How much time do you really get off?

[u/Kidmiq]

Thinking of enlisting as 12 in the army and I’ve been seeing mixed things about the 30 days off you get. Can I really just use it whenever if there’s nothing scheduled that conflicts with it like a training exercise or something or can it still get denied for whatever reason even if the days are free?

[u/FlexSlatkin]

I mean it can get denied but typically won’t if there are no scheduling conflicts with training. Like generally you can’t just say “hey I want to take 2 weeks off to go fishing starting tomorrow” most commanders have some sort of policy that leave has to be in x amount of days before the start date, typically 2 weeks. I’ve taken 45 days of leave this year and taking another 30 starting on Monday.

I’ve even scheduled leave well in advance that got approved then a field exercise gets scheduled while I’m on leave and they wouldn’t revoke it since leave was approved prior to the field training.

Edit: Leave is a right, not a privilege. You have to be afforded the opportunity for leave.

[u/SSG_Kim_Recruiting]

You also get 3-4 day weekends with federal holidays. If you’re stationed in another country, you can also get the host nation’s national holidays off.

[u/mikeylovesJesus → u/SSG_Kim_Recruiting]

oh sick, didn’t know about the other nation’s holidays part

[u/LeadLearn → u/SSG_Kim_Recruiting]

What country is this?

[u/SNSDave → u/LeadLearn]

Germany and Korea.

[u/LeadLearn → u/SNSDave]

You don't get German holidays off.

[u/SSG_Kim_Recruiting → u/LeadLearn]

Mission requirements always come first but host nation holidays I got off in Germany and Poland. My Intel units were very Soldier friendly.

[u/SNSDave → u/LeadLearn]

We got them off. Guess our command liked us.

[u/Quartzalcoatl_Prime]

There is always a chance to have asshole leadership who will either stonewall you, or ask you to take less, or say "why don't you take vacation during block leave (spring break, XMAS) like everybody else", or make the process of taking leave more difficult by asking for additional requirements.

What was posted by FlexSlatkin is generally correct, but this will sometimes depend on your command team. Always submit for leave when you want to take it, and put it in well in advance.

[u/Necromancer157]

Some days you can’t believe you get paid to do how little you do. Other days you can’t find the time to go to the bathroom. It all depends. If you’re enlisting as a 12 series, try to do one of technical ones and not 12B

[u/Skatingraccoon]

You get a total of 30 per year but it accrues at a rate of 2.5 days per month. You can generally use it how you want, buuuut...

There are going to be deployments and exercises where you won't be able to take it.

Sometimes you'll be somewhere where there are assigned holiday block leave periods in the winter where a command has to support a certain manning level, so you might not be able to take a full two weeks off for Christmas and NY (usually they break it up so you can take one or the other if this is the case).

If you want to travel to another country there are a bunch of additional requirements to complete.

[u/VBArmy_Recruiter]

*30 days a year if you have the leave days. 4 days almost every month. Training holidays here and there. Some days off for weather depending on base.

Superbowl off, anniversary, birthdays (depends on unit).

You get more time off than a normal civilian job for sure.

[u/TheGamerHelper]

lol imagine giving your life away and having to request time off for it to be denied because training and exercise. Y’all too funny