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Updated November 5, 2021
Defense Primer: Personnel Tempo (PERSTEMPO)
As a result of the nation’s extended involvement in
FY2012 (NDAA; P.L. 112-81), Congress established a
contingency operations around the globe, some
statutory definition of dwell time (see Table 2 for a timeline
servicemembers have experienced prolonged, frequent,
of selected events).
and/or stressful deployments. In addition, preparation for
deployments (e.g., training, exercises, temporary duty
Current definitions take into account a broad range of
assignments) can lead to extended working hours or
activities that keep servicemembers away from home
frequent travel away from home station. The pace of
(Table 1). Activities not included as deployment events,
operations for individuals is commonly referred to as
include, for example, military duties extending beyond
personnel tempo (PERSTEMPO) and can affect quality of
normal working hours but conducted at the member’s home
life, work satisfaction, and overall morale for members and
duty station, also known as permanent duty station.
their families.
Table 1. Statutory Definitions and Thresholds
Congress oversees the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s)
PERSTEMPO management, policies and programs. In
Term
Definition
addition, congressional actions to authorize force size (i.e.,
PERSTEMPO
The amount of time servicemembers
end-strength) can affect the number of personnel available
are engaged in their official duties at a
for deployment. Appropriated funds for military pay and
location or under circumstances that
benefits (including leave and morale programs ) may
make it infeasible for a member to
compensate troops for time spent away.
spend off-duty time in the housing in
Background and Definitions
which the member resides.
During the mid-1990s, though the nation was not engaged
OPTEMPO
The rate at which units are involved in
in major conflict, a combination of force drawdowns and
al military activities, including
increased deployments in support of peacetime missions
contingency operations, exercises, and
(e.g., peacekeeping and humanitarian operations) put stress
training deployments.
on servicemembers, particularly those in high-deploying
specialty units. A 1996 Government Accountability Office
Deployed or in a Any day on which, pursuant to orders,
(GAO) report found that DOD did not have consistent goals
deployment
the member is performing service in a
or policies for managing personnel tempo.
training exercise or operation at a
location or under circumstances that
Recognizing a need to more accurately measure the pace of
make it impossible or infeasible for the
operations on military personnel, in 1999, Congress first
member to spend off-duty time in the
added a statutory definition for deployment, established
housing in which the member resides
high-deployment thresholds (then defined as 182 days or
when on garrison duty at the member’s
more out of the preceding 365 days), and required Secretary
permanent duty station or homeport.
of Defense (SECDEF) approval to exceed those thresholds.
The law, known as the FY2000 National Defense
Current high
One-year: 220 days deployed out of the
Authorization Act (NDAA; P.L. 106-65), also required the
deployment
previous 365 days. Two-year: 400 days
Under Secretary of Defense (USD) for Personnel and
thresholds*
deployed out of the previous 730.
Readiness (P&R) to develop standardized terminology and
Dwell time
The time a regular member of the
policies for operating tempo for units (OPTEMPO) and
armed forces or unit spends at the
personnel (PERSTEMPO) and required DOD to track and
permanent duty station or home port
report on these categories.
after returning from deployment, or the
amount of time a reservist remains at
Shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks, the SECDEF
the member’s permanent duty station
suspended statutory high-deployment thresholds under the
after completing a deployment of 30
waiver authority in law. However, under department policy
days or more in length
(DOD Instruction 1336.5), the Services continued to track
deployment days. As operations in Afghanistan and Iraq
Sources: 10 U.S.C. §991 and 10 U.S.C. §136(d).
intensified, many raised concerns that individuals within
Notes: Contingency operations are as defined in 10 U.S.C.
certain military occupational specialties were experiencing
§101(a)(13)(B). *High-deployment thresholds have been waived since
both lengthy and frequent deployments. While the
2001 under the SECDEF authority in 10 U.S.C. §991(d). According to
PERSTEMPO measures captured deployment duration,
a November 1, 2013, USD (P&R) policy memo, involuntary extension
they did not adequately capture the down time, or dwell
of a deployment beyond 365 days requires SECDEF approval.
