(a) Availability of Special Pay.—A member of a uniformed service who is entitled to basic pay is also entitled, while on sea duty, to special pay at the applicable rate under subsection (b).

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(b) Rates; Maximum.—The Secretary concerned shall prescribe the monthly rates for special pay applicable to members of each armed force under the Secretary’s jurisdiction. No monthly rate may exceed $750.

(c) Premium.—A member of a uniformed service entitled to career sea pay under this section who has served 36 consecutive months of sea duty is also entitled to a career sea pay premium for the thirty-seventh consecutive month and each subsequent consecutive month of sea duty served by such member. The monthly amount of the premium shall be prescribed by the Secretary concerned, but may not exceed $350.

(d) Regulations.—The Secretary concerned shall prescribe regulations for the administration of this section for the armed force or armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary. The entitlements under this section shall be subject to the regulations.

(e) Definition of Sea Duty.—(1) In this section, the term “sea duty” means duty performed by a member—

(A) while permanently or temporarily assigned to a ship and—

(i) while serving on a ship the primary mission of which is accomplished while under way;

(ii) while serving as a member of the off-crew of a two-crewed submarine;

(iii) while serving as a member of a tender-class ship (with the hull classification of submarine or destroyer); or

(iv) while serving as an off-cycle crewmember of a multi-crewed ship; or

(B) while permanently or temporarily assigned to a ship and while serving on a ship the primary mission of which is normally accomplished while in port, but only during a period that the ship is away from its homeport.

(2) The Secretary concerned may designate duty performed by a member while serving on a ship the primary mission of which is accomplished either while under way or in port as “sea duty” for purposes of this section, even though the duty is performed while the member is permanently or temporarily assigned to a ship-based staff or other unit not covered by paragraph (1).

(3) For the purpose of determining the years of sea duty with which a member may be credited for purposes of this section, the term “sea duty” also includes duty performed after December 31, 1988, by a member while permanently or temporarily assigned to a ship or ship-based staff and while serving on a ship on which the member would be entitled, during a period that the ship is away from its homeport, to receive sea pay by reason of paragraph (1)(B).

(4) A ship shall be considered to be away from its homeport for purposes of this subsection when it is—

(A) at sea; or

(B) in a port that is more than 50 miles from its homeport.