US Code

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

10 U.S.C. § 634

Retirement for years of service: regular and Space Force colonels; regular Navy captains

(a)

Years of Active Commissioned Service 30 .—

(1)
Except as provided in subsection (b) and as provided under section 637(b) or 637a of this title, each officer of the Regular Army, Regular Air Force, or Regular Marine Corps who holds the regular grade of colonel, and each officer of the Regular Navy who holds the regular grade of captain, who is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the regular grade of brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half), respectively, shall, if not earlier retired, be retired on the first day of the month after the month in which he completes 30 years of active commissioned service.
(2)
Except as provided under section 637(b) or 637a of this title, each officer of the Space Force who holds the grade of colonel who is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the grade of brigadier general shall, if not earlier retired, be retired on the first day of the month after the month in which the officer completes 30 years of active commissioned service.
(b)

Exceptions .—

Subsection (a) does not apply to the following:
(1)
section 8372(a)(4) of this title An officer of the Navy who is designated for limited duty to whom applies.
(2)
An officer of the Navy or Marine Corps who is a permanent professor at the United States Naval Academy.

Pub. L. 96–513, title I, § 10594 Stat. 2862Pub. L. 97–86, title IV, § 405(b)(1)95 Stat. 1105Pub. L. 98–525, title XIV, § 1405(13)98 Stat. 2622Pub. L. 99–145, title V, § 514(b)(1)99 Stat. 628Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title V, § 504(b)106 Stat. 2403Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title V, § 561(e)107 Stat. 1667Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title V, § 504(b)112 Stat. 2004Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title V, § 509(a)(2)119 Stat. 3229Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title V, § 505(b)(2)130 Stat. 2108Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 809(a)132 Stat. 1840Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 924(b)(4)(E)134 Stat. 3822Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1722(b)(6)(B)137 Stat. 669(Added , , ; amended , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , (E)(ii), , , 670.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 118–31, § 1722(b)(6)(E)(ii)2023—, substituted “and Space Force colonels; regular” for “colonels and” in section catchline.

Pub. L. 118–31, § 1722(b)(6)(B)Subsec. (a). , designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “or Regular Marine Corps” for “Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Space Force”, and added par. (2).

Pub. L. 116–2832021—Subsec. (a). substituted “Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Space Force” for “or Regular Marine Corps”.

Pub. L. 115–2322018—Subsec. (b)(1). substituted “section 8372(a)(4)” for “section 6383(a)(4)”.

Pub. L. 114–3282016—Subsec. (a). inserted “or 637a” after “637(b)”.

Pub. L. 109–163section 6383(a)(4) of this title2006— designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, substituted “Except as provided in subsection (b) and as provided” for “Except an officer of the Navy who is designated for limited duty to whom applies and except as provided”, and added subsec. (b).

Pub. L. 105–261section 6383(a)(4) of this titlesection 6383(a)(4) of this title1998— inserted “an officer of the Navy who is designated for limited duty to whom applies and except” after “Except” and struck out at end “During the period beginning on , and ending on , the preceding sentence shall not apply to an officer of the Regular Navy designated for limited duty to whom applies.”

Pub. L. 103–1601993— substituted “” for “”.

Pub. L. 102–484section 6383(a)(4) of this title1992— inserted at end “During the period beginning on , and ending on , the preceding sentence shall not apply to an officer of the Regular Navy designated for limited duty to whom applies.”

Pub. L. 99–1451985— substituted “rear admiral (lower half)” for “commodore”.

Pub. L. 98–5251984— substituted “30” for “thirty”.

Pub. L. 97–861981— substituted “commodore” for “commodore admiral”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Pub. L. 115–232section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232section 3001 of this titleAmendment by effective , with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see , set out as a note preceding .

Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

Pub. L. 97–86section 405(f) of Pub. L. 97–86section 101 of this titleAmendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date

section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513section 101 of this titleSection effective , but the authority to prescribe regulations under this section effective on , see , set out as an Effective Date of 1980 Amendment note under .