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

Summary

Sets a cap on how many top officers can be on active duty in each military service. The limits are: Army 219, Navy 150, Air Force 168, Marine Corps 64, and Space Force 24. The Secretary of Defense can call up to 232 officer jobs as “joint duty” so those jobs do not count against the service limits. Unless the Secretary decides a lower number is better, at least these joint jobs must be from each service: Army 75, Navy 53, Air Force 68, Marine Corps 17, Space Force 6. Some officers do not count against the caps. That includes reserve or Space Force officers on active duty for training or for less than 180 days. Reserve officers can be put on active duty for 180 to 365 days if authorized, but the number in each service cannot be more than 10 percent of that service’s authorized generals or flag officers under section 12004 (fractions are rounded down to the next whole number greater than zero). The Air Force Secretary may allow up to two Space Force generals to serve 180–365 days. Reserve or Space Force officers may be on active duty longer than 365 days and up to three years, but no more than five such officers per service who are not in joint jobs, unless the Secretary of Defense approves more. Short stopgap rules let officers count as active for up to 60 days when they are on leave before retirement, between assignments, or in certain Space Force transitions. A temporary joint job can be excluded for up to one year. An officer leaving a joint job is excluded for 60 days; that 60-day period can be extended by 120 days, but only three officers per service may have that extra extension at the same time. The Marine Corps’ Medical Officer is exempt. Up to 35 positions can be designated as the Secretary of Defense Adaptive Force Account and not count against the limits. If a service secretary wants to take an action that would raise a service’s active top-officer count above the “baseline,” they must notify the Armed Services Committees and wait 60 calendar days. The baseline is the lower of the statutory limit or the actual number counted on January 1, 2023. The same 60-day rule and baseline apply to actions that would raise the number of joint-duty officers. Each year by March 1, the Secretary of Defense must report the numbers as of January 1. The Secretary of Defense may also shift some one- and two-star slots between services, but each increase must be matched by a one-for-one reduction in another service (not the Coast Guard). The total number of such increases, combined with related increases under section 526(k)(1), cannot exceed 15 at one time. No such increase can take effect until 30 days after written notice of the change and the matching reductions is sent to the Armed Services Committees.

Title 10, §526

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The number of general officers on active duty in the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, and the number of flag officers on active duty in the Navy, may not exceed the number specified for the armed force concerned as follows:

(1)For the Army, 219.

(2)For the Navy, 150.

(3)For the Air Force, 168.

(4)For the Marine Corps, 64.

(5)For the Space Force, 24.

(b)(1)The Secretary of Defense may designate up to 232 general officer and flag officer positions that are joint duty assignments for purposes of chapter 38 of this title for exclusion from the limitations in subsection (a).

(2)Unless the Secretary of Defense determines that a lower number is in the best interest of the Department of Defense, the minimum number of officers serving in positions designated under paragraph (1) for each armed force shall be as follows:

(A)For the Army, 75.

(B)For the Navy, 53.

(C)For the Air Force, 68.

(D)For the Marine Corps, 17.

(E)For the Space Force, 6.

(c)The limitations of this section do not apply to the following:

(1)A general or flag officer of a reserve component or of the Space Force who is on active duty—

(A)for training; or

(B)under a call or order specifying a period of less than 180 days.

(2)(A)A general or flag officer of a reserve component who is authorized by the Secretary of the military department concerned to serve on active duty for a period of at least 180 days and not longer than 365 days.

(B)The Secretary of the military department concerned may authorize a number, determined under subparagraph (C), of officers in the reserve component of each armed force under the jurisdiction of that Secretary to serve as described in subparagraph (A).

(C)Each number described in subparagraph (B) may not exceed 10 percent of the number of general or flag officers, as the case may be, authorized to serve in the armed force concerned under section 12004 of this title. In determining a number under this subparagraph, any fraction shall be rounded down to the next whole number that is greater than zero.

(D)The Secretary of the Air Force may authorize not more than two of the general officers authorized to serve in the Space Force under section 20110 of this title to serve on active service for a period of at least 180 days and not longer than 365 days.

(3)(A)A general or flag officer of a reserve component, or a Space Force general officer in a Space Force active status not on sustained duty, who is on active duty for a period longer than 365 days and not longer than three years.

(B)The number of officers described in subparagraph (A) who do not serve in a position that is a joint duty assignment for purposes of chapter 38 of this title may not exceed five per armed force, unless authorized by the Secretary of Defense.

