October 14, 2006: While the U.S. Department of Defense has provided extra payments to the families of uniformed personnel killed in combat, this does not apply to intelligence personnel engaged in secret operations. The American operatives are often civilians, but are usually killed in combat-type situations, or at least in combat zones. To remedy this problem, which has vexed Department of Defense intel personnel for many years, the additional payments will be made retroactively to those who were killed anytime after October 14, 1980. Payments will be similar to those made for uniformed personnel killed in combat.