Does a tour of duty to Egypt’s Sinai peninsula qualify a soldier for wear of a CSIB/SSI-FWTS?

2020-10-26T18:41:48-04:00

I’m going to start with “no”. The Sinai Peninsula was authorized the combat zone tax exemption in the tax cuts at the end of 2018. Effective in 2019, the exemption was made retroactive to 2015, when an insurgency in the area started some wild Tom foolery between the government and locals. At some point before then, Hostile Fire and Imminent Danger pay was also authorized.

Now my understanding is that since this mission was not in support of OIH/OEF/OSS or any other CENTCOM mission, that it was not a combat deployment. AR 670-1 does not reflect Sinai as a qualifying AO. The problem I have with this is that there is one soldier tooling around (different battalion currently,but was in the same company as me in Egypt) wearing a combat patch for this deployment. He has no other deployments. On numerous occasions myself and other NCOs have approached this SM and had him remove it, but recently he’s been resistant to that, saying there is documentation saying it’s an authorized combat zone now.

That being said, the authorization for Saudi Arabia does, due to a territorial dispute, somewhat authorize a patch for those on the same mission as us, but only those who rotated through one small outpost.

I’ve scoured the internet, ARs, DA memos, and DAPMS, and haven’t got anything more recent than 2017. Nobody else wears a patch for that deployment, but before I make an ass of myself confronting this soldier again, is there something I missed? Does anyone know anything about an authorization to wear a patch for the Sinai? Big explanation for a simple question, thanks in advance.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2020 7:25 PM

2020-10-26T19:25:26-04:00

My best friend died leaving the Sinai Peninsula in 1985. I hope there's some recognition for those who put their lives on the line there.

Response by CW4 Keith Dolliver made Oct 26 at 2020 8:23 PM

2020-10-26T20:23:19-04:00

No... if it's not in 670-1 then it's not authorized. There are plenty of other places out there receiving CZTE for which you don't receive a combat patch, e.g. Kosovo. The one caveat is if a new location/conflict is added to the list of authorized locations in between revisions of 670-1 then it will be released in a message, most likely as an ALARACT or MILPER. When the update is released as a G-1 memo they are typically posted on the Army uniform website, here: https://www.army.mil/uniforms/

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Response by SFC(P) Jonathan P. made Oct 26 at 2020 8:44 PM

2020-10-26T20:44:38-04:00

That’s an easy fix. If the documentation is not in his iperms, MEMO, 4187, 1610 from DTS and brigade or battalion signed memo from Arcent, then he is not allowed to wear it. I have been in KUWAIT for almost a year and recently went to Saudi Arabia as it is now a combat zone retroactive since Sep 2019. However in order for me to be authorized I has to upload to iperms 4187, 1610, 1351, and the ARCENT MEMO to include my Divison BC who is a O-5. Check the memos attached that we have currently.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2020 9:05 PM

2020-10-26T21:05:26-04:00

If he’s authorized to wear it have him provide the authorization. H seems cocksure he can. Since it’s not in any AR, memo, or TX he should probably be able to show you official documentation or remove it from his uniform.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2020 9:33 AM

2020-10-27T09:33:05-04:00

It very clearly states which operations and locations are authorized SSI-FWTS in the regulation, Egypt is not one of them.

Ask him to furnish a copy of what authorizes it. Until he can, he doesn't know its authorized. If it's not authorized, he knows he shouldn't wear it.

Response by SPC Paul MacLEOD made Dec 2 at 2022 2:37 PM

2022-12-02T14:37:22-05:00

I served there from NOV 08- OCT 09, and the mission fell under OEF, but we were never authorized to wear a combat patch...

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 6 at 2023 1:59 PM

2023-07-06T13:59:01-04:00

Is that outpost island of Tiran?

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Jul 6 at 2023 6:02 PM

2023-07-06T18:02:19-04:00

Used to be a mission of 116th Infantry, the Stonewall Brigade, might tag for 116th Inf Regt and see if that stirs up some answers. Might have a PC name now as Army hell-bent on removing our southern heroes and Army wonders why recruiting numbers in South falling. WSJ outlined another alarming trend: the children of military families, who typically make up 80% of U.S. Army recruits, are telling their children not to serve, especially those from the South.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2023 7:43 AM

2023-10-31T07:43:45-04:00

SSG Olson,
CZTE was effective: "Starting Jan.1, 2018, if you serve in the Sinai, the CZTE will be processed with no action required by you." per https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/taxinfo/CZTE-for-Sinai-Peninsula/
I was there for the 2018 tour, we were given: CZTE, Hazardous Duty Pay and either or both of IDP and HFP.

I was at both North camp ~4.5 months, and then South camp ~4.5 months.

In the North camp we did have rounds on occasion landing within the FOB and the CoC was tracking along with everyone else. I stated my surprise during that mission - at North camp - that it surely felt more like a combat mission with stray rounds flying over head often enough and it was only a matter of time before something happened. Ironically, the following year 2019, something did happen that caught the attention and couldn't be ignored further and it has since been declared a combat zone.

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