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LES for Reserve and Guard - How to Understand Your Leave and Earnings Statement

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A servicemember’s Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) is the military’s version of a pay stub. However, unlike most pay stubs received in the civilian workforce, a LES is much more detailed, which explains why it contains 78 fields (boxes). If you need assistance understanding your LES the following explanations are supplied courtesy of Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS).

Fields 1 through 9 contain the identification portion of the LES.

1. NAME: The member's name in last, first, middle initial format.

2. SOC. SEC. NO: The member's Social Security Number.

3. GRADE: The member's current pay grade.

4. PAY DATE: The date the member entered active duty for pay purposes in YYMMDD format. This is synonymous with the Pay Entry Base Date (PEBD).

5. YRS SVC: In two digits, the actual years of creditable service.

6. ETS: The Expiration Term of Service in YYMMDD format. This is synonymous with the Expiration of Active Obligated Service (EAOS).

7. BRANCH: This field reflects branch of service OR program which the servicemember is enrolled.

8. ADSN/DSSN: The Disbursing Station Symbol Number used to identify each disbursing/finance office.

9. PERIOD COVERED: This field will show the "Check Date" for Reserve or National Guard members.

Fields 10 through 22 contain the entitlements, deductions, allotments, their respective totals, a mathematical summary portion and date initially entered military service.

10. ENTITLEMENTS: In columnar style the names of the entitlements and allowances being paid. Space is allocated for fifteen entitlements and/or allowances. If more than fifteen are present the overflow will be printed in the remarks block. Any retroactive entitlements and/or allowances will be added to like entitlements and/or allowances.

11. DEDUCTIONS: The description of the deductions is listed in columnar style. This includes items such as taxes, SGLI and dependent dental plan. Space is allocated for fifteen deductions. If more than fifteen are present the overflow will be printed in the remarks block. Any retroactive deductions will be added to like deductions.

12. ALLOTMENTS: Reservist and National Guard do not have allotments.

13. AMT FWD: The amount of all unpaid pay and allowances due from the prior LES.

14. TOT ENT: The figure from Field 20 that is the total of all entitlements and/or allowances listed.

15. TOT DED: The figure from Field 21 that is the total of all deductions.

16. TOT ALMT: Reservist and National Guard do not have allotments.

17. NET AMT: The dollar value of all unpaid pay and allowances, plus total entitlements and/or allowances, minus deductions due on the current LES.

18. CR FWD: The dollar value of all unpaid pay and allowances due to reflect on the next LES as the +AMT FWD.

19. EOM PAY: The actual amount of the payment to be paid to the member on that specific payday.

Fields 20 through 22 - TOTAL. The total amounts for the entitlements and/or allowances, and deductions respectively.

Fields 23 and 24 are NOT used by Reserve and National Guard members.

Fields 25 through 32 contain leave information.

25. BF BAL: The brought forward leave balance. Balance may be at the beginning of the fiscal year, or when active duty began, or the day after the member was paid Lump Sum Leave (LSL).

26. ERND: The cumulative amount of leave earned in the current fiscal year or current term of enlistment if the member reenlisted/extended since the beginning of the fiscal year. Normally increases by 2.5 days each month.

27. USED: The cumulative amount of leave used in the current fiscal year or current term of enlistment if member reenlisted/extended since the beginning of the fiscal year.

28. CR BAL: The current leave balance as of the end of the period covered by the LES.

29. ETS BAL: The projected leave balance to the member's Expiration Term of Service (ETS).

30. LV LOST: The number of days of leave that has been lost.

31. LV PAID: The number of days of leave paid to date.

32. USE/LOSE: The projected number of days of leave that will be lost if not taken in the current fiscal year on a monthly basis. The number of days of leave in this block will decrease with any leave usage.

Fields 33 through 38 contain Federal Tax withholding information.

33. WAGE PERIOD: The amount of money earned this LES period that is subject to Federal Income Tax Withholding (FITW).

34. WAGE YTD: The money earned year-to-date that is subject to FITW.

35. M/S: The marital status used to compute the FITW.

36. EX: The number of exemptions used to compute the FITW.

37. ADD'L TAX: The member specified additional dollar amount to be withheld in addition to the amount computed by the Marital Status and Exemptions.

38. TAX YTD: The cumulative total of FITW withheld throughout the calendar year.

(Fields 39-78 continued on page 2.)

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