How Many Vacation Days Do You Get in the Military?

By Anna Duncan

If you are considering a career in the military, one of the many questions you may have is how much vacation time you will be granted. While the military offers a variety of benefits to its servicemembers, vacation time can be scarce due to the demanding nature of the job. In this article, we will explore how much vacation time military members receive and how it is earned.

Active Duty Vacation Time

Active duty members of the military receive 30 days of paid leave per year. This works out to approximately 2.5 days per month.

However, this leave is not granted all at once but rather accumulates over time. For every month of active duty service, members earn 2.5 days of leave.

Earning Leave

Leave is earned based on the number of days that a member serves on active duty, including training and deployment time. Members can earn up to 60 days of leave per year but can only carryover 60 days from one fiscal year to the next.

Special Circumstances

In some cases, members may be granted additional leave due to special circumstances such as an illness or family emergency. If a member becomes ill or injured while on active duty, they may be placed on medical hold and granted additional time off until they are deemed fit for duty.

Family Emergency Leave is available in certain situations when a family member becomes seriously ill or dies unexpectedly. In these cases, members may be granted emergency leave for up to 10 days.

Reserve and National Guard Vacation Time

Reserve and National Guard members earn vacation time based on their status and length of service. Members who serve less than 20 years in the reserve or National Guard accumulate one day of paid leave for every drill period (typically one weekend per month).

After 20 years of service, reserve and National Guard members become eligible for retirement and receive the same vacation benefits as active duty members.

  • One Weekend per Month: One day of paid leave earned
  • Two Week Annual Training: 14 days of paid leave earned
  • Deployments: Leave is earned based on the length of deployment

In Conclusion

While military members may not receive as much vacation time as those in civilian jobs, they do have the benefit of earning leave based on their time in service. Additionally, special circumstances such as illness or family emergencies can result in extended time off when needed. Overall, the military offers a unique set of benefits and challenges that should be carefully considered before making a decision to enlist.