiness), allowing an exception to the 30- day hardship
    duty threshold would set a precedent for other short- term missions that
    last 30 consecutive days or less. Of the 170 hardship duty locations, 67
    locations (39 percent) qualify at the maximum monthly pay rate of $150. 16
    In 2002, DOD refused a request by the Navy for an exception to the 30- day
    threshold for duty on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. 17 The Navy stated that
    security personnel who are deployed to the island on a 14- day

    16 Locations qualifying at the $150 monthly rate include Kazakhstan,
    Turkmenistan, and Vietnam. 17 While DOD rejected the Navy*s request for an
    exception to the 30- day threshold, DOD approved the Navy*s request to
    designate Vieques Island as a hardship duty location. Other Short- Term
    Missions

    Could Claim an Exception to the 30- Day Threshold

    Page 10 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel rotational schedule live in
    *substandard conditions.* DOD, in turning down the request, stated that
    *members on a short- term duration tour- of- duty do

    not endure the range of physical hardships experienced by those who are
    permanently assigned.* According to an official within the Office of the
    Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness), granting an

    exception to the 30- day threshold for other short- term missions would
    result in additional hardship duty pay costs, but these costs are unknown
    because DOD has not conducted a cost analysis.

    The 109th Airlift Wing justified its proposal for hazardous duty pay for
    military personnel performing duty in the polar regions on the basis of
    the extreme working conditions they encounter and their exposure to
    potential medical hazards. Unit officials also expressed concern about the
    retention of unit personnel, but they did not know what impact hazardous
    duty pay for polar duty would have on retention. A senior unit official
    said the unit submitted a proposal in 2000 to the New

    York Guard seeking modifications to a DOD regulation 18 to designate polar
    operations as hazardous duty. Hazardous duty pay is a type of incentive
    pay intended to induce personnel to volunteer for duties that may be
    hazardous. According to the senior unit official, the New York Guard
    submitted the proposal to Congress. The proposal was not provided to DOD
    for consideration in the DOD Unified Legislation and Budgeting process,
    which reviews personnel compensation proposals. Although the 109th Airlift
    Wing*s proposal addressed hazardous duty pay, Congress developed a
    legislative provision in 2002 to grant an exception to the 30- day
    hardship duty pay threshold. The senior 109th Airlift Wing official said
    the unit*s justification for hazardous duty pay for polar operations

    could also be applied to hardship duty pay. According to information
    provided by the 109th Airlift Wing, military personnel performing duty in
    the polar regions encounter extreme working conditions and face exposure
    to potential medical hazards. Flight crews routinely conduct takeoffs and
    landings in remote areas on snow and ice. In zero visibility conditions,
    they must use emergency whiteout landing procedures. Maintenance personnel
    work in temperatures as low

    18 DOD Financial Management Regulation 7000. 14- R, vol. 7A, ch. 24,
    *Parachute Duty, Flight Deck Duty, Demolition Duty, Experimental Stress
    Duty and Others Listed.* Factors Cited as

    Justifying Hazardous Duty Pay for Personnel Performing Duty in Polar
    Regions

    Extreme Operating Conditions and Exposure to Potential Medical Hazards

    Page 11 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel as minus 59 degrees Fahrenheit
    without the protection of hangars. Operations in these conditions expose
    personnel to potential medical

    hazards such as hypothermia, frostbite, carbon monoxide poisoning, and
    ultraviolet radiation exposure. In addition, the unit indicated that the
    dry conditions in Antarctica can lead to dehydration and fatigue. A small
    clinic at McMurdo station is capable of treating minor injuries, but all
    major injuries and surgeries must be treated in Christchurch, New Zealand.
    (App. I provides a more detailed description of the conditions in which

    deployed members operate and their exposure to potential medical hazards.)

    National Science Foundation officials acknowledged that the operating
    environment in Antarctica can be harsh and that employees from all
    participating agencies and organizations * not just 109th Airlift Wing
    personnel * face difficult working conditions. 19 They said the National
    Science Foundation has adopted a variety of procedures that mitigate the
    hazards faced by U. S. Antarctic Program participants, including
    scientists, support contractor personnel, civilian federal employees, and
    DOD civilian and military personnel. National Science Foundation officials
    said operational improvements were implemented to make Antarctic flight
    operations safer and to mitigate the impact of the harsh environment on
    personnel. For example, an emergency divert airfield was established in
    2002, and navigational aids and more accurate weather forecasting
    capabilities have been implemented and remain a high priority.

