Being on active duty is similar to working a full-time job. In the Army, for instance, its active duty soldiers serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the length of their service commitment (that's not to say that each soldier works a 24-hour shift, just that there are always soldiers on duty). Of course, each member is offered time off and vacation time, but if the job requires 24 hours of straight work - you will do it if necessary. But like most jobs, if in the States and not deployed, military active duty get weekends and holidays off like everyone else in the job