Leave Carryover

Leave Carryover

 - Leave can be transferred to an AGR/VPLAD tour with no break in service.

- Leave can be transferred between long tour MPA/RPA Orders. “Long tours” are orders that are longer than 30 days.

- If you are performing back-to-back orders with no break, this process may not be necessary. It depends on what order you are transferring leave from.
 IDTs/UTAs/AT Status’ are not eligible for use of leave
 

- Leave cannot be carried over to an EAD Program. An EAD (extended active duty) program is considered a RegAF program and leave carryover over into a different component is prohibited.

- Review the Air Force Reserve Command Leave Carryover Program Policy Guidance Phase II 

-When you start a new long tour that is not back-to-back, your leave balance on your LES will restart at zero. The LES is only tracking the leave you are earning on your current set of long tour orders. Without intervention, via a carryover package, the old leave that you earned on an old tour stays with that old tour. You then have two options: Sell back (if you haven't hit your 60-day sell back cap) or carry it over.

- If you are transferring from AGR to IMA, your leave carry over will need to be initiated with the active-duty FM shop that supported your AGR Unit and/or tour. They will need to create a CMS case with a member’s signed AF 1089, LeaveWeb balance, and SOU signed by the IMA unit CoC and Commander. 

Carryover Submission – In order to submit a leave carryover package, the member is required to submit a separate MyFSS case for each Leave Master Record (LMR) the member is requesting to move leave from.
 
Knowledge Article - Headquarters RIO > Pay > Leave Carryover (af.mil)
 
The processing time for leave carryovers is 30 to 45 days.
 
Required Documents – The following documents are required to process a leave carryover request. Examples of the forms required are provided in the Knowledge Article linked above.

  • All pages of your closed out order to include any modifications. Closed out orders must have blocks 36 through 44 completed. Additionally, they must be signed and dated after you have completed your tour
  • AF Form 1089 completed and signed. Section IV must include your order end date, order number (block 32 of your AF Form 938, page 1), and the requested number of days being carried forward. 
  • Leave Carryover Statement of Understanding signed and approved by your gaining Chain of Command.
  • All pages of your pre-certified order to include any modifications. Pre-certified orders must have blocks 36a-b and 38 through 44 completed. Additionally, they must be signed and dated at the beginning of your tour.
  • Your pre-certified order must include a leave carryover statement (not applicable to a member starting an AGR tour). If the order does not have this leave carryover statement, a modification will need to be provided with the leave carryover statement.
    • Example of leave carryover statement: “Member is approved to use XX days of leave carryover on this tour.”
  • Any part Is and part IIIs for leave taken during applicable tour and any outstanding part Is and IIIs as requested. 
Common Mistakes That Can Increase Processing Time:
  • Missing documents
  • Missing signatures
  • Missing leave carryover statement in pre-certified order
  • Closed- out orders provided not signed and dated at the end of the tour.

Step-by-step instructions:

Stage 1:

  1. The member may need to verify their ending balance from the previous tour/order. This can be done using a MyFSS ticket to the RPO to verify their leave balance in DJMS, and to ensure all Leave Part 1’s and Part 3’s have been turned in from the previous tour/order.
  1. The Statement of Understanding (SOU) is then reviewed and approved through the member’s gaining supervisor, and the gaining commander. The Statement of Understanding (SOU) is approved or denied at the commander’s discretion.
  1. The member provides the approved Statement of Understanding (SOU) to the M4S Manager / Orders Writing Cell (OWC) via a MyFSS ticket. The Statement of Understanding (SOU) is used to prep the next order.
  • The new order MUST have the carryover statement within the new order.
  • Carryover statement: “Member is approved to use XX days of leave carryover on this tour. If order is modified to accommodate leave carryover, then member is expected to use all leave, both approved carryover and accrued leave, within the order.”
  • If you’re an IMA and carrying leave to an AGR tour, you do not need the carryover statement in your AGR order.
Stage 2:
  1. When the member performs their first day of work, they must get their order pre-certified. (Complete AF938 Blocks 36A & B-44.)
  1. The member then turns in the pre-certified order to the active pay team via MyFSS ticket.
  1. Once the active pay team inputs the member’s order length and processes them in the pay system, the new order will populate in our leave system in approximately 5-10 business days AFTER the initial input.
  1. The carryover over process cannot begin until our RPO leave technicians see the new order in the leave system. The RPO technician will verify the initial Order length and all the supporting docs:
  • AF1089
  • Certified old order
  • Pre-Cert New order with Carryover statement
  • SOU
  • If needed: any old part 1s/3s to close out previously taken leave
 
  1. This process can take up to 60 business days, depending on if the correct documents have been turned in to the leave team.
  2. The carryover actions should begin at least a month prior to the new order expected start date.
 7. Actually Carryover processing cannot start until the new order (where the leave is being carried to) begins. ​


Keep in mind:
Orders will not be extended for the sole purpose of taking leave carryover. However, with the gaining commander’s approval of a leave carryover request, the leave carryover days will be “built into the orders” upfront and prior to orders initial publication, as part of the “tour length.” Once the orders are published, the orders cannot be amended after the fact to extend the order for the sole purpose of taking leave/leave carryover days.

