Replacing a Sept. 26, 2012, policy letter, MacFarland’s December-dated memo lets units establish Thursday or Friday as “Phantom Time” at the discretion of the first general officer in the chain of command, so the generals are empowered to establish it on either of those days, said Col. Christopher Garver, III Corps spokesman.

For decades, releasing soldiers at 3 p.m. Thursday has been standing operating procedure within III Corps units in some form or another, Garver said.

“Some commanding officers were more formal in the requirements than others. The standing operating procedure rose and fell in enforcement during the years that units were deployed,” he said.

When MacFarland arrived at Fort Hood, he reviewed post policy letters — all of which are available online — in an effort to “update, streamline and empower subordinate commanders where appropriate.”

So far, all of the general officer commands at Fort Hood said they plan to keep an emphasis on family time during the week, but appreciate the flexibility to adjust it as the training calendar demands.

In the 310th Sustainment Command, a Reserve unit filling in during the deployment of the 13th Sustainment Command, Brig. Gen. Michael Dillard emphasizes the importance his forces’ well-being, said 1st Lt. Barry Stevenson, spokesman of the 310th.

“Our families are the foundation of what we do and why we do it. Brig. Gen. Dillard feels it is important that our soldiers take time from the mission, whenever possible, to enjoy their families,” Stevenson said. “However, the policy does not prevent individual soldiers or units from working beyond the planned duty day and into Phantom Family Time in order to accomplish critical missions or tasks. Brig. Gen. Dillard does require his subordinate commanders to keep him updated when this happens and provide the soldiers appropriate compensatory time within mission requirements.”

Officials with Division West and the 1st Cavalry Division echoed similar sentiments, as did U.S. Army Operational Test Command.

“Brig. Gen. (Scott) Spellmon is pleased to have more flexibility with the new policy on Phantom Family Time, but at this time does not anticipate making any changes to the current OTC family time scheduled for Thursdays,” said Eloise Lundgren, spokeswoman for the command.

III Corps’ Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion will also keep family time on Thursday afternoon.

Garver said this adjustment falls in line with MacFarland’s priority of leader development, and empowering subordinate leaders is a key component to developing them.

“The corps commander wants subordinate commanders and leaders to manage the time of their units and soldiers based on the tasks and missions that must be accomplished that day,” he said. “As the units prepare training schedules eight weeks in advance, and lock them in six weeks in advance, the soldiers in each unit have predictability of what each day’s schedule should hold for them.”

The policy letter also establishes that any commander in the chain of command can require soldiers to work as long as necessary as an exception to this policy. If a commander requires soldiers to work beyond duty hours, the commander will brief that exception to higher level commanders at the next unit mission training brief.