When meal passes are surrendered at the time that leave papers are picked up, mark the lower right corner of  the  Leave  Request  Authorization,  NAVCOMPT Form  3065,  of  personnel  entitled  to  rations-in-kind  as follows: ENTITLED  TO  ENLISTED  DINING  FACILITY MEALS  EXCEPT  DURING  PERIOD  OF  LEAVE. MEAL  PASS  NO. When the meal pass is surrendered, the number of the meal pass is entered in the space provided in the annotation. The leave authorization may then be used instead of a meal pass except during the period in a leave status.  On  return  of  the  leave  authorization,  the  meal pass  is  returned  to  the  member.  When  the  leave authorization  is  used  instead  of  a  meal  pass,  the master-at-arms,  at  the  general  mess,  checks  the commencing and ending hours and date to make sure a free meal is not being received during the period in which  leave  rations  apply. SECURITY  AND  ACCOUNTABILITY The possession of a meal pass entitles the holder to consume meals at government expense or to pay only the  basic  meal  charge  for  meals  consumed.  Each command  must  make  sure  only  authorized  enlisted members  are  issued  and  permitted  to  retain  the  meal pass.  Strict  accountability  must  be  maintained  of on-hand stocks of meal passes. Meal passes must be provided positive security and kept under lock until issued. Accountability of meal passes is checked during inspection  and  audits. The  personnel  officer  issuing  meal  passes  provides the  food  service  officer  with  the  total  number  of personnel  entitled  to  rations-in-kind,  broken  down  by type  of  personnel  such  as  Navy,  Regular,  Reserve, Marines,  and  Coast  Guard.  This  information  is  provided on  an  as-required  basis  to  meet  the  reporting requirements  of  the  food  service  officer. LEAVE DEFINITION Leave, as defined in Navy Regulations, 1990, is the authorized absence of a member from a place of duty chargeable against such member according to the Armed Forces Leave Act of 1946, as amended. Annual leave is leave granted in execution of a command’s leave program, chargeable to the member’s leave  account,  and  is  also  called  ordinary  leave,  as distinguished from emergency leave and special leave. Advance leave is leave granted before its actual accrual  to  the  member’s  leave  account,  based  on  a reasonable expectation that leave will be earned by the member during the remaining period of obligated active duty. Excess leave is leave granted in excess of earned leave  and  advance  leave  and  when  the  member  is  not entitled to pay and allowances. A minus leave balance at the time of discharge, first extension of an enlistment or  separation  from  active  duty,  desertion,  or  death should be considered as excess leave. This is without regard to the authority under which the leave resulting in a minus leave balance was granted. The pay and allowances  received  while  on  excess  leave  are  checked once the member returns from leave. Earned leave is leave accrued to a member’s credit as of any given date. Earned leave may indicate a minus leave credit, but such amount of minus leave credit must not exceed the amount of leave that would normally be earned during the remaining period of obligated active duty. A minus leave credit on date of discharge, on effective  date  of  first  extension  of  an  enlistment  or separation from active duty is excess leave and is subject to  checkage. The account balance of ordinary earned or accrued leave must be reduced to 60 days at the end of the fiscal year, except personnel authorized special leave accrual up to 90 days for service in an area designated for imminent danger or hostile fire pay or when assigned to designated  deployable  ships  and  mobile  units  as  defined in  the  MILPERSMAN,  Article  3020140. Convalescent  leave  is  a  period  of  authorized absence granted to persons while under medical care that is part of the care and treatment prescribed for a member’s  recuperation  or  convalescence.  Convalescent leave is not chargeable to a member’s leave account. Graduation leave is a period of authorized absence granted as a delay in reporting to the first duty station for graduates of the Naval Academy who are appointed commissioned  officers  in  the  armed  forces.  Graduation leave is not chargeable to member’s leave account. Emergency leave is leave granted for a personal or family emergency requiring the member’s presence. Emergency  leave  is  chargeable  to  the  member’s  leave account. COMPUTATION OF LEAVE The  primary  responsibility  y  for  leave  accounting rests   with   DFAS   –   Cleveland   Center.   The 1-17