The National Defense Act of 1916 set up the legacy training model of 48 drills (24 days) and a 15-day period of annual training. In order to transition and maintain the National Guard from a strategic reserve to an operational force, the number of training days has grown from 39 days to approximately 60 days per year on average to ensure continued readiness (Lt. Gen Timothy Kadavy, director of the Army National Guard). The current benefit of 15 days of military leave per year provided to Federal Employees under 5 U.S.C 6323 (a) was designed around the 39-day training model, but it does not cover the current and future 60-day training model. Increasing the military leave for Federal Employees to 36 days will further the goal of ensuring continued readiness of the Reserve Component (RC) and increasing retention of both the RC and Federal Employees. This leave end state will also be consistent with what many private and State employers extend to their Citizen Soldiers.