"Use or lose" leave deadline approaches

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Curt Beach
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The maximum amount of leave days a service member can accumulate will drop from 75 to 60 as of Oct. 1.

The 75-day leave carryover policy was implemented in 2008 due to the high operations tempo, said Victor Bosko, Pentagon G-1 Compensation and Entitlements Division. "Everybody was complaining about losing leave," he said about troops at that time. "The policy was geared at easing some of the optempo stress."

The policy was originally set to revert back to a 60-day maximum Sept. 30, 2013, but the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act extended the 75-day carryover to Sept. 30, 2015.

"Hopefully people are aware this date is coming if they've been keeping up with the roll call and their LES's," said Master Sgt. Bruce Billmyre, 2nd Comptroller Squadron flight chief.

Service members with more than 60 days of leave at the beginning of the coming fiscal year will lose those additional days.

"Individuals just have to plan accordingly," said Billmyre. "Look at their work schedules and figure out what the mission can accommodate."

Billmyre recommends Airmen don't wait until July or August and try to take 45 days of leave because they could be putting their unit in a tough predicament.

"If we get closer to September and there are too many people requesting leave, it's going to make it hard on their commanders," said Airman 1st Class Nick Burkhalter, 2nd Comptroller Squadron LeaveWeb monitor. "There's a possibility that requests could be turned down if commanders don't have enough Airmen to complete the mission."

Burkhalter recommends not letting the deadline sneak up on you.

"You know the date is coming," said Burkhalter. "If you're above the 60, it's time to take the kids to Disney World."



Keywords: LeaveWeb, leave, carryover, National Defense Authorization Act