Balancing Duty and Welfare: A Study of Leave Utilization Trends within the Marine Corps

Abstract

Recent expansions to the Marine Corps’ Parental Leave Policy now allow up to 12 weeks of leave for new parents, but the annual leave (AL) program has seen little revision and lacks comprehensive analysis. This study utilizes data from the Total Force Data Warehouse to examine the impacts of deployments, military occupational specialty (MOS), rank, and demographics on AL usage, AL loss, and sick leave among Marines. Employing logistic regression, the research estimates the likelihood of leave loss and sick leave usage, while a Linear Probability Model assesses the amount of leave taken by individual Marines. Findings indicate that officers lose annual leave three to five times more frequently than enlisted Marines, and those deployed or stationed in non-combat zones are likelier to lose leave. These results suggest the need for further research into cultural differences between officer and enlisted ranks and the influence of non-combat zone deployments on leave usage. I further recommend that research be conducted to determine the effects of the new parental leave policy on AL usage.