Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§20504 Rights and procedures

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle F— - Alternative Military Personnel Systems › Part PART I— - SPACE FORCE › Chapter CHAPTER 2011— - SEPARATION OF OFFICERS FOR SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE OF DUTY OR FOR CERTAIN OTHER REASONS › § 20504

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Air Force must make rules so any officer who has to explain why they should stay in Space Force active duty gets written notice at least 30 days before the retention board hearing and is told the reasons. The officer gets time to prepare (as the board decides), may attend in person or by electronic means and have a lawyer, and can see and get copies of relevant records unless national security requires withholding them. If a record is withheld, the officer must be given a summary of it as much as national security allows.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §20504

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Air Force, each officer required under section 20501 of this title to show cause for retention in a space force active status—

(1)shall be notified in writing, at least 30 days before the hearing of the officer’s case by a retention board, of the reasons for which the officer is being required to show cause for retention in a space force active status;

(2)shall be allowed a reasonable time, as determined by the board, to prepare the officer’s showing of cause for retention in a space force active status;

(3)shall be allowed to appear either in person or through electronic means and to be represented by counsel at proceedings before the board; and

(4)shall be allowed full access to, and shall be furnished copies of, records relevant to the officer’s case, except that the board shall withhold any record that the Secretary determines should be withheld in the interest of national security.

(b)When a record is withheld under subsection (a)(4), the officer whose case is under consideration shall, to the extent that the interest of national security permits, be furnished a summary of the record so withheld.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 20504

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73