PRIA Logo™
Take the PRIA Score
Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§14508 Removal from the reserve active-status list for years of service: reserve general and flag officers

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle E— - Reserve Components › Part PART III— - PROMOTION AND RETENTION OF OFFICERS ON THE RESERVE ACTIVE-STATUS LIST › Chapter CHAPTER 1407— - FAILURE OF SELECTION FOR PROMOTION AND INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION › § 14508

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Reserve officers in the top ranks must be removed from the active reserve list at set times unless they already retired, were moved to the Retired Reserve, or were discharged. For brigadier generals (Army, Air Force, Marine Corps) and rear admirals (lower half) (Navy), removal happens 30 days after 30 years of commissioned service or on the fifth anniversary of reaching that rank, whichever comes later. For major generals and rear admirals, it is 30 days after 35 years or the fifth anniversary of that rank. For lieutenant generals and vice admirals, it is 30 days after 38 years or the fifth anniversary. For generals and admirals, it is the first day of the month after the fifth anniversary of the rank or 30 days after 40 years, whichever is later. The Army and Air Force Secretaries may keep some officers longer. Brigadier generals can be kept until the end of the month they turn 62, with no more than 10 kept in each service. Major generals can be kept until age 64, with no more than 10 in each service. Lieutenant generals can be kept until age 66. State adjutant generals and assistant adjutant generals are not covered by these rules.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §14508

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Unless retired, transferred to the Retired Reserve, or discharged at an earlier date, each reserve officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps in the grade of brigadier general who has not been recommended for promotion to the grade of major general, and each reserve officer of the Navy in the grade of rear admiral (lower half) who has not been recommended for promotion to rear admiral shall, 30 days after completion of 30 years of commissioned service or on the fifth anniversary of the date of the officer’s appointment in the grade of brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half), whichever is later, be separated in accordance with section 14514 of this title.
(b)Unless retired, transferred to the Retired Reserve, or discharged at an earlier date, each reserve officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps in the grade of major general, and each reserve officer of the Navy in the grade of rear admiral, shall, 30 days after completion of 35 years of commissioned service or on the fifth anniversary of the date of the officer’s appointment in the grade of major general or rear admiral, whichever is later, be separated in accordance with section 14514 of this title.
(c)Unless retired, transferred to the Retired Reserve, or discharged at an earlier date, each reserve officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps in the grade of lieutenant general and each reserve officer of the Navy in the grade of vice admiral shall be separated in accordance with section 14514 of this title on the later of the following:
(1)30 days after completion of 38 years of commissioned service.
(2)The fifth anniversary of the date of the officer’s appointment in the grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral.
(d)Unless retired, transferred to the Retired Reserve, or discharged at an earlier date, each reserve officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps in the grade of general and each reserve officer of the Navy in the grade of admiral shall be separated in accordance with section 14514 of this title on the first day of the first month beginning after the date of the fifth anniversary of the officer’s appointment to that grade or 30 days after the date on which the officer completes 40 years of commissioned service, whichever is later.
(e)A reserve officer of the Army or Air Force in the grade of brigadier general who would otherwise be removed from an active status under subsection (a) may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Air Force, as the case may be, be retained in an active status, but not later than the last day of the month in which the officer becomes 62 years of age. Not more than 10 officers of the Army and not more than 10 officers of the Air Force may be retained under this subsection at any one time.
(f)A reserve officer of the Army or Air Force in the grade of major general who would otherwise be removed from an active status under subsection (b) may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Air Force, as the case may be, be retained in an active status, but not later than the date on which the officer becomes 64 years of age. Not more than 10 officers of the Army and not more than 10 officers of the Air Force may be retained under this subsection at any one time.
(g)A reserve officer of the Army or Air Force in the grade of lieutenant general who would otherwise be removed from an active status under subsection (c) may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Air Force, as the case may be, be retained in an active status, but not later than the date on which the officer becomes 66 years of age.
(h)This section does not apply to an officer who is the adjutant general or assistant adjutant general of a State.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 3851, 3852, 6389(f)(1), (2), 8851, and 8852 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–337, §§ 1628(4), 1629(a)(3), (c)(3).

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–181, § 513(b)(1), inserted “for Brigadier Generals and Rear Admirals (Lower Half)” after “Grade” in heading. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–181, § 513(b)(2), inserted “for Major Generals and Rear Admirals” after “Grade” in heading. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–181, § 513(a)(2), added subsec. (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (e). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–181, § 1825(c)(1), added subsec. (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (f). Pub. L. 110–181, § 513(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (d) as (f). Subsecs. (e) and (f). Pub. L. 110–181, § 513(a)(1), redesignated subsecs. (c) and (d) as (e) and (f), respectively. Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 110–417, § 515(2), added subsec. (g). Former subsec. (g) redesignated (h). Pub. L. 110–181, § 513(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (e) as (g). Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 110–417, § 515(1), redesignated subsec. (g) as (h). 2006—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–364, § 503(e)(1), substituted “62” for “60”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–364, § 503(e)(2), substituted “64” for “62”. 1997—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–85 substituted “not later than the last day of the month in which the officer becomes 60 years of age” for “not later than the date on which the officer becomes 60 years of age”. 1996—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 104–106 struck out “this” after “from an active status under”.

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.

Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 1691(b)(1) of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as a note under section 10001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 14508

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73