Sorry for providing bad information.

My son's been in the Air Force for nearly two years and was told if he took leave from Osan his 12 months that started last November would be extended because he had to spend 12 months at Osan excluding leave. His buddy, that he's been in with since day one, shortened his leave to two weeks when he came back to the US to get married for the same reason. He didn't get a leave after completing basic training either. He did come home for two weeks before reporting to Osan and one week he had to report to his recruiting office every day. Both of them don't have relatives or friends that know all the complex rules so they decided to just suck it up and get it over with.

This site is helpful, and I was trying to be helpful as well through my son's expereince not knowing he got the short end of the stick. There have been other issues as well like trying to take some college classes but his job qualfication tests have been in limbo for 6 months and you can't take classes until you're qualified for your job. Is this bull too? He did pass two CLEP tests, but wanted to take some classes in his spare time.

Clanning relax, this is why we are here. I'll tell you now that your son needs to dive into the regulations and learn them. Just becasue you have stripes on your shuolders does not mean you know everything.

As for college classes, that can be a local thing....I know that we also do the same kinda thing for what we do. When they start what we call "progression" they are not allowed to take leave, HOWEVER if they raise enough stink then they usually end up getting their leave. But for us and them it is better to finish their "progression" before taking any leave.....This keeps them from doing a cranial DUMP while on leave.....and coming back and basically starting over again....

__________________
CH-47 SI

They must find it difficult...

Those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. --Gerald Massey

To my knowledge, yes, this is true. It may vary slightly due to commands,and individual command policy, but the majority of folks I've known are unable to take college classes until they've reached a level of qualification for the job skills.

Some flight chiefs will, in unique circumstances "look the other way" and make an exception to allow a more mature/prior service student to take classes, but in that *rare* occasion where there's an exception to policy, if the student's qualification training begins to drop behind, the student will be required to drop out of their college courses *at their own expense*.

Depending on your son's career field, qualification isn't necessarily based *only* on test performance, but also on skills that must be demonstrated and approved by a supervisor/superior. In some shops, the training manager has to recommend the student for testing...and may require preparatory tests on the base level before sending them up for the actual test. 6 months is actually not an absurd length of time for qualification, especially at a base like Osan, where there is an actual mission going on,and frequent mission oriented activities may make training opportunities few and far between. Some career fields can take up to 18 months *minimum* for qualification.

Dee

Bamagrad and all: He is on a one year unaccompanied tour. Thank you for your insight, advice and information.

you are quite welcome! we are all in this together and are all on the same team...

let us know if we can help.

b

I was wondering the same thing, and correct me if I am wrong here but if he is straight out of the pipeline, and he takes time before coming over he wont have 30 days build up by the 6 month mark so the most he could take would be 15 minus the time he took before he got over here right?

[quote=CLANNING;62483]
My son's been in the Air Force for nearly two years and was told if he took leave from Osan his 12 months that started last November would be extended because he had to spend 12 months at Osan excluding leave. His buddy, that he's been in with since day one, shortened his leave to two weeks when he came back to the US to get married for the same reason. He didn't get a leave after completing basic training either. He did come home for two weeks before reporting to Osan and one week he had to report to his recruiting office every day. quote]

Bama grad would be better at explaining all the detailed rules on this but if I was a betting man, and I have been known to go "all in" a time or two here is what I think probably happened.
lets just say for the sake of argument that we are looking at 20 months total time in the military at 2.5 days per month leave that is a total of 50 days leave with out know your sons career field its safe to assume that he spent at least 3 monts in tech school and 2 weeks at home and 6 weeks at boot camp. If tech school fell over a holiday they charged him 10 days of leave weither or not he came home because the school was not in session, its screwy but they do it. so that puts him at 40 days. You said he spend 5 days at home before he left so that puts him at 35 days back out 12 months of leave that is 30 days leaves him with 5 days of leave available when he hit the country in korea. Add lets say 7 months to that for a mid tour is 17.5+5 is 22.5 cant take a half day so that is 22.

Now alot of squadrons will only allow members to take midtours in 30 day chunks, they will not allow a 2 week midtour without an exception to policy. Assume that is the case and you can see that he would need an additional 4 months in korea or before he would have enough time to 30 days of leave built up. Now that is assuming he took zero days off at any other time and that he came to korea straight out of the pipeline. Hope the muddies the water up more lol. or maybe did something to clear it up. I really must stop visiting starbucks so much.

But to further answer your questions. No the air force no longer operates the "freedom bird" However, he can take what is known as a "hop" for free. I have hoped myself from Beale to Travis to Hickham about 8 or 9 times and from Travis to Charleston SC 4 times and from Norfolk VA to Rota (sp) Spain once. It is a great way to travel free, if the space is available and the plain does not break down. Plus if you are hopping commanders and suppervisors seem to be a little more understanding if you dont make it back from leave on time.

From what I have seen, most units are flexible with midtours. You are only authorized to take 30 days (in most cases, but there are exceptions). Midtour leave is considered anything taken out of the country/off peninsula. Some units will allow you to break up your leave, ie travel to CONUS for 2 weeks, and also take leave to go elsewhere (Japan, etc). Most people take a full 30 and go home. Others take it in country and the family visits Korea, or they go to Guam or something different.

So, a lot depends on unit, supervisor, work center allowances. Everything else is up to the member, ie amount of leave, cost, location. Think I saw someone ref, needing to extend beyond 12 months if you take leave?? Never heard of it. 12 month tour includes 30 days of leave. Never seen anyone not leave on their rotation date, within a couple days. Leave is an entitlement.

As far as mandatory military training, they will have to knock out their OJT, CDCs, upgrade training and whatever else before taking leave, and/or taking college classes. College is encouraged, but 99% of the time, you can't take classes until those initial obligations are done and done. Not anything to stress about, just have to knock out the mando stuff one chunk at a time and then move on to off-duty/personal pursuits.

is a passport required to go back to the states on mid tour?

Active duty military only need a leave form - everyone else needs a passport.