Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73not60

§12741 Retirement for Service in an Active Status Performed in the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve After Eligibility for Regular Retirement

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle E— Reserve Components › Part II— PERSONNEL GENERALLY › Chapter 1223— RETIRED PAY FOR NON-REGULAR SERVICE › § 12741

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

You can choose to get retirement pay under this chapter instead of the retirement or retainer pay from chapters 65, 741, 841, or 941 if you meet three rules: you satisfy the basic eligibility tests in section 12731(a)(1)–(2), you served in an active status in the Selected Reserve after you first became eligible to retire under one of those other chapters, and you finished at least two years of satisfactory service in that active status (time on active duty does not count). When you make the choice, the Secretary will cancel your right to retire or receive pay under those other chapters and, for reserve commissioned officers, move you to the Retired Reserve. You must submit the election in the form and time the Secretary requires. If the Secretary gets your election within 180 days after you reach the eligibility age in section 12731(f), it takes effect as of that age. If the Secretary gets it later than 180 days, or you retire from active status during that 180-day period, it becomes effective the first day of the month after the Secretary receives it. The Secretary may waive the two-year rule for someone who served at least one year as an adjutant general (or assistant) and left only because the appointment was terminated as described in title 32, section 324(b).

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §12741

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Notwithstanding the requirement in paragraph (4) of section 12731(a) of this title that a person may not receive retired pay under this chapter when the person is entitled, under any other provision of law, to retired pay or retainer pay, a person may elect to receive retired pay under this chapter, instead of receiving retired or retainer pay under chapter 65, 741, 841, or 941 of this title, if the person—
(A)satisfies the requirements specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of such section for entitlement to retired pay under this chapter;
(B)served in an active status in the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve after becoming eligible for retirement under chapter 65, 741, 841, or 941 of this title (without regard to whether the person actually retired or received retired or retainer pay under one of those chapters); and
(C)completed not less than two years of satisfactory service (as determined by the Secretary concerned) in such active status (excluding any period of active service).
(2)The Secretary concerned may reduce the minimum two-year service requirement specified in paragraph (1)(C) in the case of a person who—
(A)completed at least one year of service in a position of adjutant general required under section 314 of title 32 or in a position of assistant adjutant general subordinate to such a position of adjutant general; and
(B)failed to complete the minimum years of service solely because the appointment of the person to such position was terminated or vacated as described in section 324(b) of title 32.
(b)As of the effective date of an election made by a person under subsection (a), the Secretary concerned shall—
(1)terminate the eligibility of the person to retire under chapter 65, 741, 841, or 941 of this title, if the person is not already retired under one of those chapters, and terminate entitlement of the person to retired or retainer pay under one of those chapters, if the person was already receiving retired or retainer pay under one of those chapters; and
(2)in the case of a reserve commissioned officer, transfer the officer to the Retired Reserve.
(c)An election under subsection (a) shall be made within such time and in such form as the Secretary concerned requires.
(d)An election made by a person under subsection (a) shall be effective—
(1)except as provided in paragraph (2)(B), as of the date on which the person attains the eligibility age applicable to the person under section 12731(f) of this title, if the Secretary concerned receives the election in accordance with this section within 180 days after that date; or
(2)on the first day of the first month that begins after the date on which the Secretary concerned receives the election in accordance with this section, if—
(A)the date of the receipt of the election is more than 180 days after the date on which the person attains the eligibility age applicable to the person under such section; or
(B)the person retires from service in an active status within that 180-day period.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “chapter 65, 741, 841, or 941” for “chapter 65, 367, 571, or 867” in introductory provisions and in subpar. (B). Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “chapter 65, 741, 841, or 941” for “chapter 65, 367, 571, or 867”. 2009—Pub. L. 111–84, § 643(e)(1), substituted “Retirement for service in an active status performed in the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve after eligibility for regular retirement” for “Retirement from active reserve service performed after regular retirement” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–84, § 643(a), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “(a) Election of Reserve Retired Pay.—A person who, after becoming entitled to retired or retainer pay under chapter 65, 367, 571, or 867 of this title, serves in an active status in a reserve component is entitled to retired pay under this chapter if— “(1) the person would, but for paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 12731(a) of this title, otherwise be entitled to retired pay under this chapter; “(2) the person elects under this section to receive retired pay under this chapter; and “(3) the person’s service in an active status after having become entitled to retired or retainer pay under that chapter is determined by the Secretary concerned to have been satisfactory.” Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 111–84, § 643(b), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “terminate the person’s entitlement to retired or retainer pay under the applicable chapter of this title referred to in subsection (a); and”. Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 111–84, § 643(c)(1), substituted “attains the eligibility age applicable to the person under section 12731(f) of this title” for “attains 60 years of age”. Subsec. (d)(2)(A). Pub. L. 111–84, § 643(c)(2), substituted “attains the eligibility age applicable to the person under such section” for “attains 60 years of age”. 2006—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 109–364 substituted “subsection (a)” for “subsection (b)”. 2001—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 107–107 substituted “receive” for “received”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Effective Date

Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title VI, § 653(b)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–165, provided that: “Section 12741 of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 30, 2000] and shall apply with respect to retired pay payable for months beginning on or after that

Effective Date

.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 12741

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60