As an Infantryman in the United States Army, I see this as a good and bad thing.
It is good that those who are actually put in harms way during deployments are rewarded over those who are quite safe on their FOBs. Fobbits, as we call them, do not deserve the same pay of those actually risk their lives on a daily basis.
It is bad if they limit it to only combat arms MOS’ despite a soldier’s actual duty when overseas. Many soldier’s who are not combat arms go outside the wire. Also, some FOBs do take incoming fire. This policy may leave too much up to the discretion of someone who is too far out of harms way to make the judgement of who is deserving.
While many in the military will disagree with this new policy. You will not find too many Infantryman in that boat.
You sound a little confused as to what “Eminent Danger Pay” is....Either those serving in a “Combat Zone” in “FOB’s” ARE in danger or they are not. Which is it?
This is not a bad thing.....this system was abused to death when I was in just a couple of years ago...Seniors would often drag their feet so they had to stay that extra day into the next month, people from everywhere would just come into country at the end of the month to get those two days of tax free/imminent fire pay.....Joe rarely got to benefit from this system, generally only those who had the authority to manifest themselves into country were able to benefit from this, with the notable exception of air crew. I would hazard a guess that there were a great many traveling expenses that were incurred just to get that person into country to get those months as tax free and imminent fire pay....but it wasn’t the rank and file Soldier