Changes affect use-or-lose leave for military Published March 16, 2015 By Senior Airman Holly Mansfield 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Military members who have stockpiled more than 60 leave days must use those days before the end of the fiscal year, under a new Defense Department leave days policy. "Since October 2008, high operations tempos within the military drove the implementation of a temporary leave carryover extension provision that allowed military members to carry-over 75 days of leave to the next fiscal year without incurring a loss," said Michele Tomczak, Air Education and Training Command military pay policy and programs manager." With the new maximum, military members will have to use any excess days they may have before the end of this fiscal year. "If you have more than 60 days, it is now considered use-or-lose leave," said Senior Airman Jonathan Lyew-ayee, 81st Comptroller Squadron customer service technician. If you haven't used those extra leave days by Oct. 1, 2015, you will lose them." Use of the carry-over leave days can't overlap into the new fiscal year. "If you take leave to get back down to 60 days, but your leave overlaps into the new fiscal year, you will still lose the days that overlapped and will be charged the days out of the 60 you still have," Lyew-ayee explained. "If you have any use-or-lose leave days, you definitely want to use them before Oct. 1 because you can't get those days back." For military members who currently have more than 60 days of leave, but are unable to use the extra days due to deployment or temporary duty assignment, they may apply for a special leave accrual. "The special leave accrual is there for those who have use-or-lose leave but aren't able to take leave due to a catastrophic event, TDY r or deployment," said Lyew-ayee. "They can apply for it through their military personnel section. Approval is at your commander's discretion. The commander will ask why leave wasn't taken and then decide. The accrual is there to use to carry over leave, but it's not guaranteed." Members approved for the special leave accrual have the entire next fiscal year to use it, but are encouraged to use it as soon as possible. For information and forms for special leave accrual requests, call the MPS, 376-8347.