(d)The limitations of this section do not apply to—

(1)an officer of an armed force in the grade of brigadier general or above or, in the case of the Navy, in the grade of rear admiral (lower half) or above, who is on leave pending the retirement, separation, or release of that officer from active duty, but only during the 60-day period beginning on the date of the commencement of such leave of such officer;

(2)an officer of an armed force who has been relieved from a position designated under section 601(a) of this title or by law to carry one of the grades specified in such section, but only during the 60-day period beginning on the date on which the assignment of the officer to the first position is terminated or until the officer is assigned to a second such position, whichever occurs first; or

(3)a Space Force officer in the grade of brigadier general or above who is pending transition off of sustained duty orders, but only during the 60-day period preceding the end date of such orders.

(e)(1)The limitations in subsection (a) do not apply to a general officer or flag officer assigned to a temporary joint duty assignment designated by the Secretary of Defense.

(2)A general officer or flag officer assigned to a temporary joint duty assignment as described in paragraph (1) may not be excluded under this subsection from the limitations in subsection (a) for a period of longer than one year.

(f)The limitations in subsection (a) do not apply to an officer released from a joint duty assignment, but only during the 60-day period beginning on the date the officer departs the joint duty assignment. The Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military department to extend the 60-day period by an additional 120 days, except that not more than three officers on active duty from each armed force may be covered by the additional extension at the same time.

(g)The limitations of this section do not apply to the flag officer who is serving as the Medical Officer of the Marine Corps.

(h)The limitations in subsection (a) and in section 525(a) of this title do not apply to a general officer or flag officer assigned to the Secretary of Defense Adaptive Force Account as designated by the Secretary of Defense. The total number of positions designated as the Secretary of Defense Adaptive Force Account for purposes of this subsection shall not exceed 35.

(i)(1)If the Secretary of a military department proposes an action that would increase above the baseline the number of general officers or flag officers of an armed force under the jurisdiction of that Secretary who would be on active duty and would count against the statutory limit applicable to that armed force under subsection (a), the action shall not take effect until after the end of the 60-calendar day period beginning on the date on which the Secretary provides notice of the proposed action, including the rationale for the action, to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

(2)In paragraph (1), the term “baseline” for an armed force means the lower of—

(A)the statutory limit of general officers or flag officers of that armed force under subsection (a); or

(B)the actual number of general officers or flag officers of that armed force who, as of January 1, 2023, counted toward the statutory limit of general officers or flag officers of that armed force under subsection (a).

(j)(1)If the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff proposes an action that would increase above the baseline the number of general officers and flag officers of the armed forces in joint duty assignments who count against the statutory limit under subsection (b)(1), the action shall not take effect until after the end of the 60-calendar day period beginning on the date on which such Secretary or the Chairman, as the case may be, provides notice of the proposed action, including the rationale for the action, to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

(2)In paragraph (1), the term “baseline” means the lower of—

(A)the statutory limit on general officer and flag officer positions that are joint duty assignments under subsection (b)(1); or

(B)the actual number of general officers and flag officers who, as of January 1, 2023, were in joint duty assignments counted toward the statutory limit under subsection (b)(1).

(k)Not later than March 1 each year, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report specifying the following:

(1)The numbers of general officers and flag officers who, as of January 1 of the calendar year in which the report is submitted, counted toward the service-specific limits of subsection (a).

(2)The number of general officers and flag officers in joint duty assignments who, as of such January 1, counted toward the statutory limit under subsection (b)(1).

(l)(1)The Secretary of Defense may increase the maximum number of brigadier generals or major generals in the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force, or rear admirals (lower half) or rear admirals in the Navy, allowed under subsection (a) and section 525 of this title and the President may appoint officers in the equivalent grades equal to the number increased by the Secretary of Defense if each appointment is made in conjunction with an offsetting reduction under paragraph (2).

(2)For each increase and appointment made under the authority of paragraph (1) in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force, the number of appointments that may be made in the equivalent grade in one of the other armed forces (other than the Coast Guard) shall be reduced by one. When such an increase and appointment is made, the Secretary of Defense shall specify the armed force in which the reduction required by this paragraph is to be made.

(3)The total number of general officers and flag officers increased under paragraph (1), combined with the total number of general officers and flag officers increased under section 526(k)(1) of this title, may not exceed 15 at any one time.

