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Updated December 12, 2018
Defense Primer: Personnel Tempo (PERSTEMPO)
As a result of the nation’s extended involvement in
Current DOD goals for dwell time are one year deployed to
contingency operations around the globe, some
two years at home station (1:2) or greater for active
servicemembers have experienced prolonged, frequent,
component members and mobilization-to-dwell ratios for
and/or stressful deployments. In addition, preparation for
the reserve component of one year mobilized to five years
deployments (e.g., training, exercises, temporary duty
demobilized (1:5). SECDEF approval is required for dwell
assignments) can lead to extended working hours or
ratios less than (1:1) and (1:4) respectively, although
frequent travel away from home station. The pace of
individuals may request a general or flag officer waiver to
operations for individuals is commonly referred to as
this threshold.
personnel tempo (PERSTEMPO) and can affect quality of
Current definitions take into account a broad range of
life, work satisfaction, and overall morale for members and
activities that keep service members away from home
their families.
(Table 1). Activities not included as deployment events,
Congress oversees the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s)
include, for example, military duties extending beyond
PERSTEMPO management, policies and programs. In
normal working hours but conducted at the member’s
addition, congressional actions to authorize force size (i.e.,
permanent duty station.
end-strength) can affect the number of personnel available
Table 1. Statutory Definitions and Thresholds
for deployment. Appropriated funds for military pay and
benefits (including leave and morale programs) may
Term
Definition
compensate troops for time spent away.
Background and Definitions
PERSTEMPO
The amount of time members of the
armed forces are engaged in their official
During the mid-1990s, though the nation was not engaged
duties at a location or under
in major conflict, a combination of force drawdowns and
circumstances that make it infeasible for
increased deployments in support of peacetime missions
a member to spend off-duty time in the
(e.g., peacekeeping and humanitarian operations) put stress
housing in which the member resides.
on service members, particularly those in high-deploying
specialty units. A 1996 Government Accountability Office
OPTEMPO
The rate at which units of the armed
(GAO) report found that DOD did not have consistent goals
forces are involved in all military
or policies for managing personnel tempo.
activities, including contingency
operations, exercises, and training
Recognizing a need to more accurately measure the pace of
deployments.
operations on military personnel, in 1999, Congress first
added a statutory definition for deployment, established
Deployed or in a Any day on which, pursuant to orders,
high-deployment thresholds, and required Secretary of
deployment
the member is performing service in a
Defense (SECDEF) approval to exceed those thresholds.
training exercise or operation at a
The law (P.L. 106-65) also required the Under Secretary of
location or under circumstances that
Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) to
make it impossible or infeasible for the
develop standardized terminology and policies for operating
member to spend off-duty time in the
tempo for units (OPTEMPO) and personnel
housing in which the member resides
(PERSTEMPO). The law also required DOD to track and
when on garrison duty at the member's
report on certain aspects of OPTEMPO and PERSTEMPO.
permanent duty station or homeport.
High
One-year: 220 days deployed out of the
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the SECDEF
deployment
previous 365 days. Two-year: 400 days
suspended statutory high-deployment thresholds under the
thresholds*
deployed out of the previous 730.
waiver authority in law. However, under DOD policy
(DODI 1336.5), the Services continued to track deployment
Dwell time
The time a member of the armed forces
days. As operations in Afghanistan and Iraq intensified,
or unit spends at the permanent duty
many raised concerns that individuals within certain
station or home port after returning
military occupational specialties were experiencing both
from deployment.
lengthy and frequent deployments. While the PERSTEMPO
Sources: 10 U.S.C. §991, and 10 U.S.C. §136(d)).
measures captured deployment duration, they did not
Notes: Contingency operations are as defined in 10 U.S.C.
adequately capture the down time, or dwell time, members
§101(a)(13)(B). *High-deployment thresholds have been waived since
had between deployments. In 2007, DOD established
2001 under the SECDEF authority in 10. U.S.C. §991(d). According to
deploy-to-dwell planning objectives, and in the FY2012
a Nov. 1, 2013 USD (P&R) policy memo, involuntary extension of a
NDAA, Congress established a statutory definition of dwell
deployment beyond 365 days requires SECDEF approval.
time (See Table 2 for a timeline of selected events).
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Personnel Tempo (PERSTEMPO)
Table 2. Timeline of Selected PERSTEMPO Actions
Out of the preceding 730 days, for a total of 401 or more
1995 - 2018
days.
