§332 General bonus authority for officers

Summary

The Secretary of the military service may pay a bonus to a person, including an officer, for things like taking an officer’s commission, joining a reserve unit, agreeing to stay on active duty for a set time, switching between regular and reserve status, or transferring between services (including moves to or from the Space Force when the receiving Secretary approves). The person must agree to serve in a specific job, field, unit, or grade, or follow other conditions the Secretary sets. A written agreement must state the bonus amount, how it will be paid (lump sum or installments), the required service period, and the service conditions. The Secretary decides the amount but there are caps: up to $60,000 for accepting a commission with at least three years of service; up to $20,000 for joining a reserve with at least three years; up to $50,000 per year for each year of obligated service in a regular component or in the Space Force on sustained duty under section 20105 of title 10; up to $12,000 per year for each year in a reserve component or in the Space Force in active status not on sustained duty under section 20105 of title 10; and up to $10,000 for the listed transfers. The bonus is extra pay. If the person does not finish the agreed service or meet the conditions, they must repay under section 373. No new agreements can be made after December 31, 2026.