Title 14 › Subtitle SUBTITLE II— PERSONNEL › Chapter 21— PERSONNEL; OFFICERS › Subchapter II— DISCHARGES; RETIREMENTS; REVOCATION OF COMMISSIONS; SEPARATION FOR CAUSE › § 2145
Officers in the Regular Coast Guard who are lieutenant commander or commander and fail promotion for a second time must be retired. If they have at least 20 years of active service or are eligible to retire under any law on June 30 of that promotion year, they are retired on that June 30. If they are not eligible then, they stay on active duty and are retired on the last day of the month when they reach 20 years, unless another law removes them sooner. The Secretary can order a selection board to keep some of these officers on active duty. The board picks those it thinks best for the Coast Guard, and the Secretary must approve the recommendations. A lieutenant commander kept under this rule cannot serve past 24 years of active commissioned service unless promoted to commander. A commander cannot serve past 26 years unless promoted to captain. If an officer kept on this extra term is not later promoted or reselected, and is eligible to retire, they will be retired on the first day of the month after their extra service ends.
Full Legal Text
Coast Guard — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
14 U.S.C. § 2145
Title 14 — Coast Guard
Last Updated
Apr 3, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60