If you’ve got months of leave stockpiled, you might want to start planning a few vacations.
Since 2008, all airmen have been able to carry up to 75 days of leave into the next fiscal year, instead of the usual 60. But that benefit ends Oct. 1. in October. When fiscal 2015 ends, most airmen with more than 60 days of leave will lose those extra days.
And the Air Force is advising airmen to start preparing now to use or lose their leave — even if they aren’t currently at the limit.
“Airmen need to be aware of the change so that they can plan leave accordingly and ensure their leave balance is 60 days or fewer by the end of the fiscal year,” 1st Lt. Nate Strickland, Air Force Personnel Center special programs branch chief, said in a Thursday release. “Even if you don’t have more than 60 days now, by Sept. 30, you may accrue enough leave time to be over the limit.”
Some airmen who are approved for special leave accrual will be exempted from the tighter use-or-lose rules. That special permission will only be granted to airmen who can’t use their leave because of national emergency crisis, catastrophe or national security situations.
Active Guard Reserve airmen and sSome reservists will also be subject to the new leave limits.
“All reserve members accrue leave when they are on active duty orders for 30 days or longer,” AFPC spokeswoman Lt. Col. Belinda Peterson said in the release. “And Active Guard Reserve ??mh//sl fixedmembers [reservists who are serving a four-year active-duty tour] accrue leave the same way regular Air Force members do, so the extension expiration will affect them. If you aren’t sure whether or not you’re affected, you should talk to your supervisor or contact your military personnel section for information.”
The Pentagon enacted the 75-day leave carryover policy in 2008 to help ease stress due to the high operations tempo, which was causing service members to lose leave. It was due to expire at the end of fiscal 2013, but the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act extended it another two years.
