Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73
§10506 Other senior National Guard Bureau officers
Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle E— - Reserve Components › Part PART I— - ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION › Chapter CHAPTER 1011— - NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU › § 10506
Summary
Assign four senior Guard officers to help run the National Guard Bureau: two from the Army National Guard and two from the Air National Guard. Each officer must be nominated by their State Governor or, for D.C., the D.C. commanding general. The Army officers are picked by the Secretary of the Army after talking with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau; the Air officers are picked by the Secretary of the Air Force after the same consultation. The senior officer in each pair becomes the Director for that branch and the other becomes Deputy Director. The President, with the Senate’s approval, must pick each Director from general officers of the same Guard branch. The Secretary of Defense can only recommend someone if the branch secretary recommended them and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs confirms they have significant joint-duty experience under the Chairman’s rules. Directors serve four-year terms, can be removed for cause, and may be reappointed once for another four years. While on active duty in these jobs, the officers count toward the grade limits in sections 525 and 526. The Chief of the National Guard Bureau must also appoint a legal counsel, a comptroller, and an inspector general to do duties the Chief assigns.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §10506
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)In addition to the Chief and Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau, there shall be assigned to the National Guard Bureau—
(A)two officers selected by the Secretary of the Army (after consultation with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau) from officers of the Army National Guard of the United States who have been nominated by their respective Governors or, in the case of the District of Columbia, the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, the senior of whom shall be appointed in accordance with paragraph (3) and shall serve as Director, Army National Guard, with the other serving as Deputy Director, Army National Guard; and
(B)two officers selected by the Secretary of the Air Force (after consultation with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau) from officers of the Air National Guard of the United States who have been nominated by their respective Governors or, in the case of the District of Columbia, the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, the senior of whom shall be appointed in accordance with paragraph (3) and shall serve as Director, Air National Guard, with the other serving as Deputy Director, Air National Guard.
(2)The Director and Deputy Director, Army National Guard, and the Director and Deputy Director, Air National Guard, shall assist the Chief of the National Guard Bureau in carrying out the functions of the National Guard Bureau as they relate to their respective branches.
(3)(A)The President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint the Director, Army National Guard, from general officers of the Army National Guard of the United States and shall appoint the Director, Air National Guard, from general officers of the Air National Guard of the United States.
(B)The Secretary of Defense may not recommend an officer to the President for appointment as Director, Army National Guard, or as Director, Air National Guard, unless the officer—
(i)is recommended by the Secretary of the military department concerned; and
(ii)is determined by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in accordance with criteria and as a result of a process established by the Chairman, to have significant joint duty experience.
(C)An officer on active duty for service as the Director, Army National Guard, or the Director, Air National Guard, shall be counted for purposes of the grade limitations under section 525 and 526 of this title.
(D)The Director, Army National Guard, and the Director, Air National Guard, are appointed for a period of four years, but may be removed for cause at any time. An officer serving as either Director may be reappointed for one additional four-year period.
(b)There are in the National Guard Bureau a legal counsel, a comptroller, and an inspector general, each of whom shall be appointed by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. They shall perform such duties as the Chief may prescribe.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2016—Subsec. (a)(1)(A), (B). Pub. L. 114–328, § 502(ss)(2), which directed amendment of subpars. (A) and (B) by striking “, and shall hold the grade of lieutenant general while so serving,” was executed by striking “, shall hold the grade of lieutenant general while so serving,” after “in accordance with paragraph (3)” to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Pub. L. 114–328, § 502(ss)(1), which directed amendment of subpars. (A) and (B) by striking “general”, was executed by striking “general” before “officers selected” to reflect the probable intent of Congress. 2014—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 113–291, § 512(a)(1), inserted “(after consultation with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau)” after “selected by the Secretary of the Army”. Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 113–291, § 512(a)(2), inserted “(after consultation with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau)” after “selected by the Secretary of the Air Force”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 113–291, § 512(b), substituted “The Director and Deputy Director, Army National Guard, and the Director and Deputy Director, Air National Guard,” for “The officers so selected”. Subsec. (a)(3)(D), (E). Pub. L. 113–291, § 512(c), redesignated subpar. (E) as (D) and struck out former subpar. (D). Prior to amendment, subpar. (D) related to waiver of subsec. (a)(3)(B)(ii) with respect to the appointment of an officer as Director, Army National Guard, or as Director, Air National Guard. 2011—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 112–81 substituted “Chief and Vice Chief” for “Chief of the National Guard Bureau and the Director of the Joint Staff”. 2004—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 108–375, § 508(b)(4), substituted “Chief of the National Guard Bureau and the Director of the Joint Staff of the National Guard Bureau” for “Chief and Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (a)(3)(D). Pub. L. 108–375, § 536(a), substituted “
December 31, 2006” for “
December 31, 2004”. 2002—Subsec. (a)(3)(D). Pub. L. 107–314 substituted “
December 31, 2004” for “
October 1, 2003”. 2000—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title V, § 507(e)(1)], substituted “shall be appointed in accordance with paragraph (3), shall hold the grade of lieutenant general while so serving, and shall” for “while so serving shall hold the grade of major general or, if appointed to that position in accordance with section 12505(a)(2) of this title, the grade of lieutenant general, and” in subpars. (A) and (B). Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title V, § 507(e)(2)], added par. (3). 1999—Subsec. (a)(1)(A), (B). Pub. L. 106–65 inserted “or, if appointed to that position in accordance with section 12505(a)(2) of this title, the grade of lieutenant general,” after “major general”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2014 Amendment Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title V, § 512(d), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3358, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to assignments to the National Guard Bureau under section 10506 of title 10, United States Code, that occur after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 19, 2014].”
Effective Date
of 1999 Amendment; Applicability to IncumbentsAmendment by Pub. L. 106–65 effective 60 days after Oct. 5, 1999, with special provision for an officer who is a covered position incumbent who is appointed under that amendment to the grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral, see section 554(g), (h) of Pub. L. 106–65, set out as a note under section 3038 of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective at end of 90-day period beginning on Oct. 5, 1994, see section 904(d) of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as a note under section 10501 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 10506
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73