Selling leave

[Bobby]

I get stonewalled whenever I try to take leave and being deployed or TDY over 250 days a year doesn't leave me much time to take leave.

Dude, you mean to tell me that your unit will not let you take leave? If so, I'd be sure to enter it in leave web anyway and make your supervisor disapprove it so at least there's a paper trail when you have a glut of leave saved up in the use/lose category. Kinda tough for leadership to answer the mail on dudes losing leave, especially with a long trail of denied requests. Just my $.02.

[Herk Driver]

You can only carry over 75 days now, so if there isn't a possibility to take the leave, and you've maxed out the amount of terminal you can have (by carrying over 75 days from the last FY), why wouldn't you sell some back? You do get taxed on it though, unless you accrued some of the leave in a tax exempt zone.

What do you mean by "maxed out the amount of terminal you can have?"

There is no maximum amount of terminal leave. If you have it on the books, then you can take it, with one caveat that I know of (there may be others). For example, if you have been deployed and fall into a Special Leave accrual category, you could have additional leave above the max carryover days. To clarify, you can carryover 75 days and also earn 30 for the current fiscal year (you could also have leave carried over from SLA). A Commander can limit the amount of terminal you can take, but only to the extent that you can sell back the remaining days. In other words, you have 105 days of leave and want to take it all as terminal. Your Commander can limit you to 45 days of terminal and you would be forced to sell back the remaining 60 days (seen this one happen, but the guy had a lot of carryover and SLA leave on the books).

If you are talking losing leave then by all means sell it back if you can't take it, but usually there is a way to take leave to avoid losing it.

This all assumes that you an Airman in "good standing" since other rules apply if you are being separated for UCMJ or other admin actions.

Edited December 3, 2013 by Herk Driver

[ThreeHoler]

I get stonewalled whenever I try to take leave and being deployed or TDY over 250 days a year doesn't leave me much time to take leave. I rather sell it than lose it. But this was what I was told per the AFI: "upon reenlistment, retirement, separation under honorable conditions, or death."

So I guess I can't do it unless I seperate which won't be for a while. Unless someone knows of an exception. Seems like their should be an exception for officer since we never reenilist.

You filled out LeaveWeb and made sure your supervisor marked your leave "denied" each time you've been "stonewalled," right? Because if you haven't, then you have fucked yourself.

[ucf_motorcycle]

Leaveweb only lets you input leave 30 days out. I have on multiple occasions wanted to take trips that were further out than that when I find good deals for example skiing In Feb and when I ask if I can take it then I get told no.

I can usually take a few days here and there local leave but when I want to go out of town and plan a vacation on specific dates it never seems to work out in my favor.

You filled out LeaveWeb and made sure your supervisor marked your leave "denied" each time you've been "stonewalled," right? Because if you haven't, then you have ######ed yourself.

[ThreeHoler]

You still put it in 30 days out for denial or you don't have any proof that you were denied leave.

[ucf_motorcycle]

You still put it in 30 days out for denial or you don't have any proof that you were denied leave.

No proof. Because I would have to buy tickets further out than 30 days so I don't do it unless I get approved for the leave.

[Jaded]

Um, actually, as your commander may have made you aware, I'm sure there were plenty of opportunities to take the leave on the weekends. Remember, if you have use/lose leave it's somehow your fault!

[ucf_motorcycle]

This isn't about my opportunities to take leave on the weekends. Its about the possibility of me selling it. It seems that enlisted can sell it any time they reenlist but this is not an option for officers so I wonder if it is even possible.

[ThreeHoler]

No proof. Because I would have to buy tickets further out than 30 days so I don't do it unless I get approved for the leave.

You're a thickheaded one, aren't you? Enjoy continuing to be your commander's go-to bitch who gets all his "leave requests" denied. You're doing this to yourself. No one man is so fucking important that he can't take leave.

[Champ Kind]

You're a thickheaded one, aren't you? Enjoy continuing to be your commander's go-to bitch who gets all his "leave requests" denied. You're doing this to yourself. No one man is so fucking important that he can't take leave.

This.

[Bobby]

You're a thickheaded one, aren't you? Enjoy continuing to be your commander's go-to bitch who gets all his "leave requests" denied. You're doing this to yourself. No one man is so ######ing important that he can't take leave.

Shack...enjoy the cornholing.

[viperhog]

Need some advice:

As a reserve guy who just finished up a four year Stat Tour on Title 10 orders, I went back on AGR orders with concurrent dates (no break in service). Before leaving active duty, I of course out-processed with FM. They assured me my unused leave I had accumulated throughout my tour would transfer over since there will be no break in service. I called FM, received an email, and even stopped in and looked at DFAS to ensure my days would transfer over. Again, all seemed to be reassuring.

AFI 36-3003

4.1.4.10. Prior to the end of an active duty tour for Reserve Component (RC) personnel. However, an RC member who accumulates leave during a period of active service may carry over any leave so accumulated to the member's next period of active service, subject to the accumulation limits in section 701 of Title 10 of the United States Code, without regard to separation or release from active service if the separation or release is under honorable conditions.

Well guess what, they sold them back. Now the Reserve finance office is telling me there is a way to "buy" my days back once the reserve finance office gains me back from the active duty system. However, I need to pay gross and not net per day. In other words, after they have already taxed my days, if I want them back, I will be paying more for the days. WTF. So FM f'd up, did not follow the regs, and now if I want them back I have to pay MORE than what was paid to me. I had 25 days sold back, which was around $1400 in taxes.

Any recommendations to save $1400? My initial thoughts are just take the cash and hopefully not need any long term leave in the next few months. On the other hand, I want to fight this because it's f'd up and I have to cancel my four year overdue vaca.

Thanks Blue.

[flyjetz]

I'm not an expert on this, but finance should be able to refund your taxes paid, after you pay back the gross. I know they refund taxes when they don't start your CZTE when deployed, so I would think they should be able to do it for your situation as well. Worth the phone call at least.

If they can't do it, you will see it in the form of a tax refund when you file your taxes, as your taxes withheld will not be in proportion to your adjusted gross income. In effect, finance just gave themselves a $1400 interest free loan out of your paycheck. Bad deal all around. If you can't get this fixed, a good commander can often lean on the shoe clerks at finance to make it happen. Good luck!