§1370. Commissioned officers: general rule; exceptions

(a)(1) Unless entitled to a higher retired grade under some other provision of law, a commissioned officer (other than a commissioned warrant officer) of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps who retires under any provision of law other than chapter 61 or chapter 1223 of this title shall, except as provided in paragraph (2), be retired in the highest grade in which he served on active duty satisfactorily, as determined by the Secretary of the military department concerned, for not less than six months.

(2)(A) In order to be eligible for voluntary retirement under any provision of this title in a grade above major or lieutenant commander and below lieutenant general or vice admiral, a commissioned officer of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps must have served on active duty in that grade for not less than three years, except that the Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military department to reduce such period to a period not less than two years in the case of retirements effective during the nine-year period beginning on October 1, 1990.

(B) The President may waive subparagraph (A) in individual cases involving extreme hardship or exceptional or unusual circumstances. The authority of the President under the preceding sentence may not be delegated.

(C) The number of officers in an armed force in a grade for whom a reduction is made during any fiscal year in the period of service-in-grade otherwise required under this paragraph may not exceed the number equal to two percent of the authorized active-duty strength for that fiscal year for officers of that armed force in that grade.

(3) A reserve or temporary officer who is notified that he will be released from active duty without his consent and thereafter requests retirement under section 3911, 6323, or 8911 of this title and is retired pursuant to that request is considered for purposes of this section, to have been retired involuntarily. An officer retired pursuant to section 1186(b)(1) of this title is considered for purposes of this section to have been retired voluntarily.

(b) An officer whose length of service in the highest grade he held while on active duty does not meet the service in grade requirements specified in subsection (a) shall be retired in the next lower grade in which he served on active duty satisfactorily, as determined by the Secretary of the military department concerned, for not less than six months.

(c) Upon retirement an officer of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps who is serving in or has served in a position of importance and responsibility designated by the President to carry the grade of general or admiral or lieutenant general or vice admiral under section 601 of this title may, in the discretion of the President, be retired, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, in the highest grade held by him while serving on active duty.

(d)(1) Unless entitled to a higher grade, or to credit for satisfactory service in a higher grade, under some other provision of law, a person who is entitled to retired pay under chapter 1225 of this title shall, upon application under section 12731 of this title, be credited with satisfactory service in the highest grade in which that person served satisfactorily at any time in the armed forces, as determined by the Secretary concerned in accordance with this subsection.

(2)(A) In order to be credited with satisfactory service in an officer grade (other than a warrant officer grade) below the grade of lieutenant colonel or commander, a person covered by paragraph (1) must have served satisfactorily in that grade (as determined by the Secretary of the military department concerned) as a reserve commissioned officer in an active status, or in a retired status on active duty, for not less than six months.

(B) In order to be credited with satisfactory service in an officer grade above major or lieutenant commander and below lieutenant general or vice admiral, a person covered by paragraph (1) must have served satisfactorily in that grade (as determined by the Secretary of the military department concerned) as a reserve commissioned officer in an active status, or in a retired status on active duty, for not less than three years. A person covered by the preceding sentence who has completed at least six months of satisfactory service in grade and is transferred from an active status or discharged as a reserve commissioned officer solely due to the requirements of a nondiscretionary provision of law requiring that transfer or discharge due to the person's age or years of service may be credited with satisfactory service in the grade in which serving at the time of such transfer or discharge, notwithstanding failure of the person to complete three years of service in that grade.

(3) A person whose length of service in the highest grade held does not meet the service in grade requirements specified in this subsection shall be credited with satisfactory service in the next lower grade in which that person served satisfactorily (as determined by the Secretary of the military department concerned) for not less than six months.

(Added Pub. L. 96–513, title I, §112, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2876 ; amended Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title V, §522, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1561 ; Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title V, §561(d), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1667 ; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, §§1641, 1671(c)(7)(B), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2968 , 3014.)

Amendments

1994-Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 103–337, §1671(c)(7)(B), substituted "chapter 1223" for "chapter 67".

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–337, §1641, added subsec. (d).

1993-Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 103–160 substituted "nine-year period" for "five-year period".

1990-Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 101–510 inserted "(A)" after "(2)", inserted before period at end of first sentence ", except that the Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military department to reduce such period to a period not less than two years in the case of retirements effective during the five-year period beginning on October 1, 1990", designated second and third sentences as subpar. (B), substituted "subparagraph (A)" for "the preceding sentence", and added subpar. (C).

Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by section 1671(c)(7)(B) of Pub. L. 103–337 effective Dec. 1, 1994, except as otherwise provided, and amendment by section 1641 of Pub. L. 103–337 effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 1691 of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as an Effective Date note under section 10001 of this title.

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.

Transition Provisions Under Defense Officer Personnel Management Act

For provisions relating to the time-in-grade requirement for voluntary retirement of officers not subsequently promoted, see section 629 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 611 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 1406, 3961, 6151, 6323, 6325, 6383, 8961, 12771 of this title; title 33 section 857a; title 42 section 213a.