Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)
Tax-free monthly payment for military retirees with combat-related disabilities – restores VA disability pay that was previously offset against retirement pay.
Who qualifies: Veterans, Veterans with a service-connected disability.
CRSC allows qualifying military retirees to receive additional pay for disabilities directly related to armed conflict:
Who Qualifies:
• Must be a military retiree (20+ years or medically retired)
• Must have a VA service-connected disability rating for a combat-related condition
• Combat-related: injury/illness from armed conflict, training for combat, hazardous duty, or simulated war
Payment:
• Equal to the VA disability compensation amount for the combat-related conditions
• Tax-free (unlike regular military retirement pay)
• Does not reduce retirement pay (paid in addition to full retirement)
Key difference from CRDP:
• CRSC applies to combat-related disabilities specifically
• CRSC is tax-free; CRDP is taxable
• Veterans choose one or the other – cannot receive both simultaneously
Apply through your branch of service (not the VA). Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard each have their own CRSC boards.