Marines Who Lost Leave on October 1 Can Get It Back: MARADMIN 545/26 Resumes Special Leave Accrual
Headquarters Marine Corps lifted the July suspension of Special Leave Accrual on November 3, 2026. Marines who deployed with a designated unit for more than 60 consecutive days, served 120 days in a hostile fire or imminent danger area, or supported Operation EPIC FURY can have up to 30 days restored above the 60-day cap. Here is who qualifies, what the package needs, when the days expire, and what they are worth by rank.
The bottom line up front
- 1.MARADMIN 545/26 (November 3, 2026) rescinds the July 28 suspension of Special Leave Accrual approvals, effective on release.
- 2.Three FY26 categories qualify: support to Operation EPIC FURY; assignment or TAD attachment to a designated ship or mobile unit that operated away from homeport for more than 60 consecutive days; and 120 consecutive days in a hostile fire or imminent danger pay area. "Other qualifying duty" is closed.
- 3.Approved SLA restores up to 30 days above the 60-day cap, for a balance of up to 90 days; the days expire at the end of the second fiscal year, October 1, 2028 for FY26 approvals in the message's example.
- 4.At 2026 basic pay, 27 restored days are worth $2,713.50 for an E-3 over 2 and $10,252.17 for an O-5 over 16; 30 days are worth one month of basic pay at any grade.
- 5.The first Marine general officer in the administrative chain approves, with no delegation; the package is an Administrative Action Form, proof of attachment and a commanding officer endorsement, and the official unit list is the signed document on the MPO page, not the message.
MARADMIN 545/26, released November 3, 2026 (R 031900Z NOV 26), rescinds the suspension of Special Leave Accrual approvals that MARADMIN 341/26 imposed on July 28, "effective immediately upon the release of this MARADMIN." A Marine who was in one of three categories during fiscal year 2026 can now ask the first Marine general officer in the administrative chain to restore leave lost at the end of September, up to 30 days above the statutory 60-day limit. The policy, the cap and the paperwork are settled. Whether any one unit is on the designated list is not printed in the message; it points to a signed one-page document on the Manpower Military Policy page.
What this message does and does not do
SLA is "an exceptional authority" that "must not be used to salvage leave lost due to a Marine's failure to properly manage their accrued leave balances." Approval is a general officer's decision on an endorsed package, not an automatic credit. The "other qualifying duty" category stays closed: SECNAV "has not designated any," and packages citing it "will be returned without action." Pay figures below are 2026 basic pay; verify yours with your admin section and finance.
Why approvals stopped in July
MARADMIN 341/26 found that three of the four qualifying duties in MARADMIN 188/25 needed a formal Secretary of the Navy designation before a general officer could approve anything, and suspended them; only the hostile fire and imminent danger category kept running. ALNAV 056/26 of September 14, 2026 supplied the designations and delegated the unit list to the Commandant. MARADMIN 545/26 carries that out.
The three FY26 categories
| Category in MARADMIN 545/26 | What it takes | Where the rule comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Operation EPIC FURY (par. 4.b.1) | Deployed in support of the operation, which the Pentagon fact sheet says launched at 1:15 a.m. on February 28, 2026 | ALNAV 056/26 par. 1; DoWI 1327.06 par. 3.8.d |
| Designated ships and mobile units (par. 4.b.2) | Assigned or attached under deployment orders to a unit on the FY26 list that "deployed or operated away from homeport or PDS for more than 60 consecutive days" | ALNAV 056/26 par. 2; the signed FY26 list on the MPO page |
| Hostile fire or imminent danger area (par. 4.b.3) | Serving "for at least 120 consecutive days" in a location designated for HFP or IDP | MARADMIN 188/25 par. 6.a, carried through 341/26 |
| Other qualifying duty (par. 4.c) | Closed. SECNAV has made no designation; packages are returned without action | MARADMIN 545/26 par. 4.c.1 to 4.c.3 |
The EPIC FURY category is a fiscal-year-2026 item. Paragraph 4.d keeps the rest of paragraph 4 in effect "for future fiscal years until otherwise modified or canceled," and paragraph 8.b promises future unit lists "60 days prior to the closeout of the FY," so next year's packages can route before October 1.