    While duty performed for more than 30 consecutive days in the polar
    regions of Antarctica and Greenland qualifies for hardship duty pay, duty
    in the polar regions has not been designated as a hazardous duty. Section
    301 of title 37 of the United States Code designates certain duties
    entitled to hazardous duty pay. These duties include parachute jumps,
    demolition of explosives, and participation in flight deck operations on
    an aircraft carrier. Other hazardous duties include exposure to above-
    normal levels of toxic fuels or propellants, and the handling of chemical
    munitions. Personnel handling these materials are compensated for the
    potential for accidental or inadvertent exposure and not for actual
    detectable exposure to these materials.

    19 The National Science Foundation reimburses its personnel for travel
    expenses in addition to their regular salary while deployed to the polar
    regions. National Science Foundation personnel also receive a pay
    differential equivalent to 25 percent of their regular salary effective on
    the 43rd day of their deployment and continuing through the end of their
    deployment. This pay differential is not retroactive.

    Page 12 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel A 109th Airlift Wing official
    expressed concern over the retention of unit personnel who require
    additional training for polar duty. Flight crews

    receive training in Greenland and Antarctica on how to land on and take
    off from snow and ice and in zero visibility conditions. Flight crews are
    also required to attend arctic survival training in Greenland where they
    learn how to survive on an ice cap for extended periods with no heat and
    limited survival gear. Flight crews typically take 3 years to receive
    their qualification to fly ski- equipped aircraft. Maintenance personnel
    attend a maintenance recovery school in Greenland, which teaches basic
    polar survival skills to enable them to cope with the extreme conditions
    they confront when they repair aircraft with little support equipment.

    A 109th Airlift Wing official said the unit is experiencing a high
    turnover of Active Guard and Reserve members who directly support polar
    missions in aerospace maintenance (pay grades E- 5 and E- 7) and aircraft
    hydraulics (pay grades E- 5 and E- 7). For the entire 109th Airlift Wing,
    the unit has difficulty retaining *traditional* guardsmen in the following
    critical skills: aerospace maintenance and ground equipment, avionics, and
    aircraft fuels. Despite retention difficulties in some critical skills,
    the unit filled

    98 percent of the Active Guard and Reserve positions who directly support
    operations in Antarctica in 2002. The retention fill rate for the entire
    unit was 97 percent during the same year.

    A unit official said it is unknown what impact hazardous duty pay for
    polar duty would have on retention of unit personnel. Exit surveys
    conducted with separating personnel show that dissatisfaction with pay is
    one of

    several reasons for leaving, but is not the primary separation factor.
    Between 2001- 2003, 165 members left the unit. The most frequently cited
    separation factors were family conflict, civilian job conflict, 20 and
    weekend drills (see fig. 2).

    20 According to a unit official, civilian job conflict would be a
    separation factor only for traditional guardsmen and for not Active Guard
    and Reserve members since the latter serve full time. No Clear Linkage
    between

    Retention and Performance of Duty in Polar Regions

    Page 13 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel Figure 2: Main Factors Influencing
    Members of the 109th Airlift Wing to Leave the Unit (2001- 2003)

    Notes: Includes 2003 data as of February 3, 2003. One hundred sixty- five
    persons completed the exit survey, and each respondent could give multiple
    reasons for separating.

    The unit cannot track specific mission concerns such as deployments to the
    polar regions as separation factors. The exit surveys used by the 109th
    Airlift Wing do not indicate whether an individual*s reason for leaving is
    connected specifically with polar duty. A unit official stated that, based
    on responses for reasons for leaving, it is possible to *subjectively
    deduce that length of deployments and distance from home, as in polar
    deployments, are key factors influencing retention decisions.* The exit
    surveys also do not track separation factors based on personnel categories
    such as military technicians, Active Guard and Reserve, Active Guard and
    Reserve who support the U. S. Antarctic Program, and drilling reservists.
    Based on our discussions with the 109th Airlift Wing concerning the exit

    Page 14 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel surveys, the unit has modified the
    exit survey to track deployments to the polar regions as a separation
    factor.

    The hardship duty pay legislation introduced in 2002 * directed at the
    109th Airlift Wing * would have created an exception to (1) the 30- day
    hardship duty pay threshold and (2) the monthly hardship duty rate
    established by DOD for the polar regions. We believe that granting such an
    exception for hardship duty pay is not justified under current DOD policy.
    First, DOD intends for hardship duty pay to compensate military personnel
    who endure a range of hardship on a long- term basis * defined by DOD as
    more than 30 consecutive days. Granting this exception could set a
    precedent for DOD personnel performing other missions that do not meet the
    30- day threshold, which could increase hardship duty pay costs. Second,
    under current DOD policy, hardship duty pay is intended to compensate
    personnel for harsh or difficult living conditions, rather than for
    difficult working conditions. However, the 109th Airlift Wing cited the
    extreme working conditions encountered by personnel deployed to the polar
    regions.

