Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110
§20601 Officers: Voluntary Retirement for Length of Service
Title 10 › Subtitle F — Alternative Military Personnel Systems › PART I — SPACE FORCE › CHAPTER 2013 — VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT FOR LENGTH OF SERVICE › § 20601
Summary
Space Force commissioned officers can ask to retire once their service (counted under section 20602) hits certain lengths. At 20 years (including at least 10 years of active commissioned service) the Secretary of the Air Force can approve; at 30 years the President may approve; at 40 years retirement must be granted unless section 20503 applies.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §20601
Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Twenty Years or More.—
The Secretary of the Air Force may, upon the officer’s request, retire a commissioned officer of the Space Force who has at least 20 years of service computed under section 20602 of this title, at least 10 years of which have been active service as a commissioned officer.
(b)Thirty Years or More.—
A commissioned officer of the Space Force who has at least 30 years of service computed under section 20602 of this title may be retired upon the officer’s request, in the discretion of the President.
(c)Forty Years or More.—
Except as provided in section 20503 of this title, a commissioned officer of the Space Force who has at least 40 years of service computed under section 20602 of this title shall be retired upon the officer’s request.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 20601
Title 10, Armed Forces
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110