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New leave policy lets troops carry over more days off

A new Pentagon policy makes a number of changes in military leave designed to keep troops from losing out because of the high wartime operating tempo.

The changes, which will be in effect through Dec. 31, 2010, favor those who have deployed to combat zones. The Senate Armed Services Committee focused on combat troops in adding the changes to the 2008 Defense Authorization Act, in recognition of the ongoing wartime operation tempos and the demands that activities such as training for follow-on deployments have on troops’ limited time back home.

“The committee recognizes that the ongoing high operations tempo has resulted in many service members accumulating more leave than they can use or carry over into the next fiscal year,” lawmakers said in their explanatory report on the legislation.

Service members earn 2.5 days of leave per month and normally lose any leave in excess of 60 days at the end of each fiscal year. Under the new policy, all troops will be allowed to carry a balance of 75 days of leave from one fiscal year to the next.

The Senate committee had originally recommended allowing troops to carry a 90-day balance, but that was scaled back in negotiations with the House.

This means that if a service member is carrying up to 75 days of leave on Sept. 30, that leave can be retained on Oct. 1, when the new fiscal year begins, Pentagon officials said. Since the provision expires at the end of calendar year 2010, service members carrying more than 60 days’ leave on Oct. 1, 2011, will lose the excess.

The new policy also gives service members deployed to a combat zone or supporting a contingency operation for at least 120 consecutive days more time to use their accrued leave. Those who served in a combat zone have up to four years — one more than previously allowed — to reduce their leave from their maximum accrual limit of 120 days to the 75-day limit outlined in the new policy.

Those supporting contingency operations can take up to three years — one year and 30 days more than previously allowed — to reduce their leave totals to the new cap.

Special accrued leave

The new policy also makes changes in the way service members can sell back accrued leave to the government. Current policy allows troops to sell back up to 60 days of leave at certain times over the course of a career. Under the new policy, up to 30 of those days can be special accrued leave — leave earned in a combat zone or designated contingency — that they otherwise would have lost under the 120-day limit.

Leave earned in a combat zone is more valuable than regular leave because it is not taxed.

Any special accrued leave that is sold back still counts against the overall limit under which no more than 60 days of leave can be sold back over the course of a career.

Enlisted troops can sell back leave only when they reenlist or are honorably discharged from service. Officers can do so only when they are honorably separated.

Finally, the new policy adds five days to the 15-day special rest and recuperation absence granted to troops who have completed an overseas tour extension of more than of 12 months and who have elected government-funded transportation. Those who pay for their own transportation are still allowed 30 days for this absence period.

This category of absence should not be confused with an ongoing rest and recuperation program established by U.S. Central Command, the Pentagon said. That program allows troops and Defense Department civilians on one-year deployments to take up to 15 days of regular, chargeable leave while deployed.

The policy, announced June 27, takes effect immediately, the Pentagon said.

In recommending the changes, the Senate committee cautioned the services on the need to plan properly to use excess leave when possible.

“The committee believes it is essential for military and civilian leaders to ensure that their subordinates maintain adequate leave balances for emergencies but that they are encouraged, if not required, to take leave whenever possible for their good and the good of their service,” the report stated.

“While the enhanced leave carryover authorized by this provision is needed in today’s operational environment, the committee expects the services to ensure that all officer and enlisted personnel understand the need to plan to use their excess leave so as to avoid losing this important benefit or to adversely affect their unit’s mission.”

DISCUSS: Leave changes