This article by Zade Vadnais originally appeared on Stripes.com. Stars and Stripes serves the U.S. military community by providing editorially independent news and information around the world.

Four-day weekends tied to federal holidays are no longer part of the Air Force’s official calendar for the remainder of the year, according to a memo sent to commanders this week.

The service rescinded its schedule of “family days,” which are additional days off typically granted to troops to extend federal holiday weekends. The memo was issued Tuesday by Acting Secretary of the Air Force Gary Ashworth.

The change was made because a blanket schedule “does not support our ability to execute the mission with excellence while maintaining our competitive advantage,” the memo stated.

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Instead, commanders are now encouraged to schedule off-days that align with local mission requirements and operational needs, the memo says.

Although commanders have long had discretion to modify schedules, the new guidance reinforces that flexibility by removing centralized planning.

The decision follows a Feb. 11 announcement that the Air Force would review its family day policy to ensure that it supports readiness.

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While not official holidays, family days are commonly employed by Air Force leaders to promote rest, morale and time with family.

Only military personnel are excused from work on family days. Civilian employees are generally expected to report to work on service member family days unless otherwise exempted.