    According to the 109th Airlift Wing, unit personnel are subjected to
    extreme conditions and are exposed to potential medical hazards while on
    duty in the polar regions. These factors warrant consideration as part of
    DOD*s review of special and incentive pays for personnel performing duty
    in the polar regions. In addition, because one of the purposes of
    hazardous duty pay is to induce personnel to volunteer for duties that may
    be hazardous, we believe that retention data should also be considered as
    part of DOD*s review. Officials from the 109th Airlift Wing expressed
    concerns about current retention rates, but they did not know what impact
    hazardous duty pay for polar duty would have on retention. Exit surveys
    conducted with separating personnel show that dissatisfaction with pay was
    not among the most frequently cited reasons that members of the unit
    provided for leaving. At the time we conducted our review, the 109th
    Airlift Wing was not collecting retention data related to members who were
    deployed to the polar regions. Collecting this data would be helpful to
    target retention incentives to the personnel categories experiencing the
    highest turnover rates. According to an official of the 109th Airlift
    Wing, the unit has modified the exit survey it uses to track deployments
    to the polar regions as a separation factor. Conclusions

    Page 15 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel Congress has directed DOD to study
    special and incentive pays for reservists performing duty in the polar
    regions. As part of this study, we

    recommend that the Secretary of Defense direct the Under Secretary of
    Defense (Personnel and Readiness) to assess certain factors in determining
    whether personnel performing polar duty should receive

    hazardous duty pay. These factors are  the extreme working conditions
    that military personnel encounter

    while performing polar duty,  the exposure of military personnel to
    potential medical hazards related

    to polar duty, and  retention data for military personnel performing
    polar duty.

    In written comments on a draft of this report, DOD concurred with our
    recommendation on assessing certain factors to determine whether personnel
    performing polar duty should receive hazardous duty pay. DOD*s comments
    are reprinted in appendix II.

    DOD and the National Science Foundation also provided technical comments
    that we incorporated as appropriate.

    Our review focused on special and incentive pay for DOD personnel
    performing duty in the polar regions. To develop the information in this
    report, we interviewed DOD officials in the Office of the Assistant
    Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, the Office of Military
    Compensation, and the Air National Guard. We also met with officials at
    the National Science Foundation. We visited Stratton Air Guard Base, where
    we interviewed officials from the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air
    National Guard. In addition, we reviewed DOD Financial Management
    Regulations related to hardship duty pay and hazardous duty pay.

    To assess DOD*s rationale for hardship duty pay, including the 30- day
    threshold, we reviewed the legislative history concerning hardship duty
    pay, analyzed DOD policies implementing this pay, and interviewed OSD
    officials. To assess the potential implications, including costs, of
    making an exception to the 30- day threshold, we reviewed cost data from
    the 109th Airlift Wing and interviewed officials from OSD, the 109th
    Airlift Wing, and the National Science Foundation. We did not verify cost
    data provided by the 109th Airlift Wing. To assess the justification for
    Recommendation for

    Executive Action Agency Comments Scope and Methodology

    Page 16 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel hazardous duty pay for polar duty,
    we obtained documentation on the 109th Airlift Wing*s operational
    activities and the conditions unit members

    encounter when deployed to polar regions. We also obtained and analyzed
    retention data for 109th Airlift Wing personnel performing duty in the
    polar regions.

    We conducted our review from December 2002 to March 2003 in accordance
    with generally accepted government auditing standards.

    We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of Defense; the
    Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness); the Director,
    National Science Foundation; and the Director, Office of Management and
    Budget. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on GAO*s
    Web site at www. gao. gov.

    If you or your staff have any questions regarding this report, please call
    me at (202) 512- 5140 or Brenda S. Farrell at (202) 512- 3604. Major
    contributors to this report were Kelly Baumgartner, Thomas W. Gosling, and
    Timothy Wilson.

    Derek B. Stewart Director, Defense Capabilities and Management

    Appendix I: Extreme Operating Conditions and Potential Medical Hazards
    Encountered by Personnel Deployed to the Polar Regions

    Page 17 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel The 109th Airlift Wing submitted a
    proposal in 2000 to the New York Guard seeking to modify the Department of
    Defense*s (DOD) current

    hazardous duty pay regulation by designating as hazardous duty (1) duty
    involving frequent and regular participation in flight operations in
    skiequipped LC- 130 aircraft conducting ski landings and takeoffs on snow
    in polar locations and (2) duty involving maintenance of LC- 130 ski-
    equipped aircraft as a primary duty in polar locations. The 109th Airlift
    Wing justified its proposal to designate polar operations as hazardous
    duty on the basis of two primary factors * difficult working conditions,
    including cold temperatures, and exposure to potential medical hazards.

