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

14 U.S.C. § 2121

Promotions; appointments

(a)
When the report of a board convened to recommend officers for promotion has been approved by the President, the Secretary shall place the names of all officers selected and approved on a list of selectees in the order of their seniority on the active duty promotion list. The names of all officers approved by the President and recommended by the board to be placed at the top of the list of selectees shall be placed at the top of the list of selectees in the order of seniority on the active duty promotion list.
(b)
section 2103 of this title Officers on the list of selectees may be promoted by appointment in the next higher grade to fill vacancies in the authorized active duty strength of the grade as determined under after officers on any previous list of selectees for that grade have been promoted. Officers shall be promoted in the order that their names appear on the list of selectees. The date of rank of an officer promoted under this subsection shall be the date of his appointment in that grade.
(c)
An officer serving on active duty in the grade of ensign may, if found fully qualified for promotion in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary, be promoted to the grade of lieutenant (junior grade) by appointment after he has completed twelve months’ active service in grade. The date of rank of an officer promoted under this subsection shall be the date of his appointment in the grade of lieutenant (junior grade) as specified by the Secretary.
(d)
When a vacancy in the grade of rear admiral occurs, the senior rear admiral (lower half) serving on the active duty promotion list shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to fill the vacancy. The appointment shall be effective on the date the vacancy occurred.
(e)
section 12203 of title 10 Appointments of regular officers under this section shall be made by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate except that advice and consent is not required for appointments under this section in the grade of lieutenant (junior grade) or lieutenant. Appointments of Reserve officers shall be made as prescribed in .
(f)
(1)
The promotion of an officer may be delayed without prejudice if any of the following applies:
(A)
The officer is under investigation or proceedings of a court-martial or a board of officers are pending against the officer.
(B)
A criminal proceeding in a Federal or State court is pending against the officer.
(C)
section 2120a of this title The Secretary determines that credible information of an adverse nature, including a substantiated adverse finding or conclusion described in section 2115(a)(3), with respect to the officer will result in the convening of a special selection review board under to review the officer and recommend whether the recommendation for promotion of the officer should be sustained.
(2)
(A)
Subject to subparagraph (B), a promotion may be delayed under this subsection until, as applicable—
(i)
the completion of the investigation or proceedings described in subparagraph (A);
(ii)
a final decision in the proceeding described in subparagraph (B) is issued; or
(iii)
section 2120a of this title the special selection review board convened under issues recommendations with respect to the officer.
(B)
Unless the Secretary determines that a further delay is necessary in the public interest, a promotion may not be delayed under this subsection for more than one year after the date the officer would otherwise have been promoted.
(3)
An officer whose promotion is delayed under this subsection and who is subsequently promoted shall be given the date of rank and position on the active duty promotion list in the grade to which promoted that he would have held had his promotion not been so delayed.

Pub. L. 88–130, § 1(10)(C)77 Stat. 181Pub. L. 91–278, § 1(8)84 Stat. 305Pub. L. 97–417, § 2(5)96 Stat. 2085Pub. L. 99–145, title V, § 514(c)(1)99 Stat. 629Pub. L. 101–225, title II, § 203(2)103 Stat. 1911Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, § 1677(b)(2)108 Stat. 3020Pub. L. 107–295, title III, § 313(3)116 Stat. 2103Pub. L. 115–282, title I132 Stat. 4216Pub. L. 117–263, div. K, title CXII, § 11245(d)136 Stat. 4046(Added , , , § 271; amended , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; renumbered § 2121 and amended , §§ 112(b), 123(b)(2), , , 4240; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 117–2632022—Subsec. (f). amended subsec. (f) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (f) read as follows: “The promotion of an officer who is under investigation or against whom proceedings of a court-martial or a board of officers are pending may be delayed without prejudice by the Secretary until completion of the investigation or proceedings. However, unless the Secretary determines that a further delay is necessary in the public interest, a promotion may not be delayed under this subsection for more than one year after the date the officer would otherwise have been promoted. An officer whose promotion is delayed under this subsection and who is subsequently promoted shall be given the date of rank and position on the active duty promotion list in the grade to which promoted that he would have held had his promotion not been so delayed.”

Pub. L. 115–282, § 112(b)section 271 of this title2018—, renumbered as this section.

Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2)Subsec. (b). , substituted “section 2103” for “section 42”.

Pub. L. 107–2952002—Subsec. (a). inserted at end “The names of all officers approved by the President and recommended by the board to be placed at the top of the list of selectees shall be placed at the top of the list of selectees in the order of seniority on the active duty promotion list.”

