Time away from duties and training is critical for the continued well-being of soldiers. The Army provides a number of benefits to provide soldiers opportunities for time away from their jobs.
EligibilityArmy Reserve Soldiers serving on active duty or initial active duty for training, or active duty training for a period of 30 or more consecutive days for which they are entitled to pay, are eligible to participate in the various leave programs.
Benefit HighlightsThe following sections summarize various types of absence available for active duty soldiers. As with any job, mission requirements, duty assignment or training requirements may require soldiers to work on certain holidays and weekends. These requirements may also impact the scheduling of annual leave.
Annual Leave: Active duty soldiers earn 2.5 days of annual (chargeable) leave for each month of service, for a total of 30 days per year. Currently, soldiers can bank up to 60 days of leave at the end of the fiscal year. Any additional days above 60 days are forfeited at the beginning of the next fiscal year (October 1). Each soldier has an individual responsibility to monitor and manage their leave. Current leave balances are recorded on the Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) which can be viewed at myPay.
Special Leave Accrual:
Leave Sell Back: Enlisted personnel with more than 120 days of leave accrued may, on a one-time basis, sell back up to 30 days of leave in excess of the 120-day limit. Such leave sell back counts against the 60-days active duty Soldiers may sell during their military career.
Bereavement Leave: Directive-type Memorandum 23-003 –"Bereavement Leave for Service Members" implements the policy and procedures for the administration of bereavement leave for service members across the Department of Defense. The leave benefit was authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022.
In accordance with Section 701(l) of Title 10, U.S.C., a service member who experiences such a loss will be allowed up to 14 days of leave to be used in connection with the death of a spouse or child. A member with less than 30 days of accrued ordinary leave may be authorized bereavement leave for this purpose. Authority to grant bereavement leave will be extended to unit commanders.
Implementation Bereavement Leave:
Eligibility for Bereavement Leave: