Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 33A— - APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, AND INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT FOR MEMBERS ON THE WARRANT OFFICER ACTIVE-DUTY LIST › § 581
Allows a selection board to pick regular warrant officers above W–1 who are eligible to retire but are not on a promotion list. The Secretary must set the maximum number the board can recommend. If a warrant officer is picked and the Secretary approves, the officer may retire under whatever retirement law applies to them on a date they ask for and the Secretary approves. That date cannot be later than the first day of the seventh calendar month after the month the Secretary approves the board’s report. The retirement is treated as involuntary for other laws. The Secretary must write rules to run this process. The rules must say which officers are placed on the board’s list (usually those between the most junior and most senior names sent, or a chosen year group or specialty). The rules must also exclude officers already approved for voluntary retirement or required to retire by other law during that fiscal year or the next. The Secretary may delay a retirement up to 3 months for personal hardship or other humanitarian reasons, and only the Secretary can grant that delay. If delayed, the final retirement date must be requested by the officer and approved by the Secretary, and it cannot be later than the first day of the tenth calendar month after the month the Secretary approves the board’s report.
Full Legal Text
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 581
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73