What is the main characteristic of excess leave?

The correct answer highlights that excess leave results in a negative leave balance for a service member. This characteristic is vital to understanding how leave accrual works in the military context. When a service member takes excess leave, it means they are taking more leave than they have accrued based on their years of service. Consequently, their leave balance goes below zero, indicating that they have borrowed against future leave that they have not yet earned. This negative balance requires careful management and can have implications for future leave entitlement and administrative actions within the service.

Understanding this concept is essential, especially for service members who might need to plan their absences or understand the potential effects on their leave accumulation and future benefits.