§14703 — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

§14703 Authority to retain chaplains and officers in medical specialties until specified age

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle E— - Reserve Components › Part PART III— - PROMOTION AND RETENTION OF OFFICERS ON THE RESERVE ACTIVE-STATUS LIST › Chapter CHAPTER 1409— - CONTINUATION OF OFFICERS ON THE RESERVE ACTIVE-STATUS LIST AND SELECTIVE EARLY REMOVAL › § 14703

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Each military department can keep certain reserve officers on active duty, under rules the Secretary of Defense creates and only if the officer agrees. This does not apply to officers mentioned in sections 14503–14506. The Army, Navy, and Air Force may retain reserve officers who serve in medical and related fields — for example doctors, dentists, veterinarians, nurses, optometrists, podiatrists, allied health and biomedical officers, medical service officers, chaplains, and similar specialties. Normally an officer cannot be kept on active duty after turning 68 years old. The secretary of the military department may, with the officer’s consent, extend active duty past age 68 for those medical specialties if the secretary decides it is needed. Each extension is decided case-by-case and lasts as long as the secretary thinks appropriate.

Title 10, §14703

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 1407 of this title and except for officers referred to in section 14503, 14504, 14505, and 14506 of this title and under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense—

(1)the Secretary of the Army may, with the officer’s consent, retain in an active status any reserve officer assigned to the Medical Corps, the Dental Corps, the Veterinary Corps, the Medical Services Corps (if the officer has been designated as allied health officer or biomedical sciences officer in that Corps), the Optometry Section of the Medical Services Corps, the Chaplains, the Army Nurse Corps, or the Army Medical Specialists Corps;

(2)the Secretary of the Navy may, with the officer’s consent, retain in an active status any reserve officer appointed in the Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Nurse Corps, or Chaplain Corps or appointed in the Medical Services Corps and designated to perform as a veterinarian, optometrist, podiatrist, allied health officer, or biomedical sciences officer; and

(3)the Secretary of the Air Force may, with the officer’s consent, retain in an active status any reserve officer who is designated as a medical officer, dental officer, Air Force nurse, Medical Service Corps officer, biomedical sciences officer, or chaplain.

(b)(1)Subject to paragraph (2), an officer may not be retained in active status under this section later than the date on which the officer becomes 68 years of age.

(2)The Secretary concerned may, with the consent of the officer, retain in an active status an officer in a medical specialty described in subsection (a) beyond the date described in paragraph (1) of this subsection if the Secretary concerned determines that such retention is necessary to the military department concerned. Each such retention shall be made on a case-by-case basis and for such period as the Secretary concerned determines appropriate.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 3855(a), (c)(1), 6392(a), (c)(1), and 8855(a), (c)(1) of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–337, § 1629(a)(3), (b)(3), (c)(3).

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–92 designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “Subject to paragraph (2), an” for “An”, and added par. (2). 2008—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–417 substituted “68 years” for “67 years”. 2000—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 106–398 substituted “Air Force nurse, Medical Service Corps officer, biomedical sciences officer, or chaplain.” for “veterinary officer, Air Force nurse, or chaplain or who is designated as a biomedical sciences officer and is qualified for service as a veterinarian, optometrist, or podiatrist.” 1999—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–65 struck out “(or, in the case of a reserve officer of the Army in the Chaplains or a reserve officer of the Air Force designated as a chaplain, 60 years of age)” after “67 years of age”.

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.