Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§14512 Separation at age 66: officers holding certain offices

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 › § 14512

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Certain senior Reserve officers in the Army or Air Force must be separated from service on the last day of the month in which they become 66 years of age, unless they are already retired, moved to the Retired Reserve, or discharged sooner. This covers senior leaders like chiefs and directors of the Army and Air Force Reserve and National Guard, adjutant generals, and, for Army reservists, a State’s commanding general. The Secretary of the Navy may postpone retirement for Navy reservists above captain or Marine reservists above colonel and keep them on active duty until they turn 66. No more than 10 officers may be postponed at one time, divided between Navy and Marine Corps reserves as the Secretary decides. The Secretary of Defense may also postpone retirement for the Chief of the Navy Reserve or the Commander of Marine Forces Reserve, but only until the first day of the month after the officer turns 66, and that special postponement does not count toward the 10-officer limit.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §14512

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Unless retired, transferred to the Retired Reserve, or discharged at an earlier date, a reserve officer of the Army or Air Force who is specified in paragraph (2) shall on the last day of the month in which the officer becomes 66 years of age, be separated in accordance with section 14515 of this title.
(2)Paragraph (1) applies to a reserve officer of the Army or Air Force who is any of the following:
(A)The Chief of the Army Reserve, Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Director of the Army National Guard, or Director of the Air National Guard.
(B)An adjutant general.
(C)If a reserve officer of the Army, the commanding general of the troops of a State.
(b)(1)The Secretary of the Navy may defer the retirement under section 14510 or 14511 of a reserve officer of the Navy in a grade above captain or a reserve officer of the Marine Corps in a grade above colonel and retain the officer in an active status until the officer becomes 66 years of age. Not more than 10 officers may be so deferred at any one time, distributed between the Navy Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve as the Secretary determines.
(2)The Secretary of Defense may defer the retirement of a reserve officer serving in the position of Chief of the Navy Reserve or Commander of the Marine Forces Reserve, but such deferment may not extend beyond the first day of the month following the month in which the officer becomes 66 years of age. A deferment under this paragraph shall not count toward the limitation on the total number of officers whose retirement may be deferred at any one time under paragraph (1).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 3845, 6391(b), and 8845 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–337, § 1629(a)(3), (b)(3), (c)(3).

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 110–181, § 1825(b)(1), redesignated subpars. (B) to (D) as (A) to (C), respectively, and struck out former subpar. (A) which read as follows: “The Chief of the National Guard Bureau.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–181, § 1825(b)(2), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2). 2006—Pub. L. 109–364, § 503(d)(2), substituted “66” for “64” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–163, § 511, designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “who is specified in paragraph (2)” for “who is Chief of the National Guard Bureau, an adjutant general, or if a reserve officer of the Army, commanding general of the troops of a State,”, and added par. (2). Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 109–364, § 503(d)(1), substituted “66” for “64”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–364, § 503(d)(1), substituted “66” for “64”. Pub. L. 109–163, § 515(b)(1)(UU), substituted “Navy Reserve” for “Naval Reserve”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

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. § 14512

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73