§2123 Members of the Program: Active Duty Obligation; Failure to Complete Training; Release From Program

Summary

Members must serve a set amount of active duty. The Secretary of Defense makes the rules that say how long. The rules cannot let someone owe less than one year of active duty for each year they were in the program. Time spent in military intern or residency training does not count toward that required service. If a member is dropped for bad conduct, poor studies, or other reasons, the member may have to do active duty in a suitable military job to meet the required service. The head of the member’s military branch can cancel that active duty requirement, but that does not free the member from other military duties required by other laws. If a member is released from the active duty requirement before finishing it, the service head may assign other obligations, with or without the member’s agreement. Those alternatives may be service in another armed force for at least the remaining time, service in the Selected Reserve for at least twice the remaining time, or repayment of a percentage of the program costs under the repayment rules in section 303a(e) or 373 of title 37. If the member was separated because of a physical disability, the service head may instead assign civilian work as a health care professional in a uniformed-services facility for a period equal to the remaining obligation. The Secretary of Defense must write rules saying how these alternative obligations are given.