Special leave accrual for service members Published April 17, 2020 By DoD News WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Today, Matthew Donovan, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, signed a department-wide authorization for service members to accrue and retain an additional leave balance of up to 120 days. The department's actions to stem the spread of COVID-19 has significantly limited the ability of service members to take leave during this national emergency, and we know that leave is vital to the health and welfare of our force. The memo can be found here.