Military Leave and Deployment

It's always been my dream to serve, but I'm concerned about missing important life events due to deployment. What happens if a military person is deployed and can't make it home on leave? Is there any flexibility or options for rescheduling leave under these circumstances?

The situation you've outlined is one of the common challenges that military personnel encounter and it's great that you want to understand these conditions before making such a significant commitment.

When it comes to leave during deployment, it's important to understand that the underlying principle is that missions come first. This means that the flexibility of rescheduling leave can significantly vary depending on the unit's operational requirements, the individual's role and performance, and the reason for leave.

Typically, military leave is a privilege and not a right, and it is often granted at the discretion of the commanding officer. This means that in many circumstances, leave may be denied or cancelled if the absence of the person could affect the mission or the performance of the unit.

However, there are certain situations, called "emergency leave," where leave can be granted due to significant life events or emergencies back home like severe illness or death in the immediate family. "Emergency leave" is still subject to approval, but it tends to be given more leeway.

In a nutshell, it's important to understand that while the military does its best to provide personnel with leave, the demands of the service always come first, and there could be times when leave needs to be delayed, cut short, or cancelled. Your best approach in such situations could be maintaining open and honest communication lines with your commanding officers to help them understand your circumstances. They are often your best resource for finding potential solutions within the regulations. At the end of the day, though, the mission always comes first.