Department of Defense
INSTRUCTION
NUMBER 1304.27
April 10, 2009
Incorporating Change 1, Effective April 22, 2015
USD(P&R)
SUBJECT: Award and Administration of Special Duty Assignment Pay
References: See Enclosure 1
1. PURPOSE. This Instruction:
a. Reissues DoD Instruction 1304.27 (Reference (a)) under the authority of
DoD Directive 5124.02 (Reference (b)).
b. Establishes departmental policy in accordance with Reference (b) and sections 204, 206,
307, and 372 of title 37, United States Code (U.S.C.) (Reference (c)).
c. Identifies conditions of entitlement and restrictions on authorization and payment. These
and all other conditions of entitlement and restrictions on authorization and payment or rates will
be determined in accordance with this Instruction and section 307 of Reference (c).
2. APPLICABILITY. This Instruction applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD
Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within the Department of Defense (hereafter
referred to collectively as the “DoD Components”). The term “Military Services,” as used
herein, refers to the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps.
3. DEFINITIONS.
a. active duty. Defined in section 101 of Reference (c)).
b. inactive duty training (IDT). Defined in section 101 of Reference (c))
c. military specialties. For the purpose of this Instruction, those elements of the enlisted
classification structure of a Military Service that identify a skill or groups of skills necessary to
perform military assignments. Military specialties provide occupational standards for
