The U.S. Coast Guard will receive a $2,000 one‑time “Devotion to Duty” payment this month in recognition of expanded operations and record activity. The payment is $224 higher than the Department of Defense dividend but is taxable, leaving recipients an estimated $1,776 after withholding. Funds come from Coast Guard appropriations in the fiscal 2026 continuing resolution. Eligibility covers active‑duty members at the rank of captain and below and reservists meeting a 31‑day active duty threshold; cadets and those not entitled to basic pay are excluded. Members may opt out by emailing notice by Jan. 31, though initial payments will be recouped if they choose to decline.
Coast Guard To Receive $2,000 One‑Time “Devotion to Duty” Bonus — About $1,776 After Taxes
U.S. Coast Guard personnel walk off a 45-foot response boat at Sector Puget Sound base in Seattle. (Elaine Thompson/AP)
Members of the U.S. Coast Guard will receive a $2,000 one‑time holiday bonus this month called the “Devotion to Duty” payment, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and service leaders announced. Officials credited the award to the service’s expanded operations this year, including stepped‑up migrant and drug interdictions, broader Arctic patrols and accelerated procurement of ships, aircraft and other equipment.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. Coast Guard has been defending our maritime borders, stopping the flow of deadly narcotics and illegal immigration into our country and countering America’s adversaries in the Western Hemisphere and around the world — and they’ve been shattering records in the process,” Noem said in a statement. “I am so proud of what our Coast Guard has achieved this year.”
The Coast Guard payment is $224 higher than the one‑time dividend being paid to other service members. Coast Guard officials noted the payment is subject to federal tax withholding; after taxes the award is estimated to be approximately $1,776.
“Unlike the Defense Department’s dividend, the Devotion to Duty payment is subject to taxes,” Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Steven Roth told Military Times by email.
Service leaders said the funds will come from Coast Guard appropriations included in the fiscal 2026 continuing resolution — the funding measure signed Nov. 12 that ended the recent government shutdown — but they did not identify the precise account to be used.
By contrast, the Defense Department’s one‑time dividend, intended for roughly 1.45 million service members, was financed with funds designated as housing subsidies in legislation signed into law on July 4, according to reporting from Defense One.
Who Is Eligible
All active‑duty Coast Guard members at the rank of captain and below who remain on active duty through the end of the month are eligible. Reservists who are on active duty for 31 or more consecutive days as of Dec. 31 also qualify. Cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and any personnel not entitled to basic pay are ineligible.
Opt‑Out And Recoupment
Coast Guard members who prefer not to receive the payment may opt out by submitting an email notice by Jan. 31. The service warns that members who opt out will initially receive the payment and the amount will then be recouped.
Officials did not provide an exact distribution date beyond indicating the payment will be made this month.
