Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73not60
§14902 Separation for Substandard Performance and for Certain Other Reasons
Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle E— Reserve Components › Part III— PROMOTION AND RETENTION OF OFFICERS ON THE RESERVE ACTIVE-STATUS LIST › Chapter 1411— ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION › § 14902
Summary
Each military department must make rules to review a reserve officer’s record whenever needed. The review decides if the officer must explain why they should stay on active duty because of poor performance, misconduct, moral or professional failings, or if keeping them may hurt national security. The Secretary of Defense can limit how this is used.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §14902
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Secretary of the military department concerned shall prescribe, by regulation, procedures for the review at any time of the record of any reserve officer to determine whether that officer should be required, because that officer’s performance has fallen below standards prescribed by the Secretary concerned, to show cause for retention in an active status.
(b)The Secretary of the military department concerned shall prescribe, by regulation, procedures for the review at any time of the record of any reserve officer to determine whether that officer should be required, because of misconduct, because of moral or professional dereliction, or because the officer’s retention is not clearly consistent with the interests of national security, to show cause for retention in an active status.
(c)The authority of the Secretary of a military department under this section shall be carried out subject to such limitations as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe by regulation.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
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. § 14902
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 3, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60