Reserve component members become eligible for the
Year
Action
allowance when (1) under a call to active duty for more
than 30 days that is the second (or later) such call for the
1995
Congress calls for improved DOD management of
same contingency operation; or (2) for a period of more
PERSTEMPO. (FY1996 NDAA, P.L. 104-106 §565)
than 30 days, if such period begins within one year after the
1996
GAO finds that DOD does not have consistent
date on which the member was released from previous
policies and goals for measuring and managing
service on active duty for a period of more than 30 days (37
PERSTEMPO. (GAO/NSAID-96-105, 1996)
U.S.C. §436(a)).
1999
Congress defines deployment and high-deployment
Deployed servicemembers may also receive other
threshold, requires DOD to develop standard
compensation while deployed (e.g., hostile fire and
definitions and policies for OPTEMPO and
imminent danger, sea duty, and/or flight pay). These special
PERSTEMPO, and adds a high-deployment per diem
and incentive pays largely depend on the geographic
allowance. (FY2000 NDAA, P.L. 106-65 §§586 & 923)
location of the operation and the nature of the
servicemember’s work.
2001
DOD invokes national security waiver and suspends
high-deployment per diem, thresholds, and
Beginning with the Uniformed Services Pay Act of 1963,
deployment tracking requirements following
Congress has authorized a Family Separation Allowance
September 11th attacks.
(FSA) to compensate members with dependents for added
expenses that result from family separation. In 2003, in
2003
Congress amends high-deployment thresholds,
response to the growing number of deployments in support
authorizes a high-deployment monthly allowance in
of contingency operations, Congress increased FSA from
place of the high-deployment per diem (FY2004
$100 per month to $250 for members separated from their
NDAA, P.L. 108-136 §541), and authorizes increased
families due to certain duty assignments for a period of 30
Family Separation Allowance. (P.L. 108-11§1316).
days or more (37 U.S.C. §427(a)).
2005
DOD requires SECDEF to approval deployment
PERSTEMPO Tracking and Reporting
extensions beyond 365 days. (USD (P&R)
The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) maintains a
memorandum, Mar. 30, 2005.)
centralized database of all PERSTEMPO events. The
2007
DOD first establishes dwell planning objectives.
Secretaries of the Military Departments and the
(SECDEF memorandum, May, 3, 2007)
Commandant of the Coast Guard are responsible for
reporting PERSTEMPO events to DMDC. A 2018 GAO
2011
Congress establishes dwell definition, and repeals
study found DOD does not have complete or reliable
annual PERSTEMPO reporting requirements, but
PERSTEMPO data, and has recommended better quality
requires PERSTERMPO data collection and
control processes, particularly for the Army, Air Force, and
recordkeeping. (P.L. 112-81§522)
Marine Corps.
2013
DOD issues policy memorandum restating dwell
High-PERSTEMPO Impacts
goals and thresholds. (USD (P&R) memorandum,
In general, research has found associations between
Nov. 1, 2013)
deployment frequency and duration, and decreased military
2016
Senate Report to accompany the FY2017 NDAA (P.L.
spouse well-being (e.g., depression and anxiety), increased
114-328) calls for GAO to review DOD management
child problematic behaviors, and negative effects on parent-
of PERSTEMPO.
child and member-spouse relationships. On the other hand,
while many members express dissatisfaction with increased
2018
GAO finds that DOD does not have complete and
deployments, the evidence does not suggest that has a
reliable data to monitor PERSTEMPO (GAO-18-253,
significant effect on continuation/retention rates. There is
April 2018).
some evidence that deployments increase military family
Source: CRS from multiple sources
savings, potentially reflecting their eligibility for additional
compensation.
High-PERSTEMPO Compensation
One of the ways Congress has sought to incentivize better
Relevant Statute
DOD management of PERSTEMPO and to compensate
10 U.S.C. §§991 & 136; 37 U.S.C. §§427 & §436.
affected troops is by authorizing a high-tempo allowance.
The FY2000 NDAA first authorized a high –deployment
Other Resources
per diem of $100 for members, starting on day 251 of
Department of Defense Instructions:
deployment out of the preceding 365 days. In the FY2004
DODI 1335.07, Reporting of Personnel Tempo
NDAA, Congress replaced the per diem with a monthly
(PERSTEMPO) Events
allowance of up to $1000 (at the discretion of the Secretary
DODI 1235.12, Accessing the Reserve Components
concerned) for each month that a member of the active
component is deployed and has been deployed,
For 191 or more consecutive days, or
Kristy N. Kamarck, Analyst in Military Manpower
IF11007
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Personnel Tempo (PERSTEMPO)
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