Lawrenceville, New Jersey. (December  3, 2024): In this heart-warming photo by Mark Olsen, family members welcome home 200 U.S. Army Soldiers with the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard, just in time for Christmas. The unit deployed to Iraq, Kuwait, and Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. These are the fortunate ones whose situation allows for annual leave and the chance to return home for the holidays.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, civilian employers give their employees just eleven 11 days of paid vacation per year compared to the military standard thirty days a year.

Unlike civilian employers, who offer an average of less than two weeks annual leave, the military grants each employee up to 30 days a year. Also, there is no separate "sick day" category as service members accrue "annual leave" which can be used for any reason including illness. If a servicemember has accrued enough annual leave, they can request annual leave during the holidays with the permission of their unit.

Most branches allow service members to carry over a certain amount of their 30 days earned leave into the next fiscal year. Troops are encouraged to take annual leave to relieve stress and to rest. The Army, for example, has a ten-day break that starts a week before Christmas and lasts until a week after Christmas. They even allow basic trainees a chance to go home.

The reality is that the military is a shop that never closes with servicemembers on duty around the clock, holidays or not.