What? My leave gets taken away?

[fc2spyguy]

Ok, question here and looking for verification from someone who has already gone through the process.

I heard that when we get comissioned that any leave we have on the books goes poof! Now, that doesn't really bother me except for the fact that I had 45 days that I would have sold prior to getting here had I known that. Does anyone know if in fact this is true? Not like I'll be using much the next three years but hey, that's about 4k that I could have sold.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

I can't give you a straight answer but it makes sense. When you get commissioned, you'll actually be discharged first, so the system probably doesn't let you transfer it over. I'm sure you can still sell it if you wanted to. And even if you don't you'll still have opportunities during school breaks to take leave.

 

[gaijin6423]

The Marine Corps (or maybe just the admin guys who didn't feel like doing any extra paperwork) forced me to sell the leave I had on the books when discharged to attend the boat school. They muttered something about having to have a zero leave balance upon discharge. As to whether or not that was advisable, correct, or even legal... Well, that's anyone's guess. I was much younger and even more inexperienced than I am now. I did have a pretty *****in' party w/ the cash, though...

 

[fc2spyguy]

http://www.defenselink.mil/comptroller/fmr/07a/07a35.pdf
Ok, if I'm looking at this right (section 3501) then I should be able to sell the leave back prior to being comissioned.

There is a section that says I can't sell the leave if it is required to carry forward after the discharge. Now, if the leave counter resets to zero then that wouldn't be the case. Am I reading this right or is there something else that comes into play?

 

[Brett327]

When you get commissioned, you'll actually be discharged first, so the system probably doesn't let you transfer it over. I'm sure you can still sell it if you wanted to. And even if you don't you'll still have opportunities during school breaks to take leave.

By that logic, you couldn't carry over leave when you reenlist, where you are also discharged. The only time you can sell back leave is upon reenlistment. When I went through OCS, I had a leave balance and it carried over after commissioning. It should not be an issue for any of you priors.

Brett

 

[Steve Wilkins]

By that logic, you couldn't carry over leave when you reenlist, where you are also discharged. The only time you can sell back leave is upon reenlistment. When I went through OCS, I had a leave balance and it carried over after commissioning. It should not be an issue for any of you priors.

Brett

Yes and no on the discharge when you reenlist. Unlike with each successive reenlistment, when you are commissioned, you receive a DD214 (providing you are enlisted at time of commissioning). Hey, like I said, I don't know one way or another and want to make that clear to all (in keeping with my no bad gouge philosophy :icon_smil ). My point is, I can see the logic if it happens to be the case where the leave wouldn't carry over.

My advice: check with the professionals at PSD and then check with other professionals at other PSD's to see if the answer you get is consistent.

 

[Crowbar]

For MECEP, my leave carried over. I had 83 days on the books when I finished TBS.

 

[Brett327]

Yes and no on the discharge when you reenlist. Unlike with each successive reenlistment, when you are commissioned, you receive a DD214 (providing you are enlisted at time of commissioning). Hey, like I said, I don't know one way or another and want to make that clear to all (in keeping with my no bad gouge philosophy :icon_smil ). My point is, I can see the logic if it happens to be the case where the leave wouldn't carry over.

My advice: check with the professionals at PSD and then check with other professionals at other PSD's to see if the answer you get is consistent.

As far as DFAS is concerned, you're not discharged, because you continue to get paid. Anyway, I've never looked at any instructions, but my own experience has been stated.

Brett

 

[Sabre170]

When I was in OCS (Navy OCS) there were several guys who were BDCP and have been for the last couple years. Several of them had more than 50 days of leave on the books when we graduated and they got to use it if they wanted to.
If you are not up to speed on BDCP, it is a college program that gives you all the rights and privledges of an enlisted guy... for Tech majors you start out as an E-6 and if you make deans list or help recruite someone else for the program you get promoted to E-7. We had one E7 in my OCS class, most others were E-6. I don't know of any of them losing leave.

That could be because BDCP was a commissioning program, I don't know.

 

[Ex Rigger]

For the record, I'm getting commissioned on August 12 and I've already filled out all the dd214 crap. I have 82 days on the books right now and it will stay with me when I get commissioned. However, come Oct. I'll have to use some or I'll lose it when they bump me down to 60. I am planning on taking 30 days leave after commissioning and before IFS. Hopefully, I'll have time....however, I get commissioned in 3 weeks and I don't have orders yet.

 

[makana]

I was STA (pre-STA-21) commissioned in May 2003. On my May 2003 LES, I was an E-6 with 48 days and on my June 2003 LES, I was O-1E with 50.5 days. Don't worry about it; it all carries over. You have earned the leave, regardless if you are discharged with a DD214. Unless they changed that with STA-21 too, you shouldn't have to sell it back (if you even could).

 

[Scamahmrd]

I graduated in Dec '04 and kept my 60 days. Don't sweat it, they'll let you keep it. As far as selling it back, I tried but was told that I was not allowed to. I'm not sure why, but like I said, it all carried over.

 

[fc2spyguy]

good deal, thanks for all the info

 

[SteveG75]

My advice: check with the professionals at PSD and then check with other professionals at other PSD's to see if the answer you get is consistent.

Steve,

That may rank as one of the funniest things I have ever read here. After all, it assumes that there ARE professionals at PSD.

 

[av80r1976]

I'll piggy back on those two cents. You can sell leave while you were enlisted at any time up to 60 days per career. Most people opt to sell the max days (60) while they transistion to the commissioned side of the house. As an officer you can sell leave days back, but only at the end of your career, so instead of taking terminal leave you can get paid for 60 days minus taxes. All other leave transfers over with when you get commissioned.