Wounded Ill and Injured (WII) Pay and Allowance Continuation (PAC)

Under the PAC program, pay and allowances may be continued for up to one year for service members who incur a wound, injury or illness in the line of duty while serving in a combat operation or combat zone and are hospitalized for treatment of the wound, injury or illness.

PAC also includes service members who incur wounds, injuries or illnesses while serving in a hostile fire area or while exposed to a hostile fire event and are hospitalized for treatment of the wound, injury or illness.

The establishment of the PAC program was authorized by the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which became Public Law 110-181. Although PAC ends one year after the date on which a member is first hospitalized for the treatment of the qualifying event, it may be extended under extraordinary circumstances by the Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness. Entitlement may end earlier if a member is returned for assignment to other than a medical or patient unit for duty. Entitlement terminates irrevocably on the date the member is discharged, separated or retired (including temporary disability retirement) from the uniformed services.

The PAC program replaced the Combat-related Injury Rehabilitation Pay (CIP) program authorized by the FY 2006 NDAA. The CIP program provided for payment of $430 per month when a member was evacuated from the theater of a combat operation or combat zone for medical treatment. The $430 per month payable under CIP was intended to replace certain pay and allowances a member receives during deployment; hostile fire pay ($225/month); hardship duty pay ($100/month); and the incidental expense (IE) portion of their temporary duty per diem allowance ($105/month). However, it did not address the termination of certain other special/incentive pays after medical evacuation.

To read the portion of the FY 2008 NDAA that authorizes PAC, go to www.thomas.gov and search for P. L. 110-181. The authorization for PAC is contained in section 661 of P.L. 110-181 (where section 372 of Title 37 is authorized).