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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§1182 Boards of inquiry

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 60— - SEPARATION OF REGULAR OFFICERS FOR SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE OF DUTY OR FOR CERTAIN OTHER REASONS › § 1182

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the military department must set up boards of inquiry to hear evidence and decide if an officer who must show cause under section 1181 should stay on active duty. Each board must have not less than three officers with the qualifications in section 1187. The board must give the officer a fair and impartial hearing. If the board finds the officer did not prove they should stay, it will recommend removal. Under department rules, the officer may be put on leave after getting the board report and the time allowed to reply; the leave can continue until the Secretary acts or end sooner. If the board says the officer should be retained, the case is over unless the board also found a basis for separation and the service chief recommends review. Then the Secretary may still separate the officer only after written justification, notice to the officer, and a chance for the officer to present matters. Such separations must be for unusual cases essential to justice, discipline, or proper administration. The authority to direct such an administrative separation may only be delegated to a civilian official within a military department appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The least favorable characterization given will be general (under honorable conditions). An officer retained after a show-cause under subsection (a) of section 1181 may not be required to show cause again within the one-year period beginning on the date of that determination. An officer retained after a show-cause under subsection (b) of section 1181 may be required again at any time, except not again for the same conduct unless the prior board’s findings were obtained by fraud or collusion.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §1182

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of the military department concerned shall convene boards of inquiry at such times and places as the Secretary may prescribe to receive evidence and make findings and recommendations as to whether an officer who is required under section 1181 of this title to show cause for retention on active duty should be retained on active duty. Each board of inquiry shall be composed of not less than three officers having the qualifications prescribed by section 1187 of this title.
(b)A board of inquiry shall give a fair and impartial hearing to each officer required under section 1181 of this title to show cause for retention on active duty.
(c)(1)If a board of inquiry determines that the officer has failed to establish that he should be retained on active duty, it shall recommend to the Secretary concerned that the officer not be retained on active duty.
(2)Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned, an officer as to whom a board of inquiry makes a recommendation under paragraph (1) that the officer not be retained on active duty may be required to take leave pending the completion of the officer’s case under this chapter. The officer may be required to begin such leave at any time following the officer’s receipt of the report of the board of inquiry, including the board’s recommendation for removal from active duty, and the expiration of any period allowed for submission by the officer of a rebuttal to that report. The leave may be continued until the date on which action by the Secretary concerned on the officer’s case is completed or may be terminated at any earlier time.
(d)(1)(A)If a board of inquiry determines that an officer should be retained, the officer’s case is closed unless the board substantiated a basis for separation and, upon recommendation from the service chief, the Secretary of the military department determines that the board’s retention recommendation is clearly erroneous in light of the evidence considered by the board, a miscarriage of justice, and inconsistent with the best interest of the service. In such cases, the Secretary of the military department may separate the officer after providing a written justification of the decision to separate.
(B)An officer considered for separation under this section must be notified and afforded the opportunity to present matters for the Secretary of the military department to consider when making the separation determination. The Secretary of the military department shall review the case to determine whether the retention recommendation of the board is clearly contrary to the substantial weight of the evidence in the record and whether the officer’s conduct discredits the Service, adversely affects good order and discipline, and adversely affects the officer’s performance of duty.
(C)Exercise of authority to separate an officer under this section shall be reserved for unusual cases where such action is essential to the interests of justice, discipline, and proper administration of the service.
(2)Authority to direct administrative separation after a board of inquiry’s recommendation to retain an officer may only be delegated to a civilian official within a military department appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The least favorable characterization in such cases will be general (under honorable conditions).
(3)An officer who is required to show cause for retention on active duty under subsection (a) of section 1181 of this title and who is determined under paragraph (1) to have established that he should be retained on active duty may not again be required to show cause for retention on active duty under such subsection within the one-year period beginning on the date of that determination.
(4)(A)Subject to subparagraph (B), an officer who is required to show cause for retention on active duty under subsection (b) of section 1181 of this title and who is determined under paragraph (1) to have established that he should be retained on active duty may again be required to show cause for retention at any time.
(B)An officer who has been required to show cause for retention on active duty under subsection (b) of section 1181 of this title and who is thereafter retained on active duty may not again be required to show cause for retention on active duty under such subsection solely because of conduct which was the subject of the previous proceedings, unless the findings or recommendations of the board of inquiry that considered his case are determined to have been obtained by fraud or collusion.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2024—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 118–159, § 508(1), amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “If a board of inquiry determines that the officer has established that he should be retained on active duty, the officer’s case is closed.” Subsec. (d)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 118–159, § 508(2), (3), added par. (2) and redesignated former pars. (2) and (3) as (3) and (4), respectively. 2002—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107–314 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2). 2000—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 106–398 made technical correction to directory language of Pub. L. 105–261, § 503(b)(1). See 1998 Amendment note below. 1998—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–261, § 503(b)(1), as amended by Pub. L. 106–398, substituted “recommend to the Secretary concerned that the officer not be retained on active duty” for “send the record of its proceedings to a board of review convened under section 1183 of this title”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2000 Amendment Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title X, § 1087(d)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–292, provided that the amendment made by section 1 [[div. A], title X, § 1087(d)(2)] is effective Oct. 17, 1998, and as if included in the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, Pub. L. 105–261, as enacted.

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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 1182

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73