Can someone explain use or lose leave days?

2016-06-22T17:21:33-04:00

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2016 5:22 PM

2016-06-22T17:22:31-04:00

Over 60 days at the end of the FY, means you have only 60 then.

Response by TSgt Joe C. made Jun 22 at 2016 5:23 PM

2016-06-22T17:23:56-04:00

You have to use your overage of leave before 1 Oct or you lose those days. Say you have 75 days of leave, come 1 Oct, if you don't use 15 of thse days....they go away and you don't get them back or get paid for them. There are special circumstances as well. Have to talk to your personnel section or finance people.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2016 5:24 PM

2016-06-22T17:24:16-04:00

They disappear. 60 is the max you can have. Look on your LES to see if you have any and use them if you do. Don't forget the days you will accrue until end of September.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2016 5:26 PM

2016-06-22T17:26:01-04:00

If you have 75 days of leave saved up, and you don't use them.....come a certain point of time, those extra 15 days go the way of the Dodo bird and are gone. Hence....use or lose.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2016 5:28 PM

2016-06-22T17:28:04-04:00

Had 79. Then I had 60 without taking any.

It is that simple. Take it or lose it.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2016 5:33 PM

2016-06-22T17:33:05-04:00

You are only allowed to carry 60 days over from one FY to the next FY. Any days over 60 on 30 September will be lost on 1 October.

Response by PVT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2016 5:39 PM

2016-06-22T17:39:53-04:00

The fisical year ends in october and the army will not allow you to go into the next year with more then 60 days. Those use or lose are days you have to take before october. Your command team has to give you the chance to take those days.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Jun 22 at 2016 6:03 PM

2016-06-22T18:03:25-04:00

There is a thing called "Max accrual" which is 60 days. However, Max Accrual only comes into affect on the Fiscal Year Change-Over (Sep30 going to Oct1), therefore it is actually "possible" to have 90 days of Leave.

You hit maximum accrual after 2 years in service (30 + 30 = 60). You continue to gain leave at a rate of 2.5 days per month as long as you don't spend them, until the Fiscal year switches (Oct 1), meaning you can "theoretically" reach 90 days. When Oct 1 hits, anything in Excess of 60 is LOST.

Hence the term "Use or Lose." For most 1st term people, this is not an issue, because you burn 10 days out of boot camp and a couple weeks of pre-deployment / post-deployment leave. However, after a while, you stop taking leave in large blocks because family is local and you can use Liberty instead.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jun 22 at 2016 6:54 PM

2016-06-22T18:54:32-04:00

Good responses here. The only thing I'll add is there's a provision to carry over more than 60 in very unusual circumstances. That was done for me when I had to unexpectedly depoy again to Antarctica because my relief flunked the Shrink Test. So I had to leave in July and do a different PCS the following year. Think the carry over worked out to be an extra 15 days or so. I really needed some down time after my 3rd trip, so it came in handy.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Jun 22 at 2016 9:11 PM

2016-06-22T21:11:21-04:00

If you don't use it... you lose it. It really is as plain and simple as that.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Jun 22 at 2016 9:47 PM

2016-06-22T21:47:03-04:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member The prior responses make sense.

I do wish that rule was in effect throughout the states. I hate to see a "city manager' or other civil employee retire and be paid for 6 months of 'unused' vacation time! They had time off, but didn't charge it!

Besides that none of those civil service people are so vital that they cannot leave their job for a vacation!

Response by 1SG Brian Adams made Jun 22 at 2016 10:47 PM

2016-06-22T22:47:17-04:00

These are earned leave days not to exceed a certain limit. If you do not take leave within the allotted time frame, you will lose those days...take a look at your LES, it will state your lose or lose days. Hope this helps you out...!

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 23 at 2016 10:21 AM

2016-06-23T10:21:44-04:00

Usually, the chain of command gets hate mail if troops lose leave days and to answer your question about PTDY, I just took 30 days PCS leave in conjunction with PTDY at my new duty station (all on the same leave form). Before PTDY officially starts though, the gaining housing office needs to stamp your leave form. It is best to find time throughout the year to take time off though.
So since I was TDY for 180+ days out of the year flying hither and yore, it was difficult to use leave time as my trips had lead and tail time for prep and debrief.
What was done to keep me from losing leave days was TDY in conjunction with Leave. I could, for example, tack on 3 days leave prior to TDY start. The advantage is that the government travel used to get to the destination and the return trip relived me of the responsibility of paying for my travel.....I just didn't get per diem during the leave time and had to pay for hotel and meals. A nice thing when you are travelling to HI, AK, CA, FL, etc.

Response by PVT Victor Panasci made Jun 27 at 2016 2:13 AM

2016-06-27T02:13:11-04:00

Use or lose leave days are your leave days at the end of the fiscal year if you have over 60 saved up you lose those days so if you have 90 leave days saved you will lose 30 days and only have 60

Response by SSG Kristopher Rigdon made Jun 27 at 2016 10:24 AM

2016-06-27T10:24:02-04:00

If you can show proof that you have put in for leave and was denied . You could end up keeping it.

There are many units who try to say you only can take leave at certain times. their is no AR supporting this. Commanders are obligated to allowing You to take and use your earned leave.
Whenever you put in for leave and the commander disapproves it ask for a letter stating why.
When you do put in leave the platoon and 1SG do not have the Authority to deny it..

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2016 1:06 PM

2016-06-28T13:06:35-04:00

Hello,

I am in AIT, I just got my first duty station said "YONGSAN", but all my battle's say "CAMP HENRY".
WIll I be going to Yongsan or am I just going to be processed there, I am not sure why everyone elses saying henry and not mine. Thank you for your help!!

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2019 5:05 PM

2019-02-19T17:05:54-05:00

Make sure you do not try to use your use or loose days at the last minute, as you unit can council you for not managing your leave properly, and may not accept SM's trying to force leave approval. I suggest September at the latest so you do not run into this problem.