(4)The Secretary may not increase the maximum number of general officers or flag officers under paragraph (1) until the date that is 30 days after the date on which the Secretary provides, to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives, written notice of—

(A)such increase; and

(B)each offsetting reduction under paragraph (2), specifying the armed force and billet so reduced.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 526, added Pub. L. 100–370, § 1(b)(1)(B), July 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 840; amended Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title IV, § 403(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1545; Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title IV, § 403, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2398; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title IV, § 404, title V, § 512, Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2744, 2752; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title XV, §§ 1502(a)(1), 1503(a)(3), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 502, 510; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title IV, § 405, Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2506; Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title IV, § 405, Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 1996; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title V, § 553, title X, § 1067(1), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 615, 774; Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title IV, § 405(c), title X, § 1041(a)(3), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2526, 2645; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title V, § 504(c), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1457; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title V, §§ 503(b), 510, 515(b)(1)(C), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3226, 3231, 3233; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, § 507(c), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2180; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title V, § 502, title XVIII, § 1824(c), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 95, 501; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title V, §§ 503(a)–(c), 525, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4433, 4448; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, § 502(e)–(g), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2275, 2276; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title V, § 502(b)(1), (c)(1), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1387; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title V, § 501(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1714; Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title V, § 501(a), (b)(2), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 748, 749; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title V, §§ 501(h)(2), 503(b), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2102, 2107; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title XVII, § 1731(a)(17), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1813; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title V, § 501(c)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3563; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title V, § 501(a), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1678, related to authorized strength of general officers on active duty in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, and the number of flag officers on active duty in the Navy, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title V, § 501(a)(1), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 240. Another prior section 526 was renumbered section 527 of this title.

Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 119–60, § 502(1), substituted “168” for “171”. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 119–60, § 502(2), substituted “24” for “21”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 119–60, § 501(b)(1)(A), inserted “and of the Space Force” after “Components” in heading. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 119–60, § 501(b)(1)(B), inserted “or of the Space Force” after “a reserve component” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c)(2)(D). Pub. L. 119–60, § 501(b)(1)(C), added subpar. (D). Subsec. (c)(3)(A). Pub. L. 119–60, § 501(b)(1)(D), inserted “, or a Space Force general officer in a Space Force active status not on sustained duty,” after “a reserve component”. Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 119–60, § 501(b)(2), added par. (3). 2024—Subsecs. (g), (h). Pub. L. 118–159, § 509(c), added subsec. (g) and redesignated subsec. (g), as added by section 502(a)(2), as (h). Pub. L. 118–159, § 502(a)(2), added subsec. (g), which was subsequently redesignated (h). Subsecs. (i) to (l). Pub. L. 118–159, §§ 502(a)(1), 509B(c)(1), successively redesignated subsecs. (g) to (j) first as (h) to (k), then as (i) to (l), respectively. 2023—Pub. L. 118–31, § 501(a)(4), struck out “after

December 31, 2022” after “Authorized strength” in section catchline. Pub. L. 118–31, § 501(a)(2), renumbered section 526a of this title as this section. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 118–31, § 501(b)(1)(A), struck out “after

December 31, 2022,” after “in the Navy,” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 118–31, § 501(b)(1)(B), substituted “219” for “218”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 118–31, § 501(b)(1)(C), substituted “150” for “149”. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 118–31, § 501(b)(1)(D), substituted “171” for “170”. Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 118–31, § 501(b)(1)(E), substituted “64” for “62”. Subsecs. (i), (j). Pub. L. 118–31, §§ 501(b)(2), 1801(a)(9), amended section identically, redesignating subsec. (i) relating to transfer of authorizations among the military services as (j). 2022—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–263, § 504(1)(A), substituted “Marine Corps, and Space Force” for “and Marine Corps” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 117–263, § 504(1)(B), substituted “218” for “220”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 117–263, § 504(1)(C), substituted “149” for “151”. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 117–263, § 504(1)(D), substituted “170” for “187”. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 117–263, § 504(1)(E), added par. (5). Subsec. (b)(2)(E). Pub. L. 117–263, § 504(2), added subpar. (E). 2021—Subsecs. (c) to (h). Pub. L. 116–283, § 501(a), added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsecs. (c) to (g) as (d) to (h), respectively. Former subsec. (h) redesignated (i). Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 117–81 added subsec. (i) relating to transfer of authorizations among military services. Pub. L. 116–283, § 501(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (h) as (i) relating to annual report.

§526 Authorized Strength: General Officers and Flag Officers on Active Duty