Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73
§7343 Highest grade held satisfactorily: Reserve enlisted members reduced in grade not as a result of the member’s misconduct
Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle B— - Army › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 743— - RETIRED GRADE › § 7343
Summary
Reserve enlisted members of the Army who retire under section 7314 must be retired at the highest enlisted rank they served in satisfactorily on active duty or on full-time National Guard duty, as the Secretary of the Army decides. This applies when, at retirement, they hold a lower rank because they were earlier reduced in rank by an administrative action that was not caused by their own misconduct. It applies to retirements after September 30, 1996.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §7343
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A Reserve enlisted member of the Army described in subsection (b) who is retired under section 7314 of this title shall be retired in the highest enlisted grade in which the member served on active duty satisfactorily (or, in the case of a member of the National Guard, in which the member served on full-time National Guard duty satisfactorily), as determined by the Secretary of the Army.
(b)This section applies to a Reserve enlisted member who—
(1)at the time of retirement is serving on active duty (or, in the case of a member of the National Guard, on full-time National Guard duty) in a grade lower than the highest enlisted grade held by the member while on active duty (or full-time National Guard duty); and
(2)was previously administratively reduced in grade not as a result of the member’s own misconduct, as determined by the Secretary of the Army.
(c)This section applies with respect to Reserve enlisted members who are retired under section 7314 of this title after September 30, 1996.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 7343, act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 454, related to manufacture of naval aircraft at plants owned by United States under certain circumstances, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title VIII, § 824(a)(9), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1708.
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–232, § 808(b)(13), renumbered section 3963 of this title as this section. Subsecs. (a), (c). Pub. L. 115–232, § 809(a), substituted “section 7314” for “section 3914”.
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.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 7343
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73