Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a $2.6 billion, one-time supplement tied to the Basic Allowance for Housing for personnel in pay grades O-6 and below.
- Roughly 1.28 million active-duty troops and about 174,000 reservists are slated to receive the $1,776 payment automatically.
- The White House announced the checks are already being processed with delivery expected before Christmas, with some reports citing arrival by December 20.
- Trump credited tariff revenues for the payments, but Pentagon and government reporting indicate the funds are drawn from housing money Congress approved earlier this year.
- The rollout has prompted requests for implementation details and political criticism from Democrats who argue the move is a limited gesture amid broader cost-of-living concerns.