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Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§634 Retirement for Years of Service: Regular and Space Force Colonels; Regular Navy Captains

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 36 — PROMOTION, SEPARATION, AND INVOLUNTARY RETIREMENT OF OFFICERS ON THE ACTIVE-DUTY LIST › SUBCHAPTER III — FAILURE OF SELECTION FOR PROMOTION AND RETIREMENT FOR YEARS OF SERVICE › § 634

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Colonels in the Regular Army, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, captains in the Regular Navy, and colonels in the Space Force must be retired after they complete 30 years of active commissioned service, unless they are on a promotion list for brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half). The retirement takes effect on the first day of the month after the month they reach 30 years, unless sections 637(b) or 637a apply. This rule does not apply to a Navy limited‑duty officer covered by section 8372(a)(4) or to Navy or Marine Corps officers who are permanent professors at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §634

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)30 Years of Active Commissioned Service.—
(1)Except as provided in subsection (b) and as provided under section 637(b) or 637a of this title, each officer of the Regular Army, Regular Air Force, or Regular Marine Corps who holds the regular grade of colonel, and each officer of the Regular Navy who holds the regular grade of captain, who is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the regular grade of brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half), respectively, shall, if not earlier retired, be retired on the first day of the month after the month in which he completes 30 years of active commissioned service.
(2)Except as provided under section 637(b) or 637a of this title, each officer of the Space Force who holds the grade of colonel who is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the grade of brigadier general shall, if not earlier retired, be retired on the first day of the month after the month in which the officer completes 30 years of active commissioned service.
(b)Exceptions.—
Subsection (a) does not apply to the following:
(1)An officer of the Navy who is designated for limited duty to whom section 8372(a)(4) of this title applies.
(2)An officer of the Navy or Marine Corps who is a permanent professor at the United States Naval Academy.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2023—Pub. L. 118–31, § 1722(b)(6)(E)(ii), substituted “and Space Force colonels; regular” for “colonels and” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1722(b)(6)(B), designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “or Regular Marine Corps” for “Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Space Force”, and added par. (2). 2021—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Space Force” for “or Regular Marine Corps”. 2018—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “section 8372(a)(4)” for “section 6383(a)(4)”. 2016—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–328 inserted “or 637a” after “637(b)”. 2006—Pub. L. 109–163 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, substituted “Except as provided in subsection (b) and as provided” for “Except an officer of the Navy who is designated for limited duty to whom section 6383(a)(4) of this title applies and except as provided”, and added subsec. (b). 1998—Pub. L. 105–261 inserted “an officer of the Navy who is designated for limited duty to whom section 6383(a)(4) of this title applies and except” after “Except” and struck out at end “During the period beginning on
July 1, 1993, and ending on
October 1, 1999, the preceding sentence shall not apply to an officer of the Regular Navy designated for limited duty to whom section 6383(a)(4) of this title applies.” 1993—Pub. L. 103–160 substituted “
October 1, 1999” for “
October 1, 1995”. 1992—Pub. L. 102–484 inserted at end “During the period beginning on
July 1, 1993, and ending on
October 1, 1995, the preceding sentence shall not apply to an officer of the Regular Navy designated for limited duty to whom section 6383(a)(4) of this title applies.” 1985—Pub. L. 99–145 substituted “rear admiral (lower half)” for “commodore”. 1984—Pub. L. 98–525 substituted “30” for “thirty”. 1981—Pub. L. 97–86 substituted “commodore” for “commodore admiral”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–86 effective Sept. 15, 1981, see section 405(f) of Pub. L. 97–86, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective Sept. 15, 1981, but the authority to prescribe

Regulations

under this section effective on Dec. 12, 1980, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1980 Amendment note under section 101 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 634

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110