Special leave accrual (SLA) for deployed and non-deployed members in use or lose leave status Published Oct. 9, 2008 By Headquarters Air Force Personnel Command RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- SUSPENSE: 30 NOV 08 1. THIS MESSAGE SUPERSEDES OUR 8106 MESSAGE, DTG 071410Z SEP 07, SAME SUBJECT. 2. APPLICABILITY: THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON SPECIAL LEAVE ACCRUAL (SLA) FOR ALL ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL HAVING USE/LOSE ANNUAL LEAVE WHO WERE RECALLED FROM OR UNABLE TO TAKE LEAVE AS A RESULT OF DUTY ASSIGNMENTS IN SUPPORT OF CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS AS DEFINED BY HQ USAF. ACTIVE DUTY IS DEFINED AS ALL ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE PERSONNEL UNDER TITLE 10 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE (USC). IT ALSO INCLUDES ALL AIR NATIONAL GUARD PERSONNEL WHO WERE PERFORMING FULL-TIME TRAINING OR OTHER FULL-TIME DUTY FOR A PERIOD OF 30 DAYS OR MORE, UNDER SECTION 316, 502, 504, OR 505 OF TITLE 32, FOR WHICH THEY ARE ENTITLED TO PAY. APPLICATION PROCEDURES AS OUTLINED IN PARA 6 BELOW DO NOT APPLY TO THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD. QUALIFYING GUARDSMEN APPLYING FOR SPECIAL LEAVE ACCRUAL WILL UTILIZE PROCEDURES AS RELEASED BY NGB/A1E. 3. AUTHORITY: BY ORDER OF THE UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE, PERSONNEL AND READINESS, OFFICER AND ENLISTED PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT POLICY, ACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN RECALLED FROM OR WERE NOT AUTHORIZED ANNUAL LEAVE (INCLUDING HOME STATION PERSONNEL) AS A CONSEQUENCE OF DUTY ASSIGNMENTS IN SUPPORT OF CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED TO ACCUMULATE LEAVE IN EXCESS OF 75 DAYS AS SHOWN ON THE END-OF-MONTH SEPTEMBER LEAVE AND EARNINGS STATEMENT. THOSE SERVICE MEMBERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO RETAIN SUCH LEAVE (NOT TO EXCEED 120 DAYS) UNTIL THE END OF THE SECOND OR FOURTH FISCAL YEAR. FURTHER BREAKDOWN IS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAH 4B AND 4C. THE MAXIMUM LEAVE CARRYOVER UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES (NOT SLA) WILL DECREASE TO 60 DAYS AFTER 31 DECEMBER 2010. ALTHOUGH SLA HAS BEEN APPROVED, COMMANDERS AND SUPERVISORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EFFECTIVE LEAVE PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW MILITARY MEMBERS TO USE THEIR LEAVE IN THE YEAR THAT IT IS EARNED. ADVISORY NOTE: 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 45 DAYS SLA. THE PURPOSE OF SLA 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 TIME IS NOT A VALID REASON FOR REINSTATEMENT OF LOST LEAVE WHEN ACCRUED LEAVE COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN ITS PLACE. 4. SLA STATUTE AND OSD GUIDANCE: A. THE SITUATION PREVENTING SERVICE MEMBERS FROM USING LEAVE MUST HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A CATASTROPHE, NATIONAL EMERGENCY AND/OR CRISIS OR OPERATION IN DEFENSE OF NATIONAL SECURITY. FURTHERMORE, IT SHOULD BE A RESULT OF THE MEMBER'S INABILITY TO TAKE LEAVE OR TO REDUCE THEIR LEAVE BALANCE TO 75 DAYS BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. B. TITLE 10, USC, SECTION 701-F-1 A&B, CONTAINS A SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION THAT ALLOWS THE UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO GRANT SERVICE MEMBERS UP T0 120 DAYS LEAVE AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR PROVIDED THEY HAVE SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR A CONTINUOUS PERIOD OF AT LEAST 120 DAYS IN AN AREA IN WHICH THEY ARE ENTITLED TO SPECIAL PAY FOR DUTY SUBJECT TO HOSTILE FIRE OR IMMINENT DANGER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF DOD 7000.14-R, VOLUME 7A, CHAPTER 10. ADDITIONALLY, IN RECOGNITION OF THE IMPACT NATURAL DISASTERS HAVE ON OPERATIONS TEMPO AND A MEMBER'S ABILITY TO TAKE LEAVE, SERVICE MEMBERS WHO, ON OR AFTER 29 AUGUST 2005, WERE PERFORMING DUTIES DESIGNATED BY THE SECRETARY CONCERNED AS QUALIFYING DUTY, MAY ACCUMULATE UP TO 120 DAYS OF LEAVE. LEAVE THAT EXCEEDS 75 DAYS ACCUMULATED UNDER EITHER CONDITION IN THIS PARAGRAPH IS LOST UNLESS USED BEFORE THE END OF THE FOURTH FISCAL YEAR FOLLOWING THE FISCAL YEAR IN WHICH THE QUALIFYING SERVICE TERMINATES. C. TITLE 10, USC, SECTION 701-F-2, IS A SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION THAT ALLOWS THE UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO GRANT MEMBERS PERMISSION TO RETAIN ANY ACCUMULATED LEAVE IN EXCESS OF 75 DAYS, NOT TO EXCEED 120 DAYS, AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. THE AUTHORITY DOES NOT MANDATE DEPLOYMENT/ASSIGNMENT TO A HOSTILE FIRE/IMMINENT DANGER PAY AREA. THIS PARAGRAPH APPLIES TO ALL MEMBERS WHO LOST LEAVE DUE TO SUPPORT FOR CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS BUT THEY DID NOT DEPLOY TO A HOSTILE FIRE/IMMINENT DANGER PAY AREA. AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE HOME STATION PERSONNEL WHO LOST LEAVE DUE TO CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS OR PERSONNEL WHO DEPLOYED TO SUPPORT CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS. LEAVE THAT EXCEEDS 75 DAYS ACCUMULATED UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH IS LOST UNLESS USED BEFORE THE END OF THE SECOND FISCAL YEAR AFTER THE FISCAL YEAR IN WHICH SUCH SERVICE ON ACTIVE DUTY IS TERMINATED. 5. ELIGIBILITY (QUALIFYING OPERATIONS DEFINED): IAW TITLE 10, US CODE, SECTION 701-F-2-A&B MEMBERS WHO WERE RECALLED FROM OR NOT AUTHORIZED ANNUAL LEAVE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF DUTY ASSIGNMENTS IN SUPPORT OF A CONTINGENCY OPERATION CAUSING THEM TO LOSE LEAVE AS OF 30 SEP 08 ARE AUTHORIZED RESTORATION OF LOST LEAVE. THE ONLY QUALIFYING OPERATIONS FOR THIS SLA PERIOD ARE: ENDURING FREEDOM, NOBLE EAGLE, AND IRAQI FREEDOM. IF QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS' DEPLOYMENT ENDED IN FY08 THEY MUST USE ANY RESTORED LEAVE BY THE END OF FY2010. IF QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS' DEPLOYMENT ENDS IN FY09, THEY MUST USE ANY RESTORED LEAVE BY THE END OF FY2011. 6. PROCEDURES: A. INDIVIDUALS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH 4 AND 5 SHOULD APPLY FOR SPECIAL LEAVE ACCRUAL THROUGH COMMAND CHANNELS. MEMBERS CURRENTLY DEPLOYED WILL IDENTIFY THEMSELVES TO THEIR PERSCO TEAM. THE PERSCO TEAM WILL NOTIFY THE HOMESTATION FOR INCLUSION ON THE MASS LIST. B. MPF/S WILL CONSOLIDATE NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS APPROVED FOR SLA AND FORWARD TO THE WING/CC OR WING/CV, (OR EQUIVALENT) (O-6 OR ABOVE) FOR FINAL APPROVAL. MPF/S WILL USE THE SPREADSHEETS AND INSTRUCTIONS LOCATED AT HTTP://WWW.ASK.AFPC.RANDOLPH.AF.MIL. ONCE ON THIS WEBSITE CLICK ON MPF-PDS SUPPORT, MPF/CSS SUPPORT, WORK CENTERS, THEN CUSTOMER SERVICE. THERE ARE TWO LINKS PROVIDED FOR THE MPF/S TO USE: A 2 AND 4 YR SLA SPREADSHEET (FOR MEMBERS RETIRING PRIOR TO 1 MAR 09, SEE PARAGRAPH F BELOW). THE 2 YR WORKSHEET WILL BE USED TO RECORD THE NAMES OF PERSONNEL AUTHORIZED CARRYOVER UNDER PARA 4C ABOVE AND THE 4 YR WORKSHEET WILL BE USED TO RECORD THE NAMES OF PERSONNEL AUTHORIZED CARRYOVER UNDER PARA 4B ABOVE. C. AT JOINT ORGANIZATIONS, THE SENIOR AIR FORCE OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE ON STAFF APPROVES SLA FOR MEMBERS SERVING IN JOINT ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSIGNED TO UNITS, HEADQUARTERS, AND SUPPORT STAFF. D. AT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS (AIR STAFF, MAJCOM, FOA, DRU, ETC.), THE SENIOR OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE (O-6 AND ABOVE) AT THE DIRECTORATE LEVEL APPROVES SLA FOR MEMBERS ASSIGNED. E. MPF/S OR EQUIVALENT WILL FORWARD THE LIST OF APPROVED NAMES ALONG WITH THE APPROVAL LETTER TO HQ AFPC/DPSIMC VIA ENCRYPTED EMAIL NLT 30 NOV 08 BY EMAILING TO THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS: DPSIMC.CALENDAR@RANDOLPH.AF.MIL. ALL REQUESTS NOT MEETING THE 30 NOV 08 SUSPENSE WILL BE INDIVIDUALLY ENTERED INTO THE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS), BY THE BASE LEAVE PROGRAM MANAGER. F. REQUESTS FOR THOSE MEMBERS RETIRING OR SEPARATING PRIOR TO 1 MAR 09 WHO ANTICIPATE HAVING RESTORED LEAVE INCLUDED IN THEIR TERMINAL LEAVE REQUEST, SHOULD BE EXPEDITED THROUGH THE SERVICING MPF/S TO ENSURE THEIR LEAVE IS RESTORED PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RETIREMENT/SEPARATION. UPON OBTAINING THE REQUIRED APPROVAL, THE BASE LEAVE PROGRAM MANAGER WILL SUBMIT A CMS CASE ON EACH INDIVIDUAL. A COPY OF THE APPROVAL LETTER AND RETIREMENT ORDERS WILL ACCOMPANY EACH REQUEST. G. ANY COMMANDER IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND MAY DISAPPROVE SLA REQUESTS WITHOUT REFERRING TO A HIGHER-LEVEL AUTHORITY WHEN THE MEMBER'S REQUEST DOES NOT MEET THE CRITERIA FOR SLA CONSIDERATION. 7. POINT OF CONTACT FOR SLA USE IS AFPC/DPSIMC AT DSN 665-2591.