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Special Leave Accrual for deployed and non-deployed members in Use or Lose status

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FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  The purpose of Special Leave Accrual is to prevent members from losing accrued leave if they are unable to take normal leave due to significant and unforeseen operational mission requirements. Members are ineligible for special leave accrual consideration if they returned from deployment and had the opportunity to use leave but failed to do so. Post Deployment Recovery Down Time is not a valid reason for reinstatement of lost leave when accrued leave could have been taken in its place. 

Per National Defense authorization Act of 2008 and memorandum from office of the Under Secretary of defense, leave in excess of 75 days at fiscal year-end balancing is lost unless eligible for up to 120 days of SLA. 

ELIGIBILITY 

Active-duty members who were recalled from or were not authorized annual leave (including home station personnel) as a consequence of duty assigned in support of contingency operations (Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle, or Iraqi Freedom) causing them to lose leave as of Sept. 30 are authorized restoration of lost leave as follows: 

a. Home station personnel who lost leave due to support of contingency operations are granted permission to retain any accumulated leave in excess of 75 days but not to exceed 120 days at the end of the fiscal year. Leave in excess of 75 days must be used before the end of second fiscal year after the fiscal year in which such service on active duty is terminated. Qualified members whose deployment ended in FY08 must use any restored leave by the end of FY2010 and members whose deployment ended in FY09 must use any restored leave by the end of FY2011. 

b. Personnel who deployed in support of contingency operations but did not deploy to a hostile/imminent danger area are granted permission to retain any accumulated leave in excess of 75 days but not to exceed 120 days at the end of the fiscal year. Leave in excess of 75 days must be used before the end of second fiscal year after the fiscal year in which such service on active duty is terminated. Qualified members whose deployment ended in FY08 must use any restored leave by the end of FY2010 and members whose deployment ended in FY09 must use any restored leave by the end of FY2011. 

c. Personnel who deployed in support of contingency operations, served on active duty for a continuous period of at least 120 days, and was deployed to a hostile fire/imminent danger area are granted permission to retain any accumulated leave in excess of 75 days but not to exceed 120 days at the end of the fiscal year. Additionally, in recognition of the impact natural disaster have on operations tempo and a member's ability to take leave, service members who on or after August 29, 2005 were performing duties designated by the secretary concerned as qualifying duty, may accumulate up to 120 days of leave. In either condition, leave in excess of 75 days must be used before the end of fourth fiscal year after the fiscal year in which such service on active duty is terminated. 

PROCEDURES

Eligible members should prepare official memorandum justifying restoration of leave lost in excess of 75 days through their chain of command. The memo, at a minimum, must include the following pertinent information: name (last, first, middle initial), rank, social security number, unit of assignment, number of days request for restoration, and reason for restoration. Any commander in the chain of command may disapprove SLA request without referring to a higher-level authority when the member's request does not meet the criteria for SLA consideration. 

Forward the approved/signed memo to Military Personnel Flight Customer Service, Building 2245, Room 225A to Tech. Sgt. William Whetton or Staff Sgt. Mario Leon Guerrero no later than Nov. 7. The MPF will then consolidate names of individuals approved for SLA and forward to the wing commander or wing vice commander (0-6 equivilent or above) for final approval. 

Requests for those members retiring or separating prior to March 1, 2009, who anticipate having restored leave included in their terminal leave request, should provide MPF Customer Service a copy of the approved SLA letter and retirement orders as soon as possible so that the request can be expedited to ensure leave is restored prior to the effective day of retirement/separation. 

If you have any questions, contact MPF Customer Service at 247-3612. 

Ref: AFI 36-3003 - Military Leave Program