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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§638 Selective early retirement

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 IV— - CONTINUATION ON ACTIVE DUTY AND SELECTIVE EARLY RETIREMENT › § 638

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows regular officers on the active-duty lists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force to be picked by a selection board for selective early retirement if they meet certain rank and service rules. The groups covered are: lieutenant colonel or commander who failed promotion to colonel or captain two or more times and is not on a promotion list; colonel or captain with at least four years in that grade and not on a promotion list; brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half) with at least three and one-half years in that grade and not on a promotion list; and major general or rear admiral who has served at least three and one-half years in that grade. The military department Secretary decides how many from the lieutenant colonel/commander and colonel/captain groups a board may recommend, up to 30 percent of those considered in each grade and competitive category. Officers can also be considered under the separate circumstances in section 638a. If a board recommends an officer and the Secretary approves, the officer will retire under whatever law they are eligible for on a date they pick and the Secretary agrees to, subject to deadlines. For officers below brigadier general the retirement date must be no later than the first day of the seventh calendar month after the month the Secretary approves the board’s report. If such an officer is not yet eligible to retire, they stay on active duty until they qualify under sections 7311, 8323, or 9311, and then must be retired no later than the later of (i) the first day of the month after they become eligible or (ii) the first day of the seventh calendar month after the month the Secretary approved the board’s report. An officer who is a brigadier general, major general, rear admiral (lower half), or rear admiral must be retired no later than the first day of the tenth calendar month after the month the Secretary approves the board’s report. The Secretary may delay a retirement up to three months for personal hardship or other humanitarian reasons (that authority may not be delegated); if deferred, specific later deadline limits apply (see the timing rules above and, for generals, not later than the first day of the thirteenth calendar month after approval). An officer below brigadier general may be considered for early retirement only once every five years. Such retirements count as involuntary for other laws. The Secretary of Defense must make rules to run this process, and those rules must generally require lists sent to the board to include every officer in the same grade and competitive category between the most junior and most senior officers submitted, except those already approved for voluntary retirement under 7311, 8323, or 9311 or set to be involuntarily retired during the current or next fiscal year; an officer excluded for those reasons must be retired on their approved date unless the Secretary allows a change for hardship.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §638

