Currently deployments for humanitarian efforts, including Operation United Assistance (supporting West Africa in stemming the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease), do not meet the current tax exemption.
In the current tax exemption, the IRS only includes combat zones defined as areas in which U.S. Armed Forces are engaging in combat. We ask to modify the current exemptions to elevate humanitarian efforts around the world to the same considerations as a "Combat Zone".
Humanitarian deployments have similar hardships. Although DOD personnel activated for Operation United Assistance will not be engaging a human adversary in combat, they will be combating a deadly disease. We fail to see why a deployment where DOD personnel are eligible for hazardous duty pay are not eligible for tax exemptions