Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73
§626 Acceptance of promotions; oath of office
Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 36— - PROMOTION, SEPARATION, AND INVOLUNTARY RETIREMENT OF OFFICERS ON THE ACTIVE-DUTY LIST › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - PROMOTIONS › § 626
Summary
An officer promoted is treated as accepting the promotion unless they decline. If they have served continuously since taking the federal oath, they do not have to retake it.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §626
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)An officer who is appointed to a higher grade under section 624 of this title is considered to have accepted such appointment on the date on which the appointment is made unless he expressly declines the appointment.
(b)An officer who has served continuously since he subscribed to the oath of office prescribed in section 3331 of title 5 is not required to take a new oath upon appointment to a higher grade under section 624 of this title.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective Sept. 15, 1981, but the authority to prescribe
Regulations
under this section effective on Dec. 12, 1980, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as an
Effective Date
of 1980 Amendment note under section 101 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 626
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73