Avoid These Common Mistakes on Your LES to protect your military pay and benefits. Errors like incorrect leave balances, wrong BAH rates, missing special pay, or PCS overpayments can cost you thousands. Regularly review your LES, cross-check deductions, and verify allowances with DFAS tools. If mistakes occur, act fast—report discrepancies, file corrections, and keep records. Staying proactive ensures financial security and prevents long-term pay issues..
What is a Military LES (Leave and Earnings Statement)?
Before we jump in, let’s set the table. Your LES is basically the military’s version of a monthly paycheck stub + benefits overview + days off status report all rolled into one. It shows your:
- Basic pay
- BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistence)
- BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing)
- Leave balance
- Deductions (taxes, SGLI, mid-month pay, etc.)
- Allotments
The keyword here is: everything. Because one small slip on your LES can snowball. Not to mention, your LES tracks your pay history and even your career progress. That’s why avoiding common military LES errors is critical.
Top 7 Common Military LES Errors (And How to Catch Them)
1. Wrong Leave Balance
This one’s a classic. One month you’re looking at 10.5 days of leave. Next month, it magically drops to 5.3—and you didn’t take any time off. Double-check your leave balance every month. Cross-check it with any DA 31 forms you’ve submitted. If it doesn’t match, report it right away. The clock doesn’t stop ticking on leave errors—and leave lost is leave gone forever after the fiscal year hits.
How to fix it: Talk to your admin or S1. You might need to submit a Leave Adjustment Request. Keep copies of all your leave forms.
2. Incorrect BAH Rate
I’ve seen guys moved to a new duty station and still be getting old BAH for 3 pay periods. BAH rates are tied to your duty station, dependency status, and sometimes your rank. If any of those change, so should your BAH.
Things to check:
- Your zip code
- If you’re claiming spouse or kids
- Your grade
Compare your BAH to what the official DFAS BAH Calculator says you should be receiving.
How to fix it: File a DA Form 5960 through your S1. Make sure your dependent info in DEERS is locked in too.
3. Missing or Incorrect Special Pay
Whether it’s flight pay, hazardous duty pay, or language incentive pay, these extra deals are perks that add up—and if you qualify for them, they better show on your LES. Saw someone qualified for SDAP (Special Duty Assignment Pay) while doing the same job as me—and I wasn’t getting it? You bet I spoke up. Check this box: Make sure your MOS, job duty, and certifications have been reported correctly through your command channel.
How to fix it: Verify with your Career Counselor or Admin. Update your records in the Personnel System if needed.
4. Overpayment from PCS Mistakes
PCS overpayments are silent killers. You move, you get TLA or dislocation allowance, and a few months later—bam—you get a debt letter from DFAS claiming you owe them $2300 because of a housing allowance overlap.
Don’t ignore this. I’ve seen people wait it out only to have DFAS garnish their paycheck months later.
How to fix it: File a waiver or appeal immediately. Keep all your orders, lodging receipts, and travel vouchers organized. Talk to your finance office ASAP.
5. Combat Zone Tax Exclusion Errors
This one punches hard. If you’re in a combat zone, your pay might be tax-free. But if DFAS doesn’t flag it right, you’ll end up getting taxed when you shouldn’t. Your LES will read “CZTE” in the remarks section when you’re tax-exempt. If that’s missing and you’re deployed, it means Uncle Sam is taking a bigger bite than he should.
How to fix it: Have your command file a combat zone deployment start date with finance. It should be backed by your deployment orders.
6. Allotment Disappeared or Got Duplicated
Allotments are how we autopay bills—rent, savings, loans, etc. I once added a savings allotment, and it duplicated itself. That $300 became $600 overnight. If I wasn’t checking, I’d still be wondering why my paycheck felt light. ALWAYS go over your allotments section on your LES. Make sure what you meant to pay is what’s actually being pulled out.
How to fix it: Use MyPay to adjust allotments directly or visit your finance office. Don’t wait till end-of-month deductions start making things ugly.
7. Mid-Month Pay Discrepancies
Here’s how DFAS does your pay:
- You get an estimate at mid-month (called “Advance Pay”)
- Then the LES at the end of the month calculates actual gross pay, deductions, etc.
Problem: If something changed in your pay (BAH, leave days, promos), it’s not always calculated right until the end-of-month LES hits. That’s where people tilt their heads trying to figure why their end-of-month check is way low. Usually…it’s because mid-month overpaid and DFAS is correcting. Check both mid-month and full month LES to compare the net pay total.
How to fix it: If it’s legit, no fix needed—it adjusts. If it’s an actual pay problem (like BAH drop or retroactive pay), talk to your finance shop.
How to Stay Ahead of LES Errors
Look—military LES errors aren’t going away. But avoiding them is like going to the gym—you catch it early, it’s easier to fix.
Here’s how I keep myself pay-protected:
- Review your LES every month. Without fail.
- Know what every acronym stands for. Don’t let TSP, SGLI, FSA, or SDA slip under your radar.
- Keep hard copies of orders, leave forms, and pay changes. When you need to prove something, paper wins every time.
- Use MyPay to cross-check all pay changes and banking info.
Closing Thoughts
Your LES is more than just a pay stub—it’s a critical financial document that impacts your pay, benefits, and career. Avoid These Common Mistakes on Your LES by reviewing it monthly, verifying deductions, and acting quickly on discrepancies. Whether it’s incorrect leave balances, BAH errors, or missing special pay, staying proactive can prevent financial headaches. Protect your earnings by double-checking your LES and addressing issues before they become costly problems.