Hi Everyone: First of all, I want to thank you guys for the valueable information I have obtained on this site. I have been providing my son with all the Osan information (smile).

Three questions, I was told that once he is in Osan-mid-way during his tour he can come home for a month. I have heard conflicting information regarding whether he has to pay for it or if the military pays for it. Can someone provide me some insight?

He graduates tech school mid-December. He is coming home to visit, which he will pay for his plane ticket. Will the military pay for him to come home prior to him leaving for overseas?

Should he save up his leave time or just use it all during the visit, since he is leaving for Korea any way?

Thank you.

He will have to pay for his mid-tour ticket...

When he graduates, they will only pay for his ticket to Korea. UNLESS he can work a deal....hint...hint...with the airlines

Leave is up to the individual....I know that I cannot stand to take 30 days of leave...I have never done that...I know people who cannot stand to take just 2 weeks......So that will be up to your son and how he feels.

However, since he is new to the military he is not going to have that much leave saved up...So what I tell all my new guys that he/she needs to have ATLEAST 10 days saved for an emergency. The last thing you want to do is go to your commander and say sir i need to take emergency leave and I also don't have the leave to take....

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CH-47 SI

They must find it difficult...

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

Chucknee: He is currently working on getting the RAP program in order so that he can come home for 10 free days. Since he got orders for Korea he was going to use the rest of this time to spend at home. So, that really isn't a smart idea being as you as stated, you need emergency time in the bank. Thanks for clarifying.

Does the Air Force provide him add'l time home prior to going to Korea? Also, how is time accrued? Is mid-tour just that mid-way through your tour you can come home?

Thanks!

Leave is accrued monthly. For every month that he works he get's 2.5 days of leave. Mid tour leave isn't something that is set in stone. Some people take their leave at 4 months in or 8 months in or not at all. It really depends on what his commander will approve. I know they don't like them taking the leave too late into their tour and they won't let them take it their last month. My husbands commander let one of his soldiers take his leave really late because his wife was giving birth. Anyway, my whole point is that when he gets to take his leave really just depends on when his commander approves it. If some special event like a wedding or birth or something else is going on, there is a good chance they will approve it even if it's not exactly mid tour. But on the other hand, say your son does want to come home at the mid tour point, if something major is going on like an exerice. His commander may not approve the leave and tell him he'll have to take it later.

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There's No Toilet Paper on the Road Less Traveled.

If he does take a mid-tour leave, he will still be obligated to spend 12 months in Korea. The 23 month clock stops while on mid tour leave. For this reason, my son chose to not take a mid-tour so he could be home for Christmas this year since he's been at Lackland and Tucson the last two years. His buddy came home for two weeks to get married, but it soumds like a lot of people don't use the whole 30 days because they are short staffed in some jobs.

EXTREME BAD information.........Sorry but your son was told a very bad lie and if it was his person in charge then he needs to be fired.

Your clock just does not STOP becasue you take leave. You are authorised 30 days of leave. If you decide to take 30 days during your 12 month or 24 month then you are only here in country for 11 months or 23 months. However that does not change the date you leave the country.

Sorry, but again your son was told a very bad lie.......

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CH-47 SI

They must find it difficult...

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

I was under the same assumption as Chucksnees. I thought that they time accrued for you to take a mid-tour doesn't get held against you.

QUESTION:
Being that my son will be "en-route" prior to Osan---after tech school--doesn't the Air Force pay for his ticket home? My husband is a former Marine and said, it worked that way when he was in the Marines, but it could be different in the Air Force. Feedback anyone?

As usual, Chuck is right on about midtour leave not extending the length of your tour. My hubby took 3 weeks midtour leave while we were there, and it did not affect our DEROS at all. I would highly encourage your son to check and re-check his information, as there is apparently a lot of -mis-information trickling down.

It is, correct, however, that depending on time constraints,and mission essential needs, some airmen,and soldiers are *not* able to take a full 30 day midtour leave, but a shorter length of time instead.

I would advise your son to check with finance, and TMO before he leaves tech school, however, to my knowledge, the -only- transportation that the Air Force will pay for is the transportation to Osan, and he should have that ticket issued prior to leaving his tech school.

Any transportation to or from leave after tech school is out of his own pocket, the military does not pay for that at all.

Again, I would highly advise you to have your son check with finance and TMO prior to making any plans, however I've never seen the military pay for plane fare home for anyone on leave, except under very rare circumstances (KAIP,etc. )


Chuck, do you have any cross-service information that's different?

Dee

Thanks Dee. Just got off the phone with my son. He is headed over to Finance :-).

except for the clock stopping when on leave, everyone else on here is correct. i am active duty USAF, now been in 17 years -- and former Mission Support Squadron Commander...just got stationed here at Osan in July.

USAF does not pay for him to come home in between TDY and PCS...he is authroized the dollars for travel from his TDY to Osan ... he can cash them in with the airline and pay the difference (and be on leave while he is at home visiting you -- using some of the leave he would use for his midtour) if he wants to come home in route. be sure he does not bust his report no later than date to Osan.

his mid tour is just ordinary leave he has earned -- he does not get any special additional leave or dollars to come home. he is able to use his earned leave in a "deployed" environment over here...at his supervisors/commanders discretion.

he is on a 24 month tour? is he command sponsored or has he already taken KAIP? I am on KAIP and have to pay my own way home in December for my mid tour leave. Most tours here are 12 month unaccompained...

good luck -- tell him to have fun and expierence all he can over here. it is a once in a life time for most folks getting assigned to the KTO. lots to see and do -- AVOID the gravitational pull of Songtong! old timers here will understand what that means. tell him to get out and do!!

God speed...

B