S1NET Special Message - Extension of COVID Extended Special Leave Accrual (SLA) Authority

1. The Secretary of the Army approved Special Leave Accrual (SLA) for FY21. Soldiers that perform active service (as defined in Title 10, United States Code, Section 701(a)) during FY21 are authorized SLA as shown on their end of month September 2021 Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) (up to 120 days). Leave earned after 30 September 2021, will not be protected by SLA and will be lost if not used during the FY it was earned.

2. ALARACT 061/2021– Extension of COVID Extended Special Leave Accrual Authority (CUI), DTG: R 222231Z JUL 21, posted at the following link, provides personnel guidance to the Army’s Extended Special Leave Accrual (SLA) through FY21. SLA leave balances for eligible Soldiers will be retained until the end of FY24 (30 September 2024). All other SLA stipulations and conditions in AR 600-8-10 remain in place. HRC will publish a MILPER message to provide guidance to commanders and other Army leaders regarding SLA extension due to COVID, as it will affect Soldiers on 1 October 2021, which is the beginning of FY 2022. https://www.milsuite.mil/book/docs/DOC-1023834

3. After the release of the SLA in connection with COVID-19 in FY20, there was a spike in Soldier requests for canceling leave after the leave was processed. DFAS and HQDA DCS, G-1 are monitoring leave usage and will direct investigations as necessary to identify incidents of fraudulent claims of correcting chargeable leave and/or fraudulent leave reconciliation.

4. The Army G-1 Compensation and Entitlements Division has provided an information sheet, posted at the following link, that provides examples for Soldiers to use in estimating their use/lose leave.  Leave accountability is based on a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) system. The imbedded examples in this information sheet illustrate LIFO and the need for Soldiers to carefully track their Regular Leave (green), SLA (orange), and Use or Lose Leave (blue and white striped). https://www.milsuite.mil/book/docs/DOC-1023836

Categories: S1NET Message