Title 14 › SUBTITLE II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 21 — PERSONNEL; OFFICERS › SUBCHAPTER II — DISCHARGES; RETIREMENTS; REVOCATION OF COMMISSIONS; SEPARATION FOR CAUSE › § 2143
If a Regular Coast Guard lieutenant fails to be chosen for promotion to lieutenant commander a second time, the officer must be honorably discharged on June 30 of that promotion year. If the officer asks, they can be discharged earlier without losing the same benefits. If the officer has at least 20 years of active service or is already eligible for retirement on that date, they must be retired instead. If the officer has at least 18 years of active service on that June 30, they can be kept on active duty and then retired on the last day of the month in which they reach 20 years, unless removed earlier by law. When needed, the Secretary can tell a selection board to recommend some lieutenants for continuation on active duty for 2 to 4 years. The board will pick those it thinks are best qualified. If approved, an officer continued for that term will, when the term ends, be discharged with separation pay as computed under section 2146 unless they have 18 or more years (then kept until 20 and retired) or have 20 or more years or are eligible for retirement (then retired on that date). Any officer continued under this rule must be retired on the last day of the month they reach 20 years of active service.
Full Legal Text
Coast Guard, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
14 U.S.C. § 2143
Title 14, Coast Guard
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102