The Savings Deposit Program

You’re eligible to use the program if:

• You’re on active duty or are an activated Guard or reserve member. In both cases, you must be deployed and receiving Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay.
• You deploy to an area where you receive HFP/IDP.
• You serve in a combat zone or in direct support of a designated combat zone. You must serve for more than 30 consecutive days.
• You serve in a combat zone for at least one day for three consecutive months. This situation is likely if you’re in a special operations unit.
• You’re serving in a designated IDP area. To see which areas are designated as IDP areas, view figure 10-1 in the DOD Financial Management Regulation.

Your eligibility for the program stops the day you leave the designated combat area.

You can start making deposits into your account 31 days into your deployment.

You can’t deposit more than your monthly pay and allowances after allotments. Deposits must be in amounts divisible by five with a minimum deposit of $5. You may make more than one deposit in a month.

You may not withdraw funds while you’re deployed except in an emergency. The general rules for withdrawals are:

• Request the funds after you return home. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will post your account money to your LES. Interest will be added from the date of your deposit, regardless of the date of your withdrawal. The service will pay out any interest owed.
• Request emergency funds during the deployment. Emergency withdrawals must be for the health and welfare of the service member or their immediate family and require approval from your unit commander or commanding officer. Submit the approval to DFAS.
• Make withdrawals if the maximum balance is reached. If your account contains more than $10,000, you or your spouse can make quarterly withdrawals for the amount over $10,000.

Active-duty service members will receive their payment electronically to the same account that receives their usual monthly pay. Funds will be transferred electronically to the bank account on record if payment is made automatically 120 days after the service member has left the combat zone. Reservists and separated members submitting withdrawal requests to DFAS must include the bank account number where the funds should be deposited, the type of account (checking or savings), the bank’s routing transit number and a voided check or a deposit slip. If a check is preferred, a current address must be provided.