    According to the 109 th Airlift Wing, flight crews and maintenance
    personnel operate and maintain LC- 130 ski- equipped aircraft in difficult
    working conditions. Specific hazards and risks include the following:

     Ski takeoffs include steering with asymmetrical use of the throttles and
    the rudder only, since use of the nose wheel will cause aircraft damage.
    The aircraft is highly susceptible to sliding off ski ways in high winds,
    particularly at low speeds (below 60 knots), when the rudder is not
    effective.

     Ski landings are performed in extreme, remote areas of Antarctica and
    Greenland, hundreds of miles from any station or site; on glaciers and
    open snow locations in areas not surveyed and never before visited by
    humans; on crevasses that are hidden under snow bridges; and in katabatic
    winds that often make landing and taxiing on skis extremely difficult.

     Whiteout procedures require flight crews to perform an approach and
    landing in a designated area in zero visibility weather conditions.  Ski
    approaches in bad weather include a lack of external navigation

    aids to orient the aircraft on approach, flying in weather conditions down
    to 300 feet above ground and 1 mile visibility, and flying in conditions
    that can induce extreme vertigo when there is no contrast between the
    white snow and white clouds.

     Many missions are flown to high altitude elevations. Each year over 250
    missions are flown to the South Pole at an elevation of over 9,300 feet.
    Many missions are flown to camps in Antarctica and Greenland at field
    elevations greater than 10,000 feet and some as high as 12,000 feet.
    Appendix I: Extreme Operating Conditions

    and Potential Medical Hazards Encountered by Personnel Deployed to the
    Polar Regions

    Difficult Working Conditions

    Appendix I: Extreme Operating Conditions and Potential Medical Hazards
    Encountered by Personnel Deployed to the Polar Regions

    Page 18 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel  Assisted take- off rockets are
    routinely used for getting an aircraft airborne on a takeoff from high
    altitude sites. Aircraft must achieve a

    higher than normal ground speed to reach the proper indicated airspeed to
    get enough lift for takeoff due to thin air. The snow at high altitude
    locations is often unprepared, which creates additional drag and makes it
    more difficult to build up speed during the takeoff slide.

     Unit personnel fly missions to locations where there is no camp, no
    personnel, and no equipment, which creates the risk of being stranded.
    There is no rescue capability at these locations other than another LC-
    130 aircraft.

     Personnel are exposed to extremely cold temperatures as low as minus 59
    degrees Fahrenheit. Wind chills can be as high as minus 100 degrees
    Fahrenheit.  All fueling and cargo operations are conducted with engines
    running,

    which requires a flight engineer to operate the refueling panel outside
    for 30 to 40 minutes directly behind running engines. Loadmasters are also
    outside of the aircraft for periods of 1 to 3 hours off- loading and on-
    loading cargo from the snow with engines running.

     Cargo loading and unloading are extremely difficult, often with little
    or no material handling equipment. Two to three hours of manual labor are
    often required by the flight crews to load and unload cargo in the snow.
    This activity is extremely hazardous due to the extreme physical exertions
    required with little oxygen in the atmosphere and exhaust fumes from the
    aircraft engines.

    According to the 109 th Airlift Wing, polar operations expose 109th
    Airlift Wing personnel to a variety of potential medical hazards.
    Potential medical hazards include the following:

     Frostbite and hypothermia * Brief exposure to polar temperatures can
    have a severe impact. For example, exposed flesh freezes at minus 59
    degrees Fahrenheit within 1 minute, with no wind.

     Carbon monoxide poisoning * Aircraft maintenance and unloading
    activities expose flight crews over a prolonged period to potentially
    hazardous exhaust fumes.

     Continuous exposure to intense sunlight * Operations during the 5 months
    in Antarctica are conducted in 24- hour direct sunlight. Potential Medical

    Hazards

    Appendix I: Extreme Operating Conditions and Potential Medical Hazards
    Encountered by Personnel Deployed to the Polar Regions

    Page 19 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel Exposure to ultraviolet radiation
    is greatly increased due to the hazard of the *ozone hole* over the
    Antarctic continent.

    Appendix II: Comments from the Department of Defense

    Page 20 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel Appendix II: Comments from the
    Department of Defense

    Appendix II: Comments from the Department of Defense

    Page 21 GAO- 03- 554 Military Personnel (350281)

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