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)A regular officer on the active-duty list of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force may be considered for selective early retirement by a selection board convened under section 611(b) of this title if the officer is described in any of subparagraphs (A) through (D) as follows:
(A)An officer holding the regular grade of lieutenant colonel or commander who has failed of selection for promotion to the grade of colonel or, in the case of an officer of the Navy, captain two or more times and whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion.
(B)An officer holding the regular grade of colonel or, in the case of an officer of the Navy, captain who has served at least four years of active duty in that grade and whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion.
(C)An officer holding the regular grade of brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half) who has served at least three and one-half years of active duty in that grade and whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion.
(D)An officer holding the regular grade of major general or rear admiral who has served at least three and one-half years of active duty in that grade.
(2)The Secretary of the military department concerned shall specify the number of officers described in paragraphs (1)(A) and (1)(B) which a selection board convened under section 611(b) of this title may recommend for early retirement. Such number may not be more than 30 percent of the number of officers considered in each grade in each competitive category.
(3)A regular officer on the active-duty list of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force may also be considered for early retirement under the circumstances prescribed in section 638a of this title.
(b)(1)(A)An officer in a grade below brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half) who is recommended for early retirement under this section or section 638a of this title and whose early retirement is approved by the Secretary concerned shall be retired, under any provision of law under which he is eligible to retire, on the date requested by him and approved by the Secretary concerned, which date shall be not later than the first day of the seventh calendar month beginning after the month in which the Secretary concerned approves the report of the board which recommended the officer for early retirement.
(B)If an officer described in subparagraph (A) is not eligible for retirement under any provision of law, the officer shall be retained on active duty until the officer is qualified for retirement under section 7311, 8323, or 9311 of this title, and then be retired under that section, unless the officer is sooner retired or discharged under some other provision of law, with such retirement under that section occurring not later than the later of the following:
(i)The first day of the month beginning after the month in which the officer becomes qualified for retirement under that section.
(ii)The first day of the seventh calendar month beginning after the month in which the Secretary concerned approves the report of the board which recommended the officer for early retirement.
(2)An officer who holds the regular grade of brigadier general, major general, rear admiral (lower half), or rear admiral who is recommended for early retirement under this section and whose early retirement is approved by the Secretary concerned shall be retired, under any provision of law under which he is eligible to retire, on the date requested by him and approved by the Secretary concerned, which date shall be not later than the first day of the tenth calendar month beginning after the month in which the Secretary concerned approved the report of the board which recommended the officer for early retirement.
(3)(A)The Secretary concerned may defer for not more than three months the retirement of an officer otherwise approved for early retirement under this section or section 638a of this title in order to prevent a personal hardship to the officer or for other humanitarian reasons. Any such deferral shall be made on a case-by-case basis considering the circumstances of the case of the particular officer concerned. The authority of the Secretary to grant such a deferral may not be delegated.
(B)An officer recommended for early retirement under paragraph (1)(A) or section 638a of this title, if approved for deferral under subparagraph (A), shall be retired on the date requested by the officer, and approved by the Secretary concerned, which date shall be not later than the first day of the tenth calendar month beginning after the month in which the Secretary concerned approves the report of the board which recommended the officer for early retirement.
(C)The Secretary concerned may defer the retirement of an officer otherwise approved for early retirement under paragraph (1)(B), but in no case later than the first day of the tenth calendar month beginning after the month in which the Secretary concerned approves the report of the board which recommended the officer for early retirement.
(D)An officer recommended for early retirement under paragraph (2), if approved for deferral under subparagraph (A), shall be retired on the date requested by the officer, and approved by the Secretary concerned, which date shall be not later than the first day of the thirteenth calendar month beginning after the month in which the Secretary concerned approves the report of the board which recommended the officer for early retirement.
(c)So long as an officer in a grade below brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half) holds the same grade, he may not be considered for early retirement under this section more than once in any five-year period.
(d)The retirement of an officer pursuant to this section shall be considered to be an involuntary retirement for purposes of any other provision of law.
(e)(1)The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations for the administration of this section.
(2)(A)Such regulations shall require that when the Secretary of the military department concerned submits a list of officers to a selection board convened under section 611(b) of this title to consider officers for selection for early retirement under this section, such list (except as provided in subparagraph (B)) shall include each officer on the active-duty list in the same grade and competitive category whose position on the active-duty list is between that of the most junior officer in that grade and competitive category whose name is submitted to the board and that of the most senior officer in that grade and competitive category whose name is submitted to the board.
(B)A list under subparagraph (A) may not include an officer in that grade and competitive category (i) who has been approved for voluntary retirement under section 7311, 8323, or 9311 of this title, or (ii) who is to be involuntarily retired under any provision of law during the fiscal year in which the selection board is convened or during the following fiscal year.
(C)An officer not considered by a selection board convened under section 611(b) of this title by reason of subparagraph (B) shall be retired on the date approved for the retirement of that officer as of the convening date of such selection board unless the Secretary concerned approves a modification of such date in order to prevent a personal hardship for the officer or for other humanitarian reasons.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (a)(1), (3). Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “Marine Corps, or Space Force” for “or Marine Corps” in introductory provisions of par. (1) and in par. (3). 2018—Subsecs. (b)(1)(B), (e)(2)(B). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “section 7311, 8323, or 9311” for “section 3911, 6323, or 8911”. 2014—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 113–291, § 502(b)(1), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “An officer in a grade below brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half) who is recommended for early retirement under this section or section 638a of this title and whose early retirement is approved by the Secretary concerned shall— “(A) be retired, under any provision of law under which he is eligible to retire, on the date requested by him and approved by the Secretary concerned, which date shall be not later than the first day of the seventh calendar month beginning after the month in which the Secretary concerned approves the report of the board which recommended the officer for early retirement; or “(B) if the officer is not eligible for retirement under any provision of law, be retained on active duty until he is qualified for retirement under section 3911, 6323, or 8911 of this title, and then be retired under that section, unless he is sooner retired or discharged under some other provision of law.” Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 113–291, § 502(b)(2), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), substituted “three months” for “90 days”, and added subpars. (B) to (D). 1996—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 104–106 added par. (3). 1993—Subsec. (e)(2)(B). Pub. L. 103–160 inserted “(i)” after “grade and competitive category”, inserted “(ii)” after “of this title, or”, and struck out comma after “any provision of law”. 1991—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 102–190 designated existing provisions as pars. (1) and (2)(A), in par. (2)(A) inserted “(except as provided in subparagraph (B))” after “under this section, such list”, and added subpars. (B) and (C). 1990—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 101–510, § 521(b)(2)(A), added par. (3). Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 101–510, § 521(b)(2)(B), inserted “or section 638a of this title” after “under this section”. 1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–456 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “A regular officer on the active-duty list of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps— “(1) who holds the regular grade of lieutenant colonel or commander and has failed of selection for promotion to the grade of colonel or, in the case of an officer of the Navy, captain two or more times and whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion; “(2) who holds the regular grade of colonel or, in the case of an officer of the Navy, captain and has served at least four years of active duty in that grade and whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion; “(3) who holds the regular grade of brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half) and has served at least three and one-half years of active duty in that grade and whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion; or “(4) who holds the regular grade of major general or rear admiral and has served at least three and one-half years of active duty in that grade, may be considered for early retirement by a selection board convened under section 611(b) of this title. The Secretary of the military department concerned shall specify the number of officers described in clauses (1) and (2) which such a board may recommend for early retirement, but such number may not be more than 30 percent of the number of officers considered in each grade in each competitive category.” 1985—Subsecs. (a)(3), (b), (c). Pub. L. 99–145 substituted “rear admiral (lower half)” for “commodore” wherever appearing. 1981—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 97–86 substituted “commodore” for “commodore admiral”. Subsec. (a)(3), (4). Pub. L. 97–22 substituted “three and one-half years of active duty” for “four years of active duty”. Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 97–86 substituted “commodore” for “commodore admiral” wherever appearing.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–86 effective Sept. 15, 1981, see section 405(f) of Pub. L. 97–86, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

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. § 638

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73