Paragraph 3 defines a "deployable ship or mobile unit" broadly: any commissioned naval vessel, Fleet Marine Force operational unit, or task-organized formation whose mission takes it away from its permanent duty station or homeport. It names MEUs, Amphibious Ready Group elements, SPMAGTFs and provisional units formed under an execute order, and a Marine "temporarily attached via Temporary Additional Duty under formal deployment orders" is covered for the length of the attachment. The definition is not the list. Paragraph 5 says the official FY26 SLA Designated Units List is "published and maintained" on the MPO section of the Manpower and Reserve Affairs website, and that page now links a document titled "FY26 SLA Designated Mobile Ships and Units," signed November 2, 2026. Check your unit against that document.
The cap, the expiration and the sell-back rule
Approved SLA lets a Marine "carry over a maximum of 30 days beyond the statutory 60-day leave limit," a balance of up to 90 days. The 90-day figure matches ALNAV 056/26 and DoWI 1327.06, which cut the former 120-day total to 90 and ended the transition period on September 30, 2026. The days do not last forever. Paragraph 6.c.1 says SLA "expires at the conclusion of the second FY for which the SLA is approved," and the message works its own example: a Marine who lost 27 days on October 1, 2026, had the balance restored to 87 on October 30, and holds those days "until 1 October 2028."
Leave is charged last in, first out under MCO 1050.3J, so restored SLA days are charged "only after current FY leave has been fully exhausted." A Marine who takes 20 days in December 2026 is spending FY27 accrual, not the restored days, which keep moving toward their 2028 expiration.
Selling the days is a narrow door. DoD FMR Volume 7A, Chapter 35, paragraph 2.1.1.3 lets an enlisted member who qualifies for SLA and "would lose accumulated leave in excess of 90 days" be paid for up to 30 days of the excess, once in a career, and the payment "does apply against the 60 days of leave paid during a career." The authority is 37 U.S.C. 501(b)(6); MARADMIN 188/25 says plainly that "this option does not apply to officers." A Marine whose restored balance stays at or under 90 days has nothing to sell under that paragraph. For most Marines, restored SLA is leave to take, including as terminal leave, which the leave calculator can schedule against a separation date.
What 27 restored days are worth, by rank
DoD values leave at basic pay only (FMR Volume 7A, Chapter 35, paragraph 2.2.1.1), and a day is one-thirtieth of the monthly rate (Chapter 1, paragraph 3.2.3). The table prices the message's own 27-day example and the 30-day maximum at 2026 basic pay from our DFAS table.
Grade and years of service
| Grade and years of service | 2026 monthly basic pay | One day of leave | 27 days restored | 30 days, the SLA maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-3 over 2 | $3,015.00 | $100.50 | $2,713.50 | $3,015.00 |
| E-5 over 6 | $4,110.00 | $137.00 | $3,699.00 | $4,110.00 |
| E-6 over 10 | $4,759.50 | $158.65 | $4,283.55 | $4,759.50 |
| E-7 over 12 | $5,591.70 | $186.39 | $5,032.53 | $5,591.70 |
| O-1 over 2 | $4,320.00 | $144.00 | $3,888.00 | $4,320.00 |
| O-3 over 6 | $7,737.00 | $257.90 | $6,963.30 | $7,737.00 |
| O-5 over 16 | $11,391.30 | $379.71 | $10,252.17 | $11,391.30 |
Leave taken is worth more than the table shows, because BAH and BAS continue while you are on it. Leave sold is worth exactly the table: the final pay calculator applies the 60-day career limit and the basic-pay-only rule, and the basic pay calculator gives the monthly figure for any grade.
Worked example
Worked example: an E-6 over 10 who lost 27 days on October 1, 2026
The E-6 would have to be in a qualifying category during FY26 and prevented from taking leave by "national security operations, natural disaster, or catastrophe." Because the restored balance is 87, not above 90, the one-time enlisted SLA sell-back in FMR 7A Chapter 35 paragraph 2.1.1.3 does not apply; the days are taken as leave or sold at separation within the 60-day career limit.
