Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110
§14701 Selection of Officers for Continuation on the Reserve Active-status List
Title 10 › Subtitle E — Reserve Components › PART III — PROMOTION AND RETENTION OF OFFICERS ON THE RESERVE ACTIVE-STATUS LIST › CHAPTER 1409 — CONTINUATION OF OFFICERS ON THE RESERVE ACTIVE-STATUS LIST AND SELECTIVE EARLY REMOVAL › § 14701
Summary
Certain reserve officers who would otherwise be removed from the reserve active‑status list can be considered to stay on that list under rules the Secretary of Defense makes. That option applies mainly to first lieutenants (Army, Air Force, Marine Corps) or Navy lieutenants (junior grade) who are health professions officers or who are working toward a bachelor’s degree. Any decision must fit the service’s needs and follow section 14509. There are time limits based on rank: captains (Army/Air Force/Marine) and Navy lieutenants may not be kept past the last day of the month they reach 20 years of commissioned service; majors and lieutenant commanders not past 24 years; lieutenant colonels and commanders not past 33 years; and colonels and Navy captains not past 35 years. An officer who is offered continuation but turns it down will be separated under the listed separation rules. Health professions officers with a service obligation under section 16201 must be kept until that obligation is finished unless the Secretary decides otherwise; if they are later promoted or on a promotion list, they may remain. The Secretary of Defense must issue the regulations to run this program.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §14701
Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Consideration for Continuation.—
(1)(A)A reserve officer of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps described in subparagraph (B) who is required to be removed from the reserve active-status list under section 14504 of this title, or a reserve officer of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps who is required to be removed from the reserve active-status list under section 14505, 14506, or 14507 of this title, may be considered for continuation on the reserve active-status list under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
(B)A reserve officer covered by this subparagraph is a reserve officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps who holds the grade of first lieutenant, or a reserve officer of the Navy who holds the grade of lieutenant (junior grade), and who—
(i)is a health professions officer; or
(ii)is actively pursuing an undergraduate program of education leading to a baccalaureate degree.
(C)The consideration of a reserve officer for continuation on the reserve active-status list pursuant to this paragraph is subject to the needs of the service and to section 14509 of this title.
(2)A reserve officer who holds the grade of captain in the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps or the grade of lieutenant in the Navy and who is subject to separation under section 14513 of this title may not be continued on the reserve active-status list under this subsection for a period which extends beyond the last day of the month in which the officer completes 20 years of commissioned service.
(3)A reserve officer who holds the grade of major or lieutenant commander and who is subject to separation under section 14513 of this title may not be continued on the reserve active-status list under this subsection for a period which extends beyond the last day of the month in which the officer completes 24 years of commissioned service.
(4)A reserve officer who holds the grade of lieutenant colonel or commander and who is subject to separation under section 14514 of this title may not be continued on the reserve active-status list under this subsection for a period which extends beyond the last day of the month in which the officer completes 33 years of commissioned service.
(5)A reserve officer who holds the grade of colonel in the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps or the grade of captain in the Navy and who is subject to separation under section 14514 of this title may not be continued on the reserve active-status list under this subsection for a period which extends beyond the last day of the month in which the officer completes 35 years of commissioned service.
(6)An officer who is selected for continuation on the reserve active-status list under regulations prescribed under paragraph (1) but who declines to continue on that list shall be separated in accordance with section 14513 or 14514 of this title, as the case may be.
(7)Each officer who is continued on the reserve active-status list under this section, who is not subsequently promoted or continued on the active-status list, and whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the next higher grade shall (unless sooner separated under another provision of law) be separated in accordance with section 14513 or 14514 of this title, as appropriate, upon the expiration of the period for which the officer was continued on the reserve active-status list.
(b)Continuation of Health Professions Officers.—
(1)Notwithstanding subsection (a)(6), a health professions officer obligated to a period of service incurred under section 16201 of this title who is required to be removed from the reserve active-status list under section 14504, 14505, 14506, or 14507 of this title and who has not completed a service obligation incurred under section 16201 of this title shall be retained on the reserve active-status list until the completion of such service obligation and then discharged, unless sooner retired or discharged under another provision of law.
(2)The Secretary concerned may waive the applicability of paragraph (1) to any officer if the Secretary determines that completion of the service obligation of that officer is not in the best interest of the service.
(3)A health professions officer who is continued on the reserve active-status list under this subsection who is subsequently promoted or whose name is on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the next higher grade is not required to be discharged or retired upon completion of the officer’s service obligation. Such officer may continue on the reserve active-status list as other officers of the same grade unless separated under another provision of law.
(c)Regulations.—
The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations for the administration of this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2014—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–291, § 511(a), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), substituted “A reserve officer of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps described in subparagraph (B) who is required to be removed from the reserve active-status list under section 14504 of this title, or a reserve officer of” for “A reserve officer of” and “of this title, may” for “of this title may, subject to the needs of the service and to section 14509 of this title,”, and added subpars. (B) and (C). Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 113–291, § 511(b), added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c). 2003—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 108–136, § 511(a)(1)(A), substituted “under
Regulations
prescribed by the Secretary of Defense” for “by a selection board convened under section 14101(b) of this title”. Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 108–136, § 511(a)(1)(B), substituted “under
Regulations
prescribed under paragraph (1)” for “as a result of the convening of a selection board under section 14101(b) of this title”. Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 108–136, § 511(a)(2), (3), redesignated subsec. (d) as (b) and struck out former subsecs. (b) and (c) which read as follows: “(b) Approval of Secretary Concerned.—Continuation of an officer on the reserve active-status list under this section pursuant to action of a continuation board convened under section 14101(b) of this title is subject to the approval of the Secretary of the military department concerned. “(c) Instructions To Continuation Boards.—A continuation board convened under section 14101(b) of this title to consider officers for continuation on the reserve active-status list under this section shall act in accordance with the instructions and directions provided to the board by the Secretary of the military department concerned.” 2000—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 106–398 substituted “A reserve officer” for “Upon application, a 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. § 14701
Title 10, Armed Forces
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110