---
kind: "section"
citation: "37 U.S.C. § 372"
title: "37"
title_heading: "Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services"
number: "372"
heading: "Continuation of pays during hospitalization and rehabilitation resulting from wounds, injury, or illness incurred while on duty in a hostile fire area or exposed to an event of hostile fire or other hostile action"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/37/372"
units:
  - "Chapter 5 — Special and Incentive Pays"
  - "Subchapter III — General Provisions"
---

# §372. Continuation of pays during hospitalization and rehabilitation resulting from wounds, injury, or illness incurred while on duty in a hostile fire area or exposed to an event of hostile fire or other hostile action

- (a) **Continuation of Pays.—** If a [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23) of a uniformed service incurs a wound, injury, or illness in the line of duty while serving in a combat operation or a combat zone, while serving in a hostile fire area, or while exposed to a hostile fire event, as described under [section 351 of this title](/usc/37/351.md), and is hospitalized for treatment of the wound, injury, or illness, the [Secretary concerned](/usc/37/101.md?p=5) may continue to [pay](/usc/37/101.md?p=21) to the [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23), notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, all [pay](/usc/37/101.md?p=21) and allowances (including any bonus, incentive [pay](/usc/37/101.md?p=21), or similar benefit) that were being paid to the [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23) at the time the [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23) incurred the wound, injury, or illness.
- (b) **Duration.—** The payment of [pay](/usc/37/101.md?p=21) and allowances to a [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23) under [subsection (a)](#a) may continue until the end of the first month beginning after the earliest of the following dates:
  - (1) The date on which the [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23) is returned for assignment to other than a medical or patient unit for duty; however, in the case of a [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23) under the jurisdiction of a Secretary of a military department, the date on which the [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23) is determined fit for duty.
  - (2) One year after the date on which the [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23) is first hospitalized for the treatment of the wound, injury, or illness, except that the [Secretary concerned](/usc/37/101.md?p=5) may extend the termination date in six-month increments.
  - (3) The date on which the [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23) is discharged, separated, or retired (including temporary disability retirement) from the [uniformed services](/usc/37/101.md?p=3).
- (c) **Bonus, Incentive Pay, or Similar Benefit Defined.—** In this section, the term “bonus, incentive [pay](/usc/37/101.md?p=21), or similar benefit” means a bonus, incentive [pay](/usc/37/101.md?p=21), special [pay](/usc/37/101.md?p=21), or similar payment paid to a [member](/usc/37/101.md?p=23) of the [uniformed services](/usc/37/101.md?p=3) under this title or title 10.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title VI, § 661(a)(2), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 176; amended Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title VI, § 601, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1423; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VI, § 601(d)(1), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 904.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 119–60 struck out “of a regular or reserve component” after “If a member”.

2019—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–92 amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “The date on which the member is returned for assignment to other than a medical or patient unit for duty.”