Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 61 — RETIREMENT OR SEPARATION FOR PHYSICAL DISABILITY › § 1210
Members on the temporary disability retired list must get a physical exam at least once every 18 months to see if their condition changed. If they miss an exam after proper notice, their disability pay can stop. Pay will start again if they had a good reason for missing the exam, and any restarted payments can be made retroactive for up to one year. The Secretary must make a final decision three years after a member is placed on the list. If the disability still exists then, it is treated as permanent and stable. If the member has to travel for an exam, they get travel pay like other members on temporary duty. If not removed earlier, disability retired pay ends when the three years are up. When a periodic or final exam shows the disability is permanent and stable, what happens next depends on the disability rating and years of service. If the disability is 30% or more, the member is moved off the temporary list and given regular military retirement. If it is under 30% but the member has at least 20 years of service, the member is also retired with regular retired pay. If it is under 30% and the member has less than 20 years, the member may be separated from service. If the exam shows the member is fit for duty, they can be returned to duty or, if rules say, discharged, retired, or transferred. Any retirement or transfer pay is figured as if the member had been reappointed or reenlisted before leaving the temporary list, and retired pay starts the day after the last day of disability retired pay.
Full Legal Text
Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 1210
Title 10, Armed Forces
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102