Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§183 Department of Defense Board of Actuaries

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART I — ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL MILITARY POWERS › CHAPTER 7 — BOARDS, COUNCILS, AND COMMITTEES › § 183

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Department of Defense must have a Board of Actuaries made up of three actuaries chosen by the Secretary of Defense from members of the Society of Actuaries. Each member serves a 15-year term, or the rest of a term if filling a vacancy, and may stay until a successor is named. The Secretary can remove a member only for misconduct or failing to do the job. Members who are not government employees are paid the daily equivalent of the current highest General Schedule basic pay and get travel pay and per diem. The Board must review the actuarial valuations of the Military Retirement Fund, the Education Benefits Fund, and any other funds the Secretary names. It must send a report to the President and Congress at least once every four years about the Military Retirement Fund and recommend changes to keep funds actuarially sound. The Secretary must give the Board the records it needs. The Board also must give the Secretary an annual report on the actuarial status of each named fund and provide advice when asked.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §183

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In General.—
There shall be in the Department of Defense a Department of Defense Board of Actuaries (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Board”).
(b)Members.—
(1)The Board shall consist of three members who shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense from among qualified professional actuaries who are members of the Society of Actuaries.
(2)The members of the Board shall serve for a term of 15 years, except that a member of the Board appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the end of the term for which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall only serve until the end of such term. A member may serve after the end of the member’s term until the member’s successor takes office.
(3)A member of the Board may be removed by the Secretary of Defense only for misconduct or failure to perform functions vested in the Board.
(4)A member of the Board who is not an employee of the United States is entitled to receive pay at the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay of the highest rate of basic pay then currently being paid under the General Schedule of subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5 for each day the member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Board and is entitled to travel expenses, including a per diem allowance, in accordance with section 5703 of that title in connection with such duties.
(c)Duties.—
The Board shall have the following duties:
(1)To review valuations of the Department of Defense Military Retirement Fund in accordance with section 1465(c) of this title and submit to the President and Congress, not less often than once every four years, a report on the status of that Fund, including such recommendations for modifications to the funding or amortization of that Fund as the Board considers appropriate and necessary to maintain that Fund on a sound actuarial basis.
(2)To review valuations of the Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund in accordance with section 2006(e) of this title and make recommendations to the President and Congress on such modifications to the funding or amortization of that Fund as the Board considers appropriate to maintain that Fund on a sound actuarial basis.
(3)To review valuations of such other funds as the Secretary of Defense shall specify for purposes of this section and make recommendations to the President and Congress on such modifications to the funding or amortization of such funds as the Board considers appropriate to maintain such funds on a sound actuarial basis.
(d)Records.—
The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the Board has access to such records regarding the funds referred to in subsection (c) as the Board shall require to determine the actuarial status of such funds.
(e)Reports.—
(1)The Board shall submit to the Secretary of Defense on an annual basis a report on the actuarial status of each of the following:
(A)The Department of Defense Military Retirement Fund.
(B)The Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund.
(C)Each other fund specified by Secretary under subsection (c)(3).
(2)The Board shall also furnish its advice and opinion on matters referred to it by the Secretary.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 183, added Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title IX, § 904(a), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1854, required the Secretary of Defense to report annually on the justification or requirement and projected costs of Department of Defense advisory committees, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title X, § 1041(a)(1)(A), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2645.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Initial Service as Board Members Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title IX, § 906(a)(3), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 277, provided that: “Each member of the Department of Defense Retirement Board of Actuaries or the Department of Defense Education Benefits Board of Actuaries as of the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 28, 2008] shall serve as an initial member of the Department of Defense Board of Actuaries under section 183 of title 10, United States Code (as added by paragraph (1)), from that date until the date otherwise provided for the completion of such individual’s term as a member of the Department of Defense Retirement Board of Actuaries or the Department of Defense Education Benefits Board of Actuaries, as the case may be, unless earlier removed by the Secretary of Defense.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 183

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110