Understanding Emergency Leave and Death in the Family

Two deaths in my family kept me from making regular posts for a few days.

One was the death of my children’s paternal grandmother. Three days later, my father died.

Both funerals were held in my hometown last Monday.

When we received the heartbreaking news that Dad and Grandma had passed away, we knew my son stationed with the Navy on the USS Nassau (LHA 4) and currently deployed for seven months would not be able to come home for the funerals.

In such instances, Red Cross messages can be dispatched and email launched across the internet to keep our deployed service members informed of the passing of loved ones. Not always, however, will they be able to leave their posts to attend funerals back home in order to mourn beside family members.

Understanding emergency leave policy may at first seem daunting and confusing, but when you read the actual instruction (NAVSTANORVAINST 1050.4L), it is much easier to understand:

Emergency leave is the term used to describe leave granted for a personal or family emergency requiring the member’s presence. It is chargeable to the
member’s leave account. Emergency leave is granted whenever the
circumstances warrant. Prior to granting extended emergency
leave involving excess leave, consideration shall be given to
the possibility of a request for either a humanitarian duty
assignment or a hardship discharge.

Emergency leave is authorized in the circumstances set forth below and normally will be granted when the existence of an emergency has been
determined by Red Cross, the member’s Commanding Officer or
telephone call from a family member, minister, attending
physician to the member’s command or to the member concerned.

(1) When the presence of the service member will
contribute to the welfare of a dying member of the service
member’s or spouse’s immediate family; i.e., father, mother,
person standing in loco parentis, spouse, children, brother,
sister, or only living relative.

(2) Upon death of a member of the service member’s or
spouse’s immediate family.

The word to bear in mind when it comes to emergency leave is the use of the word “immediate” in connection to family, which does not include grandparents or other extended relatives.

Of course, many commands will still grant leave when it is possible from shore commands or while in homeport. Overseas emergency leave will not normally be granted for extended family members unless circumstances are extreme; however, this again is at the discretion of each particular command.

It’s important for sailors (as well as service members of all armed forces branches) to remember even when they can’t get emergency leave, they still have available to them the spiritual comfort and support of command chaplains, supervisors and even their own shipmates.

In the meantime, those of us back home can make sure our deployed family members and friends receive plenty of encouragement and support during these difficult times through letters and phone calls - both of which have enabled us as a family to stay close to Casey as he remains on duty half a world away.