Use or Lose Leave at Incirlik Published July 20, 2007 By Capt. Chris Collins 39th Comptroller Squadron INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Leave is very important and no one wants to lose it. "Use or lose" leave is always a topic of interest, especially as the end of the fiscal year approaches. Typically, military members are only allowed to carryover 60 days at the end of the fiscal year. However, members in Turkey can carryover more than 60 days since it is designated a hostile fire area as outlined in AFI 36-3003. By law, if a member is at a hostile fire location for 120 continuous days and assigned to an area drawing Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay, the member is eligible to accumulate up to 120 days of Special Leave Accrual. To calculate your SLA upon departing the hostile fire area, follow this formula: Add the current leave balance upon entering the area of responsibility to the leave accrued in the AOR. This will equal the SLA that has been accumulated. Members cannot carryover leave earned after departing the AOR. They lose this leave at fiscal year-end unless used before October 1. For example, if a member is assigned to Germany in August with 65 days of leave, they will need to use the 2.5 days of leave earned in September, otherwise, they will carryover 65 days of leave and the 2.5 days earned in September will be lost. On the Leave and Earnings Statement, the "Use/Lose" block will display the number of days exceeding the normal 60-day carryover Airmen will earn by the end of the fiscal year. Do not be alarmed, this is normal. The "Use/Lose" balance will carryover for three years after departing the AOR or once it is used.