New Orleans -- Marine administrative message 266/15 establishes the policy for Reserve Component leave accumulation in accordance with changes to the Department of Defense Instruction 1327.06 Leave and Liberty Policy and Procedures, and Title 10 of the United States Code, Section 701 Military Personnel Leave Entitlement and Accumulation.
Leave accrual and carryover is a privilege for the total force. Reserve Component Marines are authorized to carry over leave earned during a period of active duty to a future period of active duty.
Upon honorable release from a period of active duty in support of a contingency for any period of time, or from a period of non-contingency active duty of 31 to 365 days, a Reserve Marine may elect to sell earned leave back as a lump sum leave or carry over unused leave to a future period of active duty. If leave is earned during a period of less than 31 days, lump sum leave will count against the 60 day service limit referenced in U.S.C. 10
Reserve Marines who elect to carry their unused leave balance forward must sign a statement upon separation from a period of active duty. Any Reserve Marine honorably separating from a period of active duty who does not specifically elect in writing to carry their remaining leave balance over to a future period of active duty will automatically have their leave balance sold as lump sum leave. If any Reserve Marine elects to carry a remaining leave balance over to a future period of active duty and is indebted to the government, the finance office will sell the appropriate number of whole days of leave to cover the debt. The remaining balance will be carried over.
Leave granting authorities across the total force shall encourage and assist all Marines to use their entire 30 days of leave each year. Reserve Marines are encouraged to use their leave in active duty period in which it is earned. The use of the leave system as an extra money program, either as a method of compensation or as a career continuation incentive, defeats the intent of Congress to provide for the health and welfare of service members. It is specifically intended that large leave balances should not be accumulated expressly for settlement upon separation or release from active duty.
For more information, see MARADMIN 266/15.