How much of Christmas break do we get? I wanted to plan a vacation to go see Christmas in UK during leave.

[hb-AH1Z]

I am a newly enrolled recruit and really excited to start this new chapter of my life! I realized that i will feel like i am under house arrest with nothing to do when i come back from basic training. My parents will be gone to India and I also wanted to go travel around London, UK.

My basic training starts on October 7 and ends on December 9. I dont know what will happen after that. December 10 seems too soon for the Christmas break and too late to do enough of my technical training (21 weeks in Gagetown, NB). Does anyone know how much Christmas break we get so i can plan my vacation well? If someone can give me specific dates for start and end of the special leave (i think), that would be perfect.

 

[sarahsmom]

You won't be able to submit a leave pass for Christmas until you get to Gagetown or whatever your next base after BMQ ends up being. You may or may not ave earned enough l4ave days between 7 Oct 24 and when you get to Gagetown to travel internationally. Christmas block leave is different on every base, in Petawawa it is 14 Dec 24 to 5 Jan 25

 

[McG]

Talk to your course staff or chain of command. There is a way to figure out your leave before December.

 

[lenaitch]

Not CAF but I will assume the question is not how much Christmas leave "we" get but how much leave 'you' get. Having only been a member for roughly a quarter of a calendar year, you're likely only eligible for a corresponding amount of a year's worth of annual leave entitlements, if that. With my former (non-federal employer), new hires weren't eligible to take any leave credits until six months in. As mentioned, CoC, orderly room, etc. will know this; it's very likely not the first time it's been asked.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

McG's advice is absolutely correct. Ask your course staff.

Pretty much all leave in the Canadian Armed Force is subject to operational requirements, meaning that the needs of the service will dictate when you can take leave. Sometimes we are really generous with leave, and other times we can seem really strict - it usually depends on the operational demands of the situation. Having said that, most Canadian Armed Forces units generally take two to three weeks off at Christmas. I am not sure what School you will going to for your DP1 training in Gagetown, but it would be odd for a course to start the second week of December. That School (Engineer?) will likely want you to come to Gagetown following Basic to "clear-in" and ensure that you are ready for your course.

Having commanded a Base with a large training population, we prefer not to have soldiers sitting in single quarters/training barracks over the Christmas holidays. It makes everybody sad, and when it happens we need to know about it ahead of time and come up with a plan to ensure that people in that situation are looked after. We prefer them to be wherever their family/next of kin are. Your situation appears complicated, but if you are going to fund your trip to the UK its a doable-do. Most unit leave plans in the Army require people to use six days of Annual Leave to get three weeks off. For context, people in their first five years of service get 20 days of Annual Leave each year. The difference is made up with Statutory Holidays, Special Leave and Short Leave. It can only cost 1 day of Annual to get two weeks of leave at Christmas.

Don't buy plane tickets just yet and a lot can happen in your life between now and Christmas. Still, a UK trip over Christmas could be feasible. As McG said, ask your course staff. Maybe not on the first day, but ask them.