Active Duty station

Access and purpose

Available immediately, physically in the FOB or through the left-side blade menu. View, recruit, manage and select Operators; develop each independently through Dog Tag levels and Trait Points while earning overall DMZ Player XP.

Recruit an Operator

Recruit into an open Active Duty slot. The chosen identity stays in that slot until you dismiss it for a replacement. You cannot put the same identity into two slots at once; the developer uses Reece as the example.

Change a skin

Operator selection is generally a cosmetic preference; the individual develops through gameplay and Traits. You can change the selected Operator’s skin in this menu without replacing the identity.

Starting slots

Begin with two Active Duty slots, or three with the Vault Edition. Another slot unlocks at DMZ Player Level 15.

Independent builds

Maintain different Operators for different playstyles. Each has its own Dog Tag progression and up to 18 Trait Points across Warfighter, Scout and Survivalist. Shared Stash, Cash, Resources and Ingredients let one Operator gather supplies for the others.

Dog Tags, Traits and permanent development

Earning XP improves that Operator’s Dog Tag and awards Trait Points to spend in Warfighter, Scout and Survivalist. At most 18 points develop one Operator before optional Prestige. Permanent Prestige Traits remain tied to the individual Operator; ordinary selection of another skin is not a progression reset.

Recover an MIA Operator

An eliminated Operator becomes Missing in Action and cannot deploy until recovered. Pay from the Bank to recover their purchased Traits, unspent Trait Points and Dog Tag rank. More Trait Points increase the rescue cost. Most of the Loadout is lost, so check and replace equipment before deploying again.

Dismiss instead of recovering

You may dismiss an MIA Operator and recruit a fresh Operator instead of paying for recovery. That is a different action from rescuing the existing developed Operator. Any permanent Prestige Trait remains tied to its original identity under the separate Prestige rules.

DMZ Operator unlocks

Additional Active Duty slot

An additional Active Duty Operator slot unlocks at DMZ Player Level 15. This is separate from the extra starting slot included with the Vault Edition.

First FOB visit: Orders and deployment issue

Some players cannot access Orders or deploy after selling starting equipment or dismissing their equipped Active Duty Operator during the first FOB visit. Infinity Ward’s workaround is to join a friend and deploy into DMZ; progress is restored on entering Hajin. The issue remains under investigation as of October 20, 2026.

Recorded progression unlocks

A Recipe entry unlocks printing; it is separate from receiving a ready-made item. Main Player/Multiplayer ranks do not establish a DMZ recipe, purchase price or loot restriction.

Unlocked Operators and Active Duty slots

The unlocked Operator catalogue is separate from the number of recruited Active Duty slots. A roster model preview or Profile Showcase selection does not by itself assign that Operator to the deploying slot. Permanent Prestige Traits belong to the Operator identity, including across dismissal, reassignment and skin changes.