time, members had between deployments. In 2007, DOD
established deploy-to-dwell planning objectives, and in the
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Defense Primer: Personnel Tempo (PERSTEMPO)
High-PERSTEMPO Compensation
Table 2. Timeline of Selected PERSTEMPO Actions
Congress has sought to incentivize better DOD
1995-2021
management of PERSTEMPO and to compensate affected
troops in part by authorizing a high-tempo allowance. The
Year
Action
FY2000 NDAA first authorized a high-deployment per
diem of $100 for members, starting on day 251 of
1995 Congress cal s for improved DOD management of
deployment out of the preceding 365 days. In the FY2004
PERSTEMPO. (P.L. 104-106 §565)
NDAA, Congress replaced the per diem with a monthly
1996 GAO finds that DOD does not have consistent
allowance of up to $1,000 (at the discretion of the Secretary
policies and goals for measuring and managing
concerned) for each month that a member of the active
PERSTEMPO. (GAO/NSAID-96-105, 1996)
component is deployed and has been deployed
1999 Congress defines deployment and high-deployment
for 191 or more consecutive days, or
threshold, requires DOD to develop standard
out of the preceding 730 days, for a total of 401 or more
definitions and policies for OPTEMPO and
days.
PERSTEMPO, and adds a high-deployment per diem
Reserve component members become eligible for the
al owance. (P.L. 106-65 §§586 & 923)
allowance when (1) under a call to active duty for more
2001 DOD invokes national security waiver and suspends
than 30 days that is the second (or later) such call for the
high-deployment per diem, thresholds, and
same contingency operation; or (2) for a period of more
deployment tracking requirements after 9/11 attacks.
than 30 days, if such period begins within 1 year after the
date on which the member was released from previous
2003 Congress amends high-deployment thresholds,
service on active duty for a period of more than 30 days (37
authorizes a high-deployment monthly al owance in
U.S.C. §436(a)).
place of diem (P.L. 108-136 §541), and authorizes
increased Family Separation Al owance. (P.L. 108-
Deployed servicemembers may also receive other
11§1316).
compensation while deployed (e.g., hostile fire and
imminent danger, sea duty, and/or flight pay). These special
2005 DOD requires SECDEF to approval deployment
and incentive pays largely depend on the geographic
extensions beyond 365 days. (USD (P&R)
location of the operation and the nature of the
memorandum, March 30, 2005)
servicemember’s work.
2007 DOD first establishes dwel planning objectives.
Beginning with the Uniformed Services Pay Act of 1963,
(SECDEF memorandum, May, 3, 2007)
Congress has authorized a Family Separation Allowance
2011 Congress establishes dwel definition, and repeals
(FSA) to compensate members with dependents for added
annual PERSTEMPO reporting requirements, but
expenses that result from family separation. In 2003, in
requires PERSTERMPO data col ection and
response to the growing number of deployments in support
recordkeeping. (P.L. 112-81§522)
of contingency operations, Congress increased FSA from
$100 per month to $250 for members separated from their
2013 DOD issues policy memorandum restating dwel
families due to certain duty assignments for a period of 30
goals and thresholds. (USD (P&R) memorandum,
days or more (37 U.S.C. §427(a)).
November 1, 2013)
PERSTEMPO Tracking and Reporting
2018 GAO finds that DOD does not have complete and
The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) maintains a
reliable data to monitor PERSTEMPO (GAO-18-253,
centralized database of all PERSTEMPO events. The
April 2018).
Secretaries of the Military Departments and the
2019 Congress requires when waivers are invoked, the
Commandant of the Coast Guard are responsible for
Secretary concerned must establish specific and
reporting PERSTEMPO events to DMDC. A 2018 GAO
measurable thresholds to monitor PERSTEMPO for
study found DOD does not have complete or reliable
affected members (P.L. 116-92 §507).
PERSTEMPO data, and has recommended better quality
control processes, particularly for the Army, Air Force, and
Source: CRS from multiple sources.
Marine Corps.
Relevant Statute
High-PERSTEMPO Impacts
10 U.S.C. §§991 & 136; 37 U.S.C. §§427 & §436.
In general, research has found associations between
deployment frequency and duration, and decreased military
Other Resources
spouse well-being (e.g., depression and anxiety), increased
Department of Defense Instructions:
child problematic behaviors, and negative effects on parent-
child and member-spouse relationships. On the other hand,
DODI 1335.07, Reporting of Personnel Tempo
(PERSTEMPO) Events
while many members express dissatisfaction with increased
DODI 1235.12, Accessing the Reserve Components
deployments, the evidence does not suggest that has a
significant effect on continuation/retention rates. There is
some evidence that deployments increase military family
savings, potentially reflecting their eligibility for additional
Kristy N. Kamarck, Analyst in Military Manpower
compensation.
IF11007
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Personnel Tempo (PERSTEMPO)
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