Sign Up
Updated December 17, 2025
Fact-Checked

Federal & Training Holidays

Below is the 2026 military holiday calendar, including federal holidays, training holidays, and service-specific leave guidance for Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Advertiser Disclosure

Veteran.com and Three Creeks Media, LLC, its parent and affiliate companies, may receive compensation through advertising placements on Veteran.com. For any rankings or lists on this site, Veteran.com may receive compensation from the companies being ranked; however, this compensation does not affect how, where, and in what order products and companies appear in the rankings and lists. If a ranking or list has a company noted to be a “partner,” the indicated company is a corporate affiliate of Veteran.com. No tables, rankings, or lists are fully comprehensive and do not include all companies or available products.

Veteran.com and Three Creeks Media have partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Veteran.com and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. American Express is an advertiser on Veteran.com. Terms Apply to American Express benefits and offers.

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author's alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.

Inside This Article

    Servicemembers and their families look forward to yearly federal and training holidays. These often give them time for much-needed rest and relaxation. Note: If you plan to take a family vacation, use this calendar to help you better prepare and mark your calendars.

    Here are the FY 2026 Federal and Training Holidays, Family Days, and military 4-day weekend calendars.

    Fiscal Year 2026 Federal Holidays

    HolidayDate
    New Year’s DayThursday, January 1, 2026
    Martin Luther King Jr DayMonday, January 19, 2026
    Presidents’ DayMonday, February 16, 2026
    Memorial DayMonday, May 25, 2026
    JuneteenthFriday, June 19, 2026
    Independence Day Friday, July 3, 2026
    Labor DayMonday, September 7, 2026
    Columbus DayMonday, October 12, 2026
    Veterans DayWednesday, November 11, 2026
    Thanksgiving DayThursday, November 26, 2026
    Christmas DayFriday, December 25, 2026

    Army Training Holiday Observances

    These days vary by unit. There may be more or fewer training holidays than listed below. Soldiers should always confirm with their local chain of command whether they have a federal or training holiday off, as these are not guaranteed.

    Fiscal 2026 Army Training Holiday Observances

    • January 2, 2026: Friday after New Year’s Day.
    • January 16, 2026: Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day
    • February 13, 2026: Friday before President’s Day
    • March 20, 2026: USACASCOM Spring Holiday
    • May 22, 2026: Friday before Memorial Day
    • June 22, 2026: Monday after Juneteenth National Independence Day
    • July 6, 2026: Monday after Independence Day
    • September 4, 2026: Friday before Labor Day

    Fiscal 2026 Army Four-Day Weekends

    • Martin Luther King Jr Day: Friday, January 16 – Monday, January 19, 2026
    • Presidents’ Day weekend: Friday, February 13 – Monday, February 16, 2026
    • Memorial Day weekend: Friday, May 22 – Monday, May 25, 2026
    • Independence Day weekend: Friday, July 3 – Monday, July 6, 2026
    • Labor Day weekend: Friday, September 4 – Monday, September 7, 2026

    Other Potential Army Holiday Observances

    The following list includes some dates listed by some installations. Be sure to check to see if your training installation observes these holidays as well.

    • April 3, 2026: Good Friday
    • April 6, 2026: Monday after Easter
    • August 7, 2026: Friday before start of school

    The U.S. Army observes U.S. federal holidays and typically authorizes a training holiday to coincide with each federal holiday, providing four-day weekends. These are referred to as days of no-scheduled activity, or DONSAs, and can be affected by training and mission requirements. Always confirm with your chain of command if you will have these or other days off.

    Holiday Season/Holiday Block Leave

    During the two weeks around the end-of-year holidays, the armed forces typically remain operational (half or full-day schedule based on mission requirements), except for Christmas and New Year’s days off and designated training holidays.

    Army “Christmas Exodus”

    The Army typically shuts down basic training and advanced individual training schools. The Navy and Air Force typically shut down job schools, but do not shut down basic training.

    The 10-day break generally starts a week before Christmas and lasts until a week after Christmas. The “exodus” allows drill sergeants and basic training staff members to spend the holidays with their families.

    Soldiers may choose whether to take a break and go home or stay at basic training and work on details during the 10-day period. Any leave taken comes out of soldiers’ leave entitlement, and transportation costs home and back are not covered, according to a 2014 explanation from the U.S. Army Future Soldier Center.

