§2150 Captains; continuation on active duty; involuntary retirement

Summary

The Secretary can hold a board, no more than once a year, to pick which captains stay on active duty. The board must have at least 6 officers who are rear admiral (lower half) or rear admiral. It looks at captains on the active duty promotion list who will finish at least 3 years as a captain during that promotion year and who were not picked for promotion to rear admiral (lower half). Captains who must be retired under section 2149 are not considered. The Secretary creates a "continuation zone" made of the most senior eligible captains who have not been in a zone before, and decides how many captains are in it. The Secretary tells the board how many officers it may recommend, and that number must be at least 50 percent of those considered. The board then chooses the best-qualified officers up to that number. The Secretary sets the detailed rules, reviews the board report, can send it back for fixes, and then sends it to the President for approval. Proceedings are kept private. Captains considered but not recommended are retired on June 30 of that promotion year, or when they complete 20 years of active service if that comes later. The Commandant may annually keep an officer on active duty instead of letting them retire; if kept, the officer will be retired on June 30 of the promotion year when no further retention action is taken.