Title 10 › Subtitle E — Reserve Components › PART II — PERSONNEL GENERALLY › CHAPTER 1221 — SEPARATION › § 12686
If a reserve member is on active duty (not for training) and is within two years of qualifying for retired pay or retainer pay under a purely military retirement system (but not the system under chapter 1223), they cannot be forced off that active duty before they reach eligibility unless the Secretary approves. The Secretary must set rules for this, and those rules should be as consistent as possible. If a reserve member is ordered to active duty for less than 180 days under section 12301, the Secretary can require the member to waive this protection for that short tour. The Secretary may ask for the waiver to be signed before the active duty starts.
Full Legal Text
Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 12686
Title 10, Armed Forces
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110