Will there be CZTE/SSI-FWTS effects on other deployments because of the U.S. pulling out of Afghanistan?

2021-08-19T23:54:01-04:00

What do you think will be the ancillary effects of pulling troops out of Afghanistan on DoD's treatment of other deployments? For instance, the Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE) for deployments in many other countries is actually derived from the Afghanistan combat zone. This includes many countries with seemingly no connection to the Afghanistan combat zone. For example, Djibouti, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen are only afforded CZTE treatment because of a determination that personnel there serve "in direct support of military operations in the Afghanistan CZ," as none of these countries are themselves declared combat zones. This also impacts the Army combat patch/SSI-FWTS/SSI-MOHC, because combat patches are currently only given out for deployments where the soldier receives HFP/IDP + CZTE.

Do people think that, with the end of operations in the Afghanistan CZ, DoD will withdraw CZTE treatment for deployments to Djibouti, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen? It would seem very odd to me that a deployment to Syria, for instance, would all of a sudden lose CZTE/combat patch status just because of the totally unrelated pull-out from Afghanistan, whereas a deployment to Saudi Arabia would continue to receive both (Saudi Arabia is a separate combat zone).

Sources:
AR 670-1, 21-18(2) (Combat Patch Requirements)
https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/CZ2/ (Combat Zone Support Areas)
https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/CZ1/ (Combat Zones)

Defense Finance and Accounting Service MilitaryMembers payentitlements Pay Tables CZ2

The official website of the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS)

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 20 at 2021 12:40 AM

2021-08-20T00:40:04-04:00

I think that some may require shifts, as several of those countries still have operations supporting CT operations in Iraq/Syria.
With that said, I think it means we'll shift back to a pre Gulf War/pre-2002 Army where combat patches became rarer over time.

Response by SPC James Neidig made Aug 20 at 2021 12:47 AM

2021-08-20T00:47:53-04:00

Wait A Little While , Biden Will Get Us Into Another Conflict Somewhere

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 20 at 2021 9:44 AM

2021-08-20T09:44:52-04:00

In this day and age, all one has to do is wait a few years and chances are they will land in an area where they can get a patch. I'm sure some additional areas will lose that status just like Kuwait did a few years ago.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 21 at 2021 12:13 AM

2021-08-21T00:13:00-04:00

I like how Iraq was not mentioned once lol