Title 14 — Coast GuardRelease 119-73
§3738 Constructive credit upon initial appointment
Title 14 › Subtitle SUBTITLE III— - COAST GUARD RESERVE AND AUXILIARY › Chapter CHAPTER 37— - COAST GUARD RESERVE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - PERSONNEL › § 3738
Summary
The Secretary may give Reserve officers rank dates and seniority based on their background. A Reserve judge advocate then gets at least 1 year of active-service credit, and a person with a Ph.D. or similar medical degree (as the Secretary decides) in a Navy medical assignment gets at least 3 years.
Full Legal Text
Title 14, §3738
Coast Guard — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, an individual, appointed as a Reserve officer, may be assigned a date of rank and precedence which reflects that individual’s experience, education, or other qualifications. For the purpose of this subchapter only, an individual appointed for the purpose of assignment or designation as a judge advocate in the Reserve shall be credited with a minimum of one year service in an active status. An individual holding a doctor of philosophy, or a comparable degree, in medicine or in a science allied to medicine as determined by the Secretary, may be credited with a minimum of three years service in an active status if appointed for an assignment comparable to that of an officer in the Navy Medical Department.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 773 of this title prior to the complete revision of former chapter 21 of this title by Pub. L. 96–322.
Amendments
2021—Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “an individual” for “a person” in two places, and substituted “individual’s” for “person’s” and “An individual” for “A person”. 2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 727 of this title as this section. 2006—Pub. L. 109–241 substituted “judge advocate” for “law specialist”. 2004—Pub. L. 108–293 substituted “one year” for “three years” in second sentence.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
14 U.S.C. § 3738
Title 14 — Coast Guard
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73