Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— General Military Law › Part II— PERSONNEL › Chapter 59— SEPARATION › § 1176
If a regular enlisted member is being involuntarily separated or is denied reenlistment and is within two years of qualifying for retirement or for transfer to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve, the member must be kept on active duty until they actually qualify for that retirement or transfer, unless they are retired or discharged sooner under some other law. A reserve enlisted member on active duty who is being involuntarily separated or denied reenlistment (except for physical disability or for cause) and who has at least 18 but less than 20 years of credited service may not be discharged, denied reenlistment, or moved off active duty without their consent before the earlier of two things: the date they reach 20 years of credited service, or a time limit after the original discharge/transfer date — three years if they have 18 up to less than 19 years, or two years if they have 19 up to less than 20 years.
Full Legal Text
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 1176
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 3, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60