What goes in the package
- 1An Administrative Action Form requesting SLA.
- 2Proof of assignment or TAD attachment to a designated unit during the qualifying window: the message names "web orders, deployment manifest, or operational travel claims."
- 3A written endorsement from your commanding officer.
The package routes through the administrative chain to the first Marine general officer, who "strictly" holds the approval; it "may not be further delegated, nor is by direction authorized." After approval it goes back to the unit S-1, and the commanding officer restores the days in Marine Online with a comment naming the approving general and the date. Paragraph 7.a also tells units to review "all pending and previously held or returned SLA packages" against the list, so a package returned in August under the suspension should be resubmitted. Your Leave and Earnings Statement carries the SLA balance, and Marine Online shows it under the Leave/Liberty tab in the SLA History section; our LES guide walks the leave block.
If your unit is not on the list
Paragraph 8.a opens a path for commands, not individuals: adding a ship or unit needs "formal justification endorsed by a GO" sent to the Director, Manpower Plans and Policy, and the list "may be updated and republished as necessary." Marines in the hostile fire and imminent danger category never lost eligibility; the deployment pay calculator and our guide to the 2026 HFP and IDP increase for Marines cover that pay.
Rates shown are FY2026 basic pay from the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026. Always verify with your admin section and finance office before making financial decisions.
Sources
- Headquarters Marine Corps, MARADMIN 545/26, "Resumption of Special Leave Accrual (SLA) and Designation of Qualifying Units for Fiscal Year 2026," R 031900Z NOV 26: paragraph 3 (definition of deployable ship or mobile unit, task-organized formations, TAD attachment); paragraph 4.a ("Effective immediately upon the release of this MARADMIN, the suspension of SLA approvals outlined in reference (a) is rescinded"); paragraphs 4.b.1 to 4.b.3 (Operation EPIC FURY; designated ships and mobile units "more than 60 consecutive days"; HFP or IDP "at least 120 consecutive days"); paragraph 4.c ("SECNAV has not designated any 'other qualifying duty'"; such packages "returned without action"); paragraph 4.d; paragraph 5.b (list on the MPO website) and 5.c; paragraph 6.a (approval "strictly retained by the first Marine GO," no delegation, no by direction); 6.b ("exceptional authority," not to "salvage leave lost due to a Marine's failure to properly manage their accrued leave balances"); 6.c (30 days beyond the 60-day limit, up to 90); 6.c.1 and 6.c.2 (expiration and the 27-day, 87-day, 1 October 2028 example); paragraph 7 (package contents, S-1, Marine Online); 8.a (unit additions), 8.b (future lists 60 days before FY closeout), 8.c (last in, first out), 8.d and 8.e (LES and MOL) (https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4640789/resumption-of-special-leave-accrual-sla-and-designation-of-qualifying-units-for/)
- Headquarters Marine Corps, Manpower Military Policy (MPO) page, read November 5, 2026: "NEW RELEASE: FY26 SLA Designated Mobile Ships and Units," a one-page signed PDF dated 2 November 2026, posted November 3, 2026 (https://www.manpower.marines.mil/Divisions/Plans-and-Policies/Manpower-Plans-and-Policy/Manpower-Military-Policy-MPO/)
- Headquarters Marine Corps, MARADMIN 341/26, "Change 1 to MARADMIN 188/25: Advance Notification of Changes to Special Leave Accrual," R 281600Z JUL 26: paragraph 3 (suspension of SLA under MARADMIN 188/25 paragraphs 6.b, 6.c and 6.d pending SECNAV designations); paragraph 4 (HFP and IDP locations, 120 consecutive days, not suspended) (https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4557436/change-1-to-maradmin-18825-advance-notification-of-changes-to-special-leave-acc/)
- Headquarters Marine Corps, MARADMIN 188/25, "Advance Notification of Changes to Special Leave Accrual," R 101213Z APR 25: paragraph 2 (90-day maximum: 60 days of annual leave plus 30 days of SLA); paragraph 6.a to 6.d (qualifying duties); paragraph 8 (one-time enlisted SLA sell-back of up to 30 days, "By law, this option does not apply to officers," counts toward the 60-day career limit) (https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4151758/advance-notification-of-changes-to-special-leave-accrual/)
