Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73not60

§14314 Army and Air Force Commissioned Officers: Generals Ceasing to Occupy Positions Commensurate with Grade; State Adjutants General

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle E— Reserve Components › Part III— PROMOTION AND RETENTION OF OFFICERS ON THE RESERVE ACTIVE-STATUS LIST › Chapter 1405— PROMOTIONS › § 14314

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

When a reserve general in the Army or the Air Force stops holding a job that matches their general rank (or a higher rank), the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Air Force must, within 30 days, carry out the officer’s choice to be moved or removed. The officer can choose one of four things: move in grade to the Retired Reserve if they qualify and ask; move in grade to the inactive Standby Reserve if they qualify; be discharged and, if they qualify and ask, be reappointed at the reserve grade they had before becoming a general; or be discharged. If the officer is leaving a joint duty or other non-joint active-duty job, the Secretary has up to 60 days to do this. If a National Guard officer has federal recognition only because they were a State adjutant general or assistant adjutant general and they leave that post, the Secretary must withdraw the federal recognition within 30 days and require one of three outcomes: transfer to the Retired Reserve if qualified and requested, be discharged and reappointed at their prior reserve grade if qualified and requested, or be discharged. An officer who is reappointed to a lower reserve grade under these rules is given credit for time served in that grade equal to the time they previously served on active duty in that grade and any higher grade.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §14314

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), within 30 days after a reserve officer of the Army or the Air Force on the reserve active-status list in a general officer grade ceases to occupy a position commensurate with that grade (or commensurate with a higher grade), the Secretary concerned shall transfer or discharge the officer in accordance with whichever of the following the officer elects:
(A)Transfer the officer in grade to the Retired Reserve, if the officer is qualified and applies for the transfer.
(B)Transfer the officer in grade to the inactive status list of the Standby Reserve, if the officer is qualified.
(C)Discharge the officer from the officer’s reserve appointment and, if the officer is qualified and applies therefor, appoint the officer in the reserve grade held by the officer as a reserve officer before the officer’s appointment in a general officer grade.
(D)Discharge the officer from the officer’s reserve appointment.
(2)For any general officer covered by paragraph (1) who is released from a joint duty assignment or other non-joint active-duty assignment, the Secretary concerned shall complete the transfer or discharge required by paragraph (1) not later than 60 days after the officer’s release.
(b)If a reserve officer who is federally recognized in the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard solely because of the officer’s appointment as adjutant general or assistant adjutant general of a State ceases to occupy that position, the Secretary concerned, not later than 30 days after the date on which the officer ceases to occupy that position, shall—
(1)withdraw that officer’s Federal recognition; and
(2)require that the officer—
(A)be transferred in grade to the Retired Reserve, if the officer is qualified and applies for the transfer;
(B)be discharged from the officer’s reserve appointment and appointed in the reserve grade held by the officer as a reserve officer immediately before the appointment of that officer as adjutant general or assistant adjutant general, if the officer is qualified and applies for that appointment; or
(C)be discharged from the officer’s reserve appointment.
(c)An officer who is appointed under subsection (a)(1)(C) or (b)(2)(B) shall be credited with an amount of service in the grade in which appointed that is equal to the amount of prior service in an active status in that grade and in any higher grade.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 3375, 8375, and 8381 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–337, § 1629(a)(1), (c)(1).

Amendments

2024—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 118–159, § 512(1), designated introductory provisions as par. (1) and substituted “Except as provided in paragraph (2), within” for “Within”, redesignated former pars. (1) to (4) as subpars. (A) to (D), respectively, of par. (1), and added par. (2). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 118–159, § 512(2), substituted “subsection (a)(1)(C)” for “subsection (a)(3)”. 1996—Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 104–201 struck out “of the Air Force” after “reserve officer”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 1691(b)(1) of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as a note under section 10001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 14314

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60