US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

10 U.S.C. § 14512

Separation at age 66: officers holding certain offices

(a)

Army and Air Force .—

(1)
section 14515 of this title Unless retired, transferred to the Retired Reserve, or discharged at an earlier date, a reserve officer of the Army or Air Force who is specified in paragraph (2) shall on the last day of the month in which the officer becomes 66 years of age, be separated in accordance with .
(2)
Paragraph (1) applies to a reserve officer of the Army or Air Force who is any of the following:
(A)
The Chief of the Army Reserve, Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Director of the Army National Guard, or Director of the Air National Guard.
(B)
An adjutant general.
(C)
If a reserve officer of the Army, the commanding general of the troops of a State.
(b)

Navy and Marine Corps .—

(1)
The Secretary of the Navy may defer the retirement under section 14510 or 14511 of a reserve officer of the Navy in a grade above captain or a reserve officer of the Marine Corps in a grade above colonel and retain the officer in an active status until the officer becomes 66 years of age. Not more than 10 officers may be so deferred at any one time, distributed between the Navy Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve as the Secretary determines.
(2)
The Secretary of Defense may defer the retirement of a reserve officer serving in the position of Chief of the Navy Reserve or Commander of the Marine Forces Reserve, but such deferment may not extend beyond the first day of the month following the month in which the officer becomes 66 years of age. A deferment under this paragraph shall not count toward the limitation on the total number of officers whose retirement may be deferred at any one time under paragraph (1).

Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, § 1611108 Stat. 2953Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title V119 Stat. 3231Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, § 503(d)120 Stat. 2178Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title XVIII, § 1825(b)122 Stat. 502(Added , , ; amended , §§ 511, 515(b)(1)(UU), , , 3234; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Pub. L. 103–337, § 1629(a)(3)Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in sections 3845, 6391(b), and 8845 of this title, prior to repeal by , (b)(3), (c)(3).

Amendments

Pub. L. 110–181, § 1825(b)(1)2008—Subsec. (a)(2). , redesignated subpars. (B) to (D) as (A) to (C), respectively, and struck out former subpar. (A) which read as follows: “The Chief of the National Guard Bureau.”

Pub. L. 110–181, § 1825(b)(2)Subsec. (b). , designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

Pub. L. 109–364, § 503(d)(2)2006—, substituted “66” for “64” in section catchline.

Pub. L. 109–163, § 511Subsec. (a). , designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “who is specified in paragraph (2)” for “who is Chief of the National Guard Bureau, an adjutant general, or if a reserve officer of the Army, commanding general of the troops of a State,”, and added par. (2).

Pub. L. 109–364, § 503(d)(1)Subsec. (a)(1). , substituted “66” for “64”.

Pub. L. 109–364, § 503(d)(1)Subsec. (b). , substituted “66” for “64”.

Pub. L. 109–163, § 515(b)(1)(UU), substituted “Navy Reserve” for “Naval Reserve”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

section 1691(b)(1) of Pub. L. 103–337section 10001 of this titleSection effective , see , set out as a note under .