Title 14 — Coast GuardRelease 119-73

§2156 Deferment of retirement or separation for medical reasons

Title 14 › Subtitle SUBTITLE II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 21— - PERSONNEL; OFFICERS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - DISCHARGES; RETIREMENTS; REVOCATION OF COMMISSIONS; SEPARATION FOR CAUSE › § 2156

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can delay retiring or separating a commissioned officer (but not a commissioned warrant officer) when the officer’s medical exam or disability processing needs hospitalization, observation, or other steps that cannot finish before the planned date. The officer must agree to the delay, and if the officer sends a written withdrawal of that agreement, the delay ends no later than 60 days after the Secretary gets the withdrawal.

Full Legal Text

Title 14, §2156

Coast Guard — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary may defer the retirement or separation of a commissioned officer, other than a commissioned warrant officer, if the evaluation of the physical condition of the officer and determination of the officer’s entitlement to retirement or separation for physical disability require hospitalization, medical observation, or other physical disability processing that cannot be completed before the date on which the officer would otherwise be retired or separated.

(b)A deferment under subsection (a)—

(1)may only be made with the consent of the officer involved; and

(2)if the Secretary receives written notice from the officer withdrawing that consent, shall end not later than the end of the sixty-day period beginning on the date the Secretary receives that notice.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 295 of this title as this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

14 U.S.C. § 2156

Title 14 — Coast Guard

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73