Maximum allowable distance from duty station

[Floater268]

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What is the maximum allowable distance you can travel from your duty station without having to use your vacation days? I've heard anywhere from 250 miles to 350 miles. I'm starting my residency in Portsmouth come June and have some weddings coming up I'd like to (at least one) in the fall. Is it advisable to free up a weekend by trading call and taking off or not?

 

[psychbender]

What is the maximum allowable distance you can travel from your duty station without having to use your vacation days? I've heard anywhere from 250 miles to 350 miles. I'm starting my residency in Portsmouth come June and have some weddings coming up I'd like to (at least one) in the fall. Is it advisable to free up a weekend by trading call and taking off or not?

I have always heard 250 miles (straight line, not by road). If you know the dates of the weddings, then contact your POC for the rotation ahead of time, and ask to have those be your regular days off (or try to schedule a clinic rotation for that month, so you know you have the weekend free).

 

[Gatorfan44]

What is the maximum allowable distance you can travel from your duty station without having to use your vacation days? I've heard anywhere from 250 miles to 350 miles. I'm starting my residency in Portsmouth come June and have some weddings coming up I'd like to (at least one) in the fall. Is it advisable to free up a weekend by trading call and taking off or not?

In reality, it depends on your commander. I've had commanders allow up to an 8-hr. drive and I've had others that limited it to 200 miles. It's not cut and dry in the AFI.

 

[Slevin]

As far as you can get away with. While it's against regs to go any farther than the 250 mile radius I've known people who've flown coast to coast for the weekend when I was stationed in Cali. I'm not advocating it but the reality is that you can go as far as you want so long as you are able to report back in for duty when required.

 

[backrow]

The best answer is to call the GME office and ask them what the mileage is. In the Navy it is usually around 350 some odd miles.

As far as you can get away with. While it's against regs to go any farther than the 250 mile radius I've known people who've flown coast to coast for the weekend when I was stationed in Cali. I'm not advocating it but the reality is that you can go as far as you want so long as you are able to report back in for duty when required.

I do not suggest this at all. This can get you into serious problems if something happens (plane delayed, car wreck, etc). You will gain 30 days of leave in the coming year and can only take 14 days anyway, so there is plenty of leave left over. Take leave when you need to go "out of bounds" or even better if it is on a day off simply route a special request chit.

Plan on not making it to the weddings and prepare your friends/family for that. You may be able to make it in the end, but if you're on a ward team or surgical month or something like that you will likely by S-O-L.

 

[NavyFP]

The best answer is to call the GME office and ask them what the mileage is. In the Navy it is usually around 350 some odd miles.



I do not suggest this at all. This can get you into serious problems if something happens (plane delayed, car wreck, etc). You will gain 30 days of leave in the coming year and can only take 14 days anyway, so there is plenty of leave left over. Take leave when you need to go "out of bounds" or even better if it is on a day off simply route a special request chit.

Plan on not making it to the weddings and prepare your friends/family for that. You may be able to make it in the end, but if you're on a ward team or surgical month or something like that you will likely by S-O-L.

Traveling long distances when not on leave can be risky. I was traveling through Cinnci once and the flight I was on was exceedingly late and everyone on my puddle jumper missed their connections. One was a young E4 who was supposed to be back at work in Maine the next morning. She was completely screwed.

 

[Slevin]

The best answer is to call the GME office and ask them what the mileage is. In the Navy it is usually around 350 some odd miles.



I do not suggest this at all. This can get you into serious problems if something happens (plane delayed, car wreck, etc). You will gain 30 days of leave in the coming year and can only take 14 days anyway, so there is plenty of leave left over. Take leave when you need to go "out of bounds" or even better if it is on a day off simply route a special request chit.

Plan on not making it to the weddings and prepare your friends/family for that. You may be able to make it in the end, but if you're on a ward team or surgical month or something like that you will likely by S-O-L.

I wasn't advocating it, I never did anything like it however I was just pointing out that I knew people who did. If you do go this route and get caught that's on you

 

[The White Coat Investor]

We operate on the don't ask don't tell philosophy around here. Everyone thinks it's an 8 hour drive, but no one's really sure and no one wants to ask, less a hard and fast policy come out that's less than that.

I take leave anytime I fly since I'm in much less control to return early as needed.

 

[Homunculus]

What is the maximum allowable distance you can travel from your duty station without having to use your vacation days? I've heard anywhere from 250 miles to 350 miles. I'm starting my residency in Portsmouth come June and have some weddings coming up I'd like to (at least one) in the fall. Is it advisable to free up a weekend by trading call and taking off or not?

where i am you can also get a 4 day mileage pass if you are already off the schedule and otherwise not working. different locations have different SOP's regarding these kinds of things, so it's probably best to just ask.

i know of people who have flown around on weekends they were off (but not on leave) and did ok. we have the luxury (i guess) of having two separate bosses-- clinical and military. the clinical only cares if you are there when you are supposed to be, the military only cares when it comes to mandatory pee tests and those "show us your ID card" full accountability days. so if you talk to a rotation coordinator and tell them you need a few days off for XXX, they aren't going to see if you are on leave. the military side of the house isnt going to check your schedule and won't know you're gone anyway. so you can play both ends against the middle and

it's risky, and i would advise just using your leave or a pass so you aren't constantly worried. because if something mandatory pops up you are screwed. 😳 or, if you are hit by a car or something, they'll find you out of line of duty and i think that's not good, either.

i know one person who took multiple trips on the sly and got away with it, and the one time they actually DID fill out a real leave form there was one of those ID card accountability things. definitely lucky

--your friendly neighborhood 4 day weekend loving caveman