    Air Force 2026 Air Education and Training Command Family Days

    • Friday, January 2, 2026 (New Year’s Day weekend: January 1, 2026 – January 4, 2026)
    • Friday, May 22, 2026 (Memorial Day weekend: May 22, 2026 – May 25, 2026)
    • Monday, June 22, 2026 (Juneteenth weekend: June 19, 2026 – June 22, 2026)
    • Monday, July 6, 2026 (Independence Day weekend: July 3, 2026 – July 6, 2026)
    • Friday, September 4, 2026 (Labor Day weekend: September 4, 2026 – September 7, 2026)
    • Friday, October 9, 2026 (Columbus Day weekend: October 9, 2026 – October 12, 2026)
    • Friday, November 27, 2026 (Thanksgiving weekend: November 26, 2026 – November 29, 2026)
    • Thursday, December 24, 2026 (Christmas weekend: December 24, 2026 – December 27, 2026)
    • Thursday, December 31, 2026 (New Year’s weekend: December 31, 2026 – January 3, 2026)

    Most offices on Air Force installations are closed on these days, and some services, including medical, recreation, shopping, and dining, are on restricted schedules. Many installations will also close some gates. Check with your local installation for details. For military members required to perform duty during these holidays, commanders are encouraged to grant compensatory time off during the first week following the holiday, subject to mission requirements, according to a 2022 Air Force memo.

    Navy Fiscal Year 2026 Holiday Observation Guidance

    The following dates reflect the Navy’s 2026 holiday schedule. They will be updated when the Navy publishes its updated holiday observance calendar (usually in January).

    • New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1, 2026 (Observed January 1, 2026 – January 4, 2026)
    • Martin Luther King Jr Day: Monday, January 19, 2026 (Observed January 16, 2026 – January 19, 2026)
    • Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 16, 2026 (Observed February 13, 2026 – February 16, 2026)
    • Spring Holiday: Monday, April 6, 2026 (Monday following Easter Sunday)
    • Memorial Day: Monday, May 25, 2026 (Observed May 22, 2026 – May 25, 2026)
    • Juneteenth: Friday, June 19, 2026
    • Independence Day: Friday, July 3, 2026 (Observed July 3, 2026 – July 6, 2026)
    • Labor Day: Monday, September 7, 2026 (Observed September 4, 2026 – September 7, 2026)
    • Columbus Day: Monday, October 12, 2026 (Observed October 9, 2026 – October 12, 2026)
    • Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11, 2026
    • Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26, 2026 (Observed November 26, 2026 – November 29, 2026)
    • Christmas Day: Friday, December 25, 2026 (Observed December 24, 2026 – December 27, 2026)

    Always confirm with your chain of command if you will have these or other days off.

    • Written by Tamila McDonald

      Tamila McDonald is a U.S. Army veteran with 20 years of service, including five years as a military financial advisor.

    Planning Holiday Travel? Don’t Miss This Card

    See Military Perks

    Copyright © 2026. Three Creeks Media, LLC.

     

    Veteran.com is a property of Three Creeks Media. Neither Veteran.com nor Three Creeks Media are associated with or endorsed by any U.S. federal agency or department. The content on Veteran.com is produced by Three Creeks Media, and/or its partners, affiliates, and contractors.

    The content offered on Veteran.com is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or financial advice. If you have questions that relate to your unique financial situation, please consult a financial professional, accountant or attorney to discuss. References to third-party products, rates and offers may change without notice.

    Editorial Disclosure: Editorial content on Veteran.com may include opinions. Any opinions are those of the author alone, and not those of an advertiser to the site nor of Veteran.com.

    Advertiser Disclosure: Veteran.com, Three Creeks Media, LLC, and its parent and affiliate companies, may receive compensation through advertising placements on Veteran.com. For any rankings or lists on this site, Veteran.com may receive compensation from the companies being ranked; however, this compensation does not affect how, where, and in what order products and companies appear in the rankings and lists. If a ranking or list has a company noted to be a “partner,” the indicated company is a corporate affiliate of Veteran.com. No tables, rankings, or lists are fully comprehensive and do not include all companies or available products. You can read more about our card rating methodology here.

    Information from your device can be used to personalize your ad experience.