Members of the US Military Reserve
SERVING ON ACTIVE DUTY OR ACTIVE DUTY TRAINING
are eligible to participate in the various leave programs.
MILITARY LEAVE: WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT WORKS
As part of the military pay and benefits package, military service members earn 30 days of paid leave per year. You start at zero and for every month of military service, 2.5 days of leave get added to your leave account. It doesn’t stop, but the most you can carry over from one fiscal year to the next fiscal year is 60 days, except in certain, very limited situations where you can carry over more.
How to request leave
Every command will have their own procedures for requesting leave. It may involve a paper or electronic leave request form, sometimes called a “leave chit.” The command will then approve or deny the leave request.
The service member must be sure to notify the command when beginning their approved leave, often called “checking out” on leave, and when returning from leave, “checking in.” The policies and procedures for checking out and checking in vary between commands and may include being physically present, telephonic or electronic notification.