Title 14Coast GuardRelease 119-73

§3752 Retention boards; removal from an active status to provide a flow of promotion

Title 14 › Subtitle SUBTITLE III— - COAST GUARD RESERVE AND AUXILIARY › Chapter CHAPTER 37— - COAST GUARD RESERVE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - PERSONNEL › § 3752

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can set up a retention board to review active Reserve officers in a single grade who have 18 or more years of service when it is needed to create promotion openings or cut too many officers in that grade. The board will not review officers who are on extended active duty, who are already selected for promotion, who will reach 30 years of commissioned service by the June 30 after the board meets, or who are already 59 years old when the board meets. The board should, when possible, be at least 50% Reserve officers, only include members senior in rank to those reviewed, and, when possible, avoid using officers who served on the prior board for the same grade. If the board does not recommend keeping an officer on active status, the officer must be offered a chance to move to the Retired Reserve if they qualify under section 12646 of title 10. If not transferred, the Secretary may place the officer on the inactive status list or discharge them on the next June 30 after the board’s report is approved. Rules in section 2117 also apply to these boards unless they conflict with this part.

Full Legal Text

Title 14, §3752

Coast Guard — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, whenever the Secretary determines that it is necessary to reduce the number of Reserve officers in an active status in any grade to provide a steady flow of promotion, or that there is an excessive number of Reserve officers in an active status in any grade, the Secretary may appoint and convene a retention board to consider all of the Reserve officers in that grade in an active status who have 18 years or more of service for retirement, except those officers who—
(1)are on extended active duty;
(2)are on a list of selectees for promotion;
(3)will complete 30 years total commissioned service by June 30th following the date that the retention board is convened; or
(4)have reached age 59 by the date on which the retention board is convened.
(b)This board shall—
(1)to the extent practicable, consist of at least 50 per centum Reserve officers;
(2)consist only of officers who are senior in rank to any officers being considered by that board; and
(3)to the extent practicable, consist of officers who have not served on the last previous retention board which considered officers of the same grade.
(c)Subject to section 12646 of title 10, a Reserve officer who is not recommended for retention in an active status under this section shall be given an opportunity to transfer to the Retired Reserve, if qualified, but unless so transferred shall, in the discretion of the Secretary, be transferred to the inactive status list or discharged on June 30 next following the date on which the report of the retention board is approved.
(d)The provisions of section 2117 of this title shall, to the extent that they are not inconsistent with this subchapter, apply to boards convened under this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 787a of this title prior to the complete revision of former chapter 21 of this title by Pub. L. 96–322.

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–282, § 118(b), renumbered section 741 of this title as this section. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 2117” for “section 260”. 1996—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–106 substituted “section 12646 of title 10” for “section 1006 of title 10”. 1994—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–337, which directed amendment of subsec. (b) by substituting “section 12646 of title 10” for “section 1006 of title 10”, could not be executed because the words “section 1006 of title 10” did not appear in subsec. (b). 1993—Pub. L. 103–206 in subsec. (a) in first sentence substituted “, except those officers who—” and pars. (1) to (4) for “and are not on active duty and not on an approved list of selectees for promotion to the next higher grade”, realigned margin of second sentence, inserted “(b)” before “This board shall—” in third sentence and realigned margin, and redesignated former subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d), respectively. 1989—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–225 inserted “who have 18 years or more of service for retirement and are” before “not on active duty”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–106 effective as if included in the Reserve Officer Personnel Management Act, title XVI of Pub. L. 103–337, as enacted on Oct. 5, 1994, see section 1501(f)(3) of Pub. L. 104–106, set out as a note under section 113 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Effective Date

of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–337 effective Dec. 1, 1994, except as otherwise provided, see section 1691 of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 10001 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

14 U.S.C. § 3752

Title 14Coast Guard

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73