(a) Under such regulations as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe after consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and subject to subsection (b), the Secretary concerned may grant to any eligible member (as defined in subsection (e)) a leave of absence for the purpose of permitting the member to pursue a program of education. The period of a leave of absence granted under this section may not exceed two years, except that the period may exceed two years but may not exceed three years in the case of an eligible member pursuing a program of education in a health care profession.
(b)(1) A member may not be granted a leave of absence under this section unless—
(A) in the case of an enlisted member, the member agrees in writing to extend his current enlistment after completion (or other termination) of the program of education for which the leave of absence was granted for a period of two months for each month of the period of the leave of absence; and
(B) in the case of an officer, the member agrees to serve on active duty after completion (or other termination) of the program of education for which the leave of absence was granted for a period (in addition to any other period of obligated service on active duty) of two months for each month of the period of the leave of absence.
(2) A member may not be granted a leave of absence under this section until he has completed any extension of enlistment or reenlistment, or any period of obligated service, incurred by reason of any previous leave of absence granted under this section.
(c)(1) While on a leave of absence under this section, a member shall be paid basic pay but may not receive basic allowance for housing under section 403 of title 37, basic allowance for subsistence under section 402 of such title, or any other pay and allowances to which he would otherwise be entitled for such period.
(2) A period during which a member is on a leave of absence under this section shall be counted for the purposes of computing the amount of the member's basic pay, for the purpose of determining the member's eligibility for retired pay, and for the purpose of determining the member's time in grade for promotion purposes, but may not be counted for the purposes of completion of the term of enlistment of the member (in the case of an enlisted member) or for purposes of section 3021 of title 38, relating to entitlement to supplemental educational assistance.
(d)(1) In time of war, or of national emergency declared by the President or the Congress after October 19, 1984, the Secretary concerned may cancel any leave of absence granted under this section.
(2) The Secretary concerned may cancel a leave of absence granted to a member under this section if the Secretary determines that the member is not satisfactorily pursuing the program of education for which the leave was granted.
(e) In this section, the term "eligible member" means a member of the armed forces on active duty who is eligible for basic educational assistance under chapter 30 of title 38 and who—
(1) in the case of an enlisted member, has completed at least one term of enlistment and has reenlisted; and
(2) in the case of an officer, has completed the officer's initial period of obligated service on active duty.
(Added Pub. L. 98–525, title VII, §707(a)(1), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2571; amended Pub. L. 100–26, §7(i)(2), (k)(3), Apr. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 282, 284; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title X, §1070(e)(2), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2859; Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title VI, §603(d)(2)(A), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1782; Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, §1704(b)(1), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2314; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, §554, Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1913; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title X, §1071(g)(3), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2402.)
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