§1251. Age 62: regular commissioned officers; exceptions

(a) Unless retired or separated earlier, each regular commissioned officer of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps (other than an officer who is a permanent professor, director of admissions, or registrar of the United States Military Academy or United States Air Force Academy or a commissioned warrant officer) shall be retired on the first day of the month following the month in which he becomes 62 years of age. An officer who is a permanent professor at the United States Military Academy or United States Air Force Academy, the director of admissions at the United States Military Academy, or the registrar of the United States Air Force Academy shall be retired on the first day of the month following the month in which he becomes 64 years of age.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the President may defer the retirement of an officer serving in a position that carries a grade above major general or rear admiral, but such a deferment may not extend beyond the first day of the month following the month in which the officer becomes 64 years of age. Not more than ten deferments of retirement under this subsection may be in effect at any one time.

(c)(1) The Secretary concerned may defer the retirement under subsection (a) of a health professions officer if during the period of the deferment the officer will be performing duties consisting primarily of providing patient care or performing other clinical duties.

(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a deferment under this subsection may not extend beyond the first day of the month following the month in which the officer becomes 68 years of age.

(B) The Secretary concerned may extend a deferment under this subsection beyond the day referred to in subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines that extension of the deferment is necessary for the needs of the military department concerned. Such an extension shall be made on a case-by-case basis and shall be for such period as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(3) For purposes of this subsection, a health professions officer is-

(A) a medical officer;

(B) a dental officer; or

(C) an officer in the Army Nurse Corps, an officer in the Navy Nurse Corps, or an officer in the Air Force designated as a nurse.

(Added Pub. L. 96–513, title I, §111, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2875 ; amended Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title VII, §719, Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1115 ; Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title VII, §709, Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1476 .)

Amendments

1989-Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 101–189 designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), substituted "Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a deferment" for "A deferment" and "68 years of age" for "67 years of age", and added subpar. (B).

1987-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–180 added subsec. (c).

Effective Date

Section effective Sept. 15, 1981, but the authority to prescribe regulations under this section effective on Dec. 12, 1980, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as an Effective Date of 1980 Amendment note under section 101 of this title.

Deferral of Retirement Date for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title VII, §704, Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 1996 , provided that: "Notwithstanding the limitation contained in the first sentence of subsection (b) of section 1251 of title 10, United States Code, the President may defer until October 1, 1989, the retirement of the officer serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the term which began on October 1, 1987."

Transition Provisions Under Defense Officer Personnel Management Act

For provision that this section not apply to any officer who on the effective date of this Act [Sept. 15, 1981] was on active duty in a grade above general, see section 632 of Pub. L. 96–615, set out as a note under section 611 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 1401, 1406 of this title.