A combat zone is any area the President of the United States designates by Executive
Order as an area in which the U.S. Armed Forces are engaging or have engaged in combat.
An area usually becomes a combat zone and ceases to be a combat zone on the dates
the President designates by Executive Order.
Following are the currently designated combat zones:
Afghanistan Area – By Executive Order No. 13239 , Afghanistan (and airspace above) was designated as a combat zone beginning September
19, 2001.
The Kosovo Area – By Executive Order No. 13119 and Public Law 106-21 , the following locations (and airspace above) were designated as a combat zone and
qualified hazardous duty area beginning March 24, 1999:
-
•
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro),
-
-
-
•
The Ionian Sea – north of the 39th parallel.
Persian Gulf Area – Executive Order 12744 designated the following locations (and airspace above) as
a combat zone beginning January 17, 1991:
-
-
-
-
•
The part of the Arabian Sea that is north of 10 degrees north latitude and west of
68 degrees east longitude;
-
-
•
The total land area of Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United
Arab Emirates.
Public Law 104-117 designates three parts of the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
and Macedonia) as a Qualified Hazardous Duty Area to be treated as if it were a combat
zone, beginning November 21, 1995.
In addition, the Department of Defense has certified the following locations for combat
zone tax benefits due to their direct support of military operations, beginning on
the listed dates:
In support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan combat zone)
-
•
Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Jordan – September 19, 2001;
-
•
Incirlik Air Base, Turkey – September 21, 2001 through December 31, 2005;
-
•
Kyryzstan and Uzbekistan – October 1, 2001;
-
•
Philippines (only troops with orders referencing Operation Enduring Freedom) – January
9, 2002;
-
-
-
•
Israel – January 1, 2003 through July 31, 2003; and
-
•
Somalia – January 1, 2004.
In support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Arabian Peninsula Areas combat zone),
-
•
Turkey – January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2005;
-
•
The Mediterranean Sea east of 30 degrees east longitude –
March 19, 2003, through July 31, 2003;
-
•
Jordan – March 19, 2003; and
-
•
Egypt – March 19, 2003, through April 20, 2003.
Serving in a combat zone includes any period that a member of the military is absent
from duty because of sickness, wounds, or leave. If, as a result of serving in a combat
zone, a person becomes a prisoner of war or is missing in action, consider that person
to be serving in the combat zone for military pay purposes as long as they maintain
that status.