Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§12209 Officer candidates: enlisted Reserves

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle E— - Reserve Components › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL GENERALLY › Chapter CHAPTER 1205— - APPOINTMENT OF RESERVE OFFICERS › § 12209

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary in charge may pick, up to limits the Secretary sets, enlisted Reserve members who agree to train as officer candidates. Those chosen are called officer candidates while in training. Members of the Army National Guard or Air National Guard can only be picked if they are on active duty or if their governor or other appropriate local authority agrees. A Reserve’s enlistment is extended to cover any extra time spent as an officer candidate. While on active duty (but not unpaid training duty) or traveling to or from that duty, an officer candidate gets the pay and allowances of their enlisted rank, but never less than pay grade E–2. An officer candidate may not take part in any Reserve Officer Training Corps program.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §12209

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Within such numbers as the Secretary concerned may prescribe, enlisted Reserves may, with their consent, be selected for training as officer candidates. Enlisted Reserves so selected shall be designated as officer candidates during that training. However, no member of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States may be so selected or designated unless—
(1)he is on active duty; or
(2)the governor or other appropriate authority of the jurisdiction concerned consents.
(b)The enlistment or term of service of a Reserve who is designated as an officer candidate under this section is extended to include any period, beyond its normal expiration date, during which he is an officer candidate.
(c)While he is on active duty, other than active duty for training without pay, or performing authorized travel to and from that duty, an officer candidate designated under this section is entitled to the pay and allowances of his enlisted grade, but not less than those prescribed for pay grade E–2.
(d)An officer candidate designated under this section may not participate in the program of a reserve officer training corps of any armed force.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 600(a)600(b)600(c)600(d)50:935(a).50:954(a).50:973.50:954(b).July 9, 1952, ch. 608, §§ 215(a), 230, 242, 66 Stat. 486, 489, 492. In subsection (a), the words “who is not in active Federal service” are substituted for the words “when not in the active military service of the United States”. The word “during” is substituted for the words “for the period of”. In subsection (c), the words “active duty other than active duty for training without pay” are substituted for the words “active duty or active duty for training with pay”. The words “enlisted members of the reserve components designated as”, “enlisted”, and “under the Career Compensation Act of 1949, as amended” are omitted as surplusage.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–106 substituted “candidates: enlisted Reserves” for “candidates” in section catchline. 1994—Pub. L. 103–337 renumbered section 600 of this title as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–106 effective as if included in the Reserve Officer Personnel Management Act, title XVI of Pub. L. 103–337, as enacted on Oct. 5, 1994, see section 1501(f)(3) of Pub. L. 104–106, set out as a note under section 113 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 12209

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73