Pub. L. 103–337section 12203 of title 10section 593 of title 101994—Subsec. (e). substituted “” for “”.

Pub. L. 101–2251989—Subsec. (e). inserted “except that advice and consent is not required for appointments under this section in the grade of lieutenant (junior grade) or lieutenant” before the period at end of first sentence.

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

Pub. L. 97–417, § 2(5)(A)1983—Subsec. (c). , inserted a comma after “ensign may”.

Pub. L. 97–417, § 2(5)(B)Subsecs. (d) to (f). , (C), added subsec. (d) and redesignated former subsecs. (d) and (e) as (e) and (f), respectively.

Pub. L. 91–2781970—Subsec. (c). substituted “twelve” for “eighteen”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Pub. L. 103–337section 1691 of Pub. L. 103–337section 10001 of Title 10Amendment by effective , except as otherwise provided, see , set out as an Effective Date note under , Armed Forces.

Rule of Construction

Pub. L. 112–213, title II, § 208(e)(2)126 Stat. 1549

“Sections 271, 272, and 273 [now 2121, 2122, and 2123] of title 14, United States Code, apply to the activities of—
“(A)
a selection board convened under section 251 [now 2106] of such title; and
“(B)
a special selection board convened under section 263 [now 2120] of such title.”
, , , provided that:

Permanent Grades and Titles for Officers Holding Certain Grades on

Pub. L. 97–417, § 496 Stat. 2087

“(a)
An officer of the Coast Guard who on the day before the effective date of this Act []—
“(1)
was serving on active duty in the grade of rear admiral and was receiving the basic pay of a rear admiral of the upper half; or
“(2)
was serving on active duty in the grade of admiral or vice admiral,
shall after that date hold the permanent grade of rear admiral.
“(b)
An officer who on the day before the effective date of this Act [] was serving on active duty in the grade of rear admiral and was receiving the basic pay of a rear admiral of the lower half shall after that date hold the permanent grade of commodore, but shall retain the title of rear admiral.
“(c)
An officer who on the day before the effective date of this Act [] was on an approved list of officers recommended for promotion to the grade of rear admiral shall, upon promotion, hold the grade of commodore with the title of rear admiral.
“(d)
An officer who on the day before the effective date of this Act []—
“(1)
was serving on active duty in the grade of rear admiral and was entitled to the basic pay of a rear admiral of the lower half; or
“(2)
was on an approved list of officers recommended for promotion to the grade of rear admiral,
shall, on and after the effective date of this Act, or in the case of an officer on such a list, upon promotion to the grade of commodore, be entitled to wear the uniform and insignia of a rear admiral.
“(e)
An officer of the Coast Guard who on the day before the effective date of this Act [] held the grade of rear admiral on the retired list retains the grade of rear admiral and is entitled after that date to wear the uniform and insignia of a rear admiral. Such an officer, when ordered to active duty—
“(1)
holds the grade and has the right to wear the uniform and insignia of a rear admiral; and
“(2)
ranks among commissioned officers of the Armed Forces as and is entitled to the basic pay of—
“(A)
a commodore, if his retired pay was based on the basic pay of a rear admiral of the lower half on the day before the effective date of this Act; or
“(B)
a rear admiral, if his retired pay was based on the basic pay of a rear admiral of the upper half on the day before the effective date of this Act.
“(f)
Unless entitled to a higher grade under another provision of law, an officer who on the day before the effective date of this Act []—
“(1)
was serving on active duty, and
“(2)
held the grade of rear admiral;
and who retires on or after the effective date of this Act, retires in the grade of rear admiral and is entitled to wear the uniform and insignia of a rear admiral. If such an officer is ordered to active duty after his retirement, he is considered, for the purposes of determining his pay, uniform, insignia, and rank among other commissioned officers, as having held the grade of rear admiral on the retired list on the day before the effective date of this Act.”
, , , provided that:

Temporary Grades and Recommendations for Promotions in Effect Prior to

Pub. L. 88–130section 2101 of this titleSavings provisions in section 5(a), (b), and (d) of , protecting officers recommended for promotion or serving in temporary grade higher than permanent grade, are set out as a note under .

Executive Documents

Delegation of Authority

section 2101 of this titleAuthority of President under subsec. (e) of this section to appoint officers in the grades of lieutenant (junior grade) and lieutenant delegated to Secretary of Homeland Security by Ex. Ord. No. 14106, § 1(d), , 88 F.R. 55905, set out in a note under .