§505 — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

Summary

The head of each military branch can enlist people into the Regular Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. Enlistees must be qualified, able-bodied, and between 17 and 42 years old. If a person is under 18, they need written permission from a parent or guardian who has custody. Each branch sets the rank or rating a person gets when they enlist. Initial enlistments can be for the time someone is still a minor (under 18) or for between 2 and 8 years. When someone reenlists, the length depends on how much service they already have. If they have less than 10 years before reenlisting, the new term must be 2–8 years. If they have 10 years or more, they can reenlist for 2–8 years or for an unspecified period. No reenlistment can end before the person’s current enlistment ends. For Space Force enlistments, see sections 20301 and 20302.

Title 10, §505

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary concerned may accept original enlistments in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be, of qualified, effective, and able-bodied persons who are not less than seventeen years of age nor more than forty-two years of age. However, no person under eighteen years of age may be originally enlisted without the written consent of his parent or guardian, if he has a parent or guardian entitled to his custody and control.

(b)A person is enlisted in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard in the grade or rating prescribed by the Secretary concerned.

(c)The Secretary concerned may accept original enlistments of persons for the duration of their minority or for a period of at least two but not more than eight years, in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be.

(d)(1)The Secretary concerned may accept a reenlistment in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be, for a period determined under this subsection.

(2)In the case of a member who has less than 10 years of service in the armed forces as of the day before the first day of the period for which reenlisted, the period for which the member reenlists shall be at least two years but not more than eight years.

(3)In the case of a member who has at least 10 years of service in the armed forces as of the day before the first day of the period for which reenlisted, the Secretary concerned may accept a reenlistment for either—

(A)a specified period of at least two years but not more than eight years; or

(B)an unspecified period.

(4)No enlisted member is entitled to be reenlisted for a period that would expire before the end of the member’s current enlistment.

(e)For enlistments in the Space Force, see section 20301 and 20302 of this title.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Another section 505 was renumbered section 500e of this title.

Amendments

2023—Pub. L. 118–31, § 1717(b)(2)(A), struck out “Regular Space Force,” after “Regular Marine Corps,” wherever appearing. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1717(b)(2)(B), added subsec. (e). 2021—Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “Regular Marine Corps, Regular Space Force,” for “Regular Marine Corps,” wherever appearing. 2008—Subsec. (d)(2), (3)(A). Pub. L. 110–417 substituted “eight years” for “six years”. 2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–163, § 543, in first sentence, substituted “forty-two years of age” for “thirty-five years of age”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–163, § 544, substituted “eight years” for “six years”. 1996—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–201 amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (d) read as follows: “The Secretary concerned may accept reenlistments in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be, for period of at least two but not more than six years. No enlisted member is entitled to be reenlisted for a period that would expire before the end of his current enlistment.” 1983—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 98–94 substituted “at least two but not more than six years” for “two, three, four, five, or six years”. 1978—Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 95–485 redesignated subsec. (e) as (d). Former subsec. (d), which provided that in the Regular Army female persons may be enlisted only in the Women’s Army Corps, was struck out. 1974—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–290, § 1, struck out provisions which prohibited the Secretary from accepting original enlistments from female persons less than 18 years of age, and which required consent of the parent or guardian for an original enlistment of a female person under 21 years of age. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 93–290, § 2, substituted provisions permitting the Secretary to accept original enlistments of persons for the duration of their minority or for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years, for provisions which limited the Secretary to accept original enlistments from male persons for the duration of their minority or for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years, and from female persons for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

§505 Regular Components: Qualifications, Term, Grade