- Secretary of the Navy, ALNAV 056/26, "Special Leave Accrual," R 141700Z SEP 26: paragraph 1 (Operation EPIC FURY designated as an operational mission for SLA under paragraph 3.8.d of DoWI 1327.06); paragraph 2 (ships and units that deployed or operated away from home port "for more than 60 consecutive days in support of operations in defense of national security" in FY2026); paragraph 3 (delegation to CNO and CMC); paragraph 5 (up to 30 days above the 60-day limit, 90 days total, written approval from the first officer above O-6) (https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Messages/ALNAV/ALN2026/ALN26056.pdf)
- Department of War Instruction 1327.06, "Military Leave, Liberty, and Administrative Absence," August 7, 2025, incorporating Change 1 of June 30, 2026: paragraph 3.6 (leave over 60 days lost at the end of the fiscal year); paragraph 3.8 (SLA carry-forward with written approval from the first officer in the grade above O-6, combined balance up to 90 days, SLA carried forward capped at 30 days, retained until the end of the second fiscal year after the qualifying service ends); 3.8.b (120 days in an HFP or IDP area); 3.8.d (operational missions designated by the Secretary); 3.8.e (not for failure to manage leave); 3.8.f(2) (enlisted sell-back of up to 30 days of SLA leave, once, within the 60-day career cap); 3.8.g (120-day cap reduced to 90, transition expired September 30, 2026) (https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/132706p.pdf)
- 10 U.S.C. 701(b) and (e): a member "may not accumulate more than 60 days' leave" except as provided; the Secretary concerned may allow retention of "not more than 30 days" of excess leave for a member who serves at least 120 continuous days with special pay under 37 U.S.C. 310(a) or is assigned to a deployable ship or mobile unit or other designated duty, forfeited "unless used before the end of the second fiscal year" after the qualifying service ends (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/701)
- 37 U.S.C. 501(b)(1), (b)(3), (b)(6) and (f): payment for unused leave at the basic pay rate on the date of discharge; no more than 60 days paid during a career after February 9, 1976; an enlisted member who would lose more than 90 days under 10 U.S.C. 701(e) may elect payment for up to 30 days of the excess, once (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/37/501)
- DoD Financial Management Regulation, Volume 7A, Chapter 35, Separation Payments, June 2026: paragraph 2.1.1.2.1 ("a Service member is entitled to receive payment for no more than 60 days of accrued leave during a military career"); paragraph 2.1.1.3 (enlisted SLA member who "would lose accumulated leave in excess of 90 days may elect to be paid up to 30 days of the excess leave," applies against the 60 days, "only once in their career"); paragraph 2.2.1.1 ("Leave earned is valued using only basic pay") (https://comptroller.war.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/current/07a/07a_35.pdf)
- DoD Financial Management Regulation, Volume 7A, Chapter 1, Basic Pay, paragraph 3.2.3: "The daily rate is 1/30 of the monthly rate" (https://comptroller.war.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/current/07a/07a_01.pdf)
- Department of War, "Operation Epic Fury Fact Sheet: The First 13 Days," March 12, 2026: "Operation Launched: 1:15 am, February 28, 2026" (https://media.defense.gov/2026/Mar/12/2003898258/-1/-1/1/OPERATION-EPIC-FURY-FACT-SHEET-THE-FIRST-13-DAYS.PDF)
- Monthly basic pay from the 2026 DFAS pay tables in server/data/base-pay-2026.json, effective January 1, 2026: E-3 over 2 $3,015.00, E-5 over 6 $4,110.00, E-6 over 10 $4,759.50, E-7 over 12 $5,591.70, O-1 over 2 $4,320.00, O-3 over 6 $7,737.00, O-5 over 16 $11,391.30; one-day values are one-thirtieth of each, and the 27-day and 30-day columns multiply that value (https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/)
Figures reflect 2026 rates and regulations. This guide is general information, not personalized financial or tax advice. Always verify with your finance office or a tax professional before making a decision. How we research and source: our methodology.
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