Finally:
Once you have the Leave Carryover Statement of Understanding and the authorization published in the order, you can submit the pre-certified order in myFSS to begin your bi-monthly pay. Keep in mind that the RPO and DFAS have to still process the carryover paperwork which means it may take much longer for that carried-over leave to show on your LES. 

Helpful Links Document Link

Pay Navigation

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Information is current as of July 22, 2024

Reserve Pay Office:
Long Tours: July 12, 2024
Welcome Packages: July 18, 2024
Leave Part 1: July 8, 2024


Due to a surge in IMA orders, you can expect a longer than usual wait for pay submissions via myFSS.  If you haven't received a response to your request in 30 business days, please contact your detachment to have your case elevated. 

Average processing times once the ticket begins being worked by a technician:

- Leave Carry Over: 45-60 days to complete (sent to DFAS for processing)
- Leave Sell: 15-25 days to process/produce LES, depending on type of leave sell request
- Short/Long Tours: 5 business days to process; 8-9 business days to produce LES
- Accessions: 10 business days to process; If sent to DFAS it will take 15 days to process
- OCONUS entitlements: 12 business days to process; 12-15 business days to produce LES
- Pay Inquiries, including dates that are more than 11 months back: 60 business days
Order-Based Pay
- Getting paid for orders for 29 or fewer days
- Starting pay for orders of 30 or more days

Special Pay

Defense Finance and Accounting Service Special and Incentive Pays
- Basic Allowance for Housing
- Overseas Housing Allowance
- Family Separation Allowance
- Bonuses
- Cost of Living Adjustment
- Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay
- Incentive Pay

Establishing a Pay File
- Establishing a Pay File
- Direct Deposit
- Thrift Savings Plan

IDT Pay
- IDT Basic Pay
- IDT Travel Pay
- UTAPS

Contingency Pay Guidance

In order to receive entitlements authorized for a contingency area, please complete a DD 1351-2 listing your itinerary from the date you departed the states to present day. Please ensure yourself and your supervisor sign the DD 1351-2. Also submit a copy of your certified 938 and 1610 or CED order that shows which contingency area you are located.
DD 1351-2

Leave
- Leave Requests
  • NOTE: RIO RPO WILL NOT ISSUE A NEW LAN UNTIL ALL PREVIOUS PART 3’S HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO THE RESERVE PAY OFFICE
Leave Sellback
Retirement (Career Management retirement page)
For concerns regarding Reserve Pay, contact your detachment for assistance. contact the Total Force Service Center at DSN: 665-0102 or Comm: 800-525-0102 or  You can also submit a query ticket through myFSS.

myFSS Submission Links

Choose from the links below to submit your reserve pay request. No travel requests are to be submitted here.

IMA RPO Requests - BAH AF Form 594, BAH Waiver, COLA, Clothing/Uniform Allowance, IMA RPO Welcome Packages, Misc. inquiries
Leave Request - AF Form 988 Part 1, AF Form 988 Part 3, Leave Carryover, Leave Sell Back, Other leave inquiries
- Short Tour Request - Mandatory use of the AROWS-R Tour of Duty Certification for orders of 30 or fewer days began 1 Dec 20. For instructions, go to the TODC Quick Guide.
Long Tour Request - MPA/RPA Orders greater than 31 days, Pre-certified & Close-out CONUS/OCONUS orders, Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA), Move in Housing Allowance (MIHA), Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA)

Pay-Related Links:​
myPay - Official site for Leave and Earning Statements, tax withholdings, travel voucher advice of payments, etc. 
Bonds at Treasury Direct - Official site for U.S. Savings Bonds, as well as a bond calculator
DFAS - Defense Finance & Accounting Service - Pay Tables and much more
Military Compensation - DoD information about basic military compensation and benefits information about basic military compensation and benefits
AFMAN 65-116 Vol 1 Financial Management – Manual of Finance Guidance

Mailing Address:
HQ RIO/IRO
Attn: Reserve Pay Office
18420 E. Silver Creek Ave.
Bldg. 390, MS68
Buckley AFB, CO 80011
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