They Won't Give Him His Birthday Leave

FacebookXPinterestEmailEmailEmailShare
Birthday cake with candles and sparklers (Getty Images)
Birthday cake with candles and sparklers (Getty Images)

My husband is in the Army. The rules say he gets his birthday off. But my husband says his sergeant won't give him the day off for his birthday unless my husband can show him the policy that says so. Can you help me find it?

Happy Birthday to your soldier. Unfortunately for your birthday celebration plans, I have bad news: There is no Army-wide policy that says he gets his birthday off.

It sounds like your husband may have been given his birthday off in the past. Without knowing more about your situation, my best guess is that what he experienced then was a battalion- or company-specific policy. With the proper clearance, commanders have the ability to make policies like that for their own units. For example, some units have an extended paternity leave policy, allowing soldiers extra time off after the birth of a baby.

But those rules change when the soldier leaves that unit or the commander who made the rule switches out. If your husband was somewhere with that special policy in the past, you were lucky.

Stay on Top of Your Military Benefits

Military benefits are always changing. Keep up with everything from pay to health care by subscribing to Military.com, and get access to up-to-date pay charts and more with all latest benefits delivered straight to your inbox.

 

Story Continues
Benefits Family and Spouse