Title 14, Coast GuardRelease 119-102
§2147 Regular Warrant Officers: Separation Pay
Title 14 › SUBTITLE II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 21 — PERSONNEL; OFFICERS › SUBCHAPTER II — DISCHARGES; RETIREMENTS; REVOCATION OF COMMISSIONS; SEPARATION FOR CAUSE › § 2147
Summary
Coast Guard regular warrant officers who are discharged under Title 10, section 580 and who have completed 6 or more but less than 20 continuous years of active service right before discharge get separation pay worked out under 10 U.S.C. 1174(d)(1). If discharged under sections 1165 or 1166, they get separation pay worked out under 1174(d)(1) or 1174(d)(2) as decided by the Secretary’s rules. Each full month beyond whole years counts as one‑twelfth of a year; partial months are ignored. Taking this separation pay does not cancel retirement benefits, but retirement payments will be reduced by the part that covers the service paid for until the total reductions equal the separation pay amount.
Full Legal Text
Title 14, §2147
Coast Guard, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A regular warrant officer of the Coast Guard who is discharged under section 580 of title 10, and has completed 6 or more, but less than 20, continuous years of active service immediately before that discharge is entitled to separation pay computed under subsection (d)(1) of section 1174 of title 10.
(b)A regular warrant officer of the Coast Guard who is discharged under section 1165 or 1166 of title 10, and has completed 6 or more, but less than 20, continuous years of active service immediately before that discharge is entitled to separation pay computed under subsection (d)(1) or (d)(2) of section 1174 of title 10, as determined under regulations promulgated by the Secretary.
(c)In determining a member’s years of active service for the purpose of computing separation pay under this section, each full month of service that is in addition to the number of full years of service creditable to the member is counted as one-twelfth of a year and any remaining fractional part of a month is disregarded.
(d)The acceptance of separation pay under this section does not deprive an individual of any retirement benefits from the United States. However, there shall be deducted from each of his retirement payments so much thereof as is based on the service for which he has received separation pay under this section, until the total deductions equal the amount of such separation pay.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2021—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “an individual” for “a person”. 2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 286a of this title as this section. 2012—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 112–213 substituted “separation pay” for “severance pay” wherever appearing. 2002—Pub. L. 107–295 substituted “separation” for “severance” in section catchline, added subsecs. (a) to (c), and struck out former subsecs. (a) to (c) which related to, in subsec. (a), severance pay of a regular warrant officer of the Coast Guard who is separated under section 580(a)(4)(A) of title 10, in subsec. (b), severance pay of a regular warrant officer of the Coast Guard who is separated under section 1166 of title 10, and, in subsec. (c), the calculation of part of the year of service for the purposes of this section. 1998—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–383, § 201(b), inserted before period at end “, unless the Secretary determines that the conditions under which the officer is discharged or separated do not warrant payment of that amount of severance pay”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–383, § 201(a), struck out at end “However, no person is entitled to severance pay under this section in an amount that is more than $15,000.” 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–337 substituted “section 580(a)(4)(A) of title 10” for “section 564(a)(3) of title 10 (as in effect on the day before the
Effective Date
of the Warrant Officer Management Act)”. 1991—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–190 inserted “(as in effect on the day before the
Effective Date
of the Warrant Officer Management Act)” after “section 564(a)(3) of title 10”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2002 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 107–295 effective 4 years after Nov. 25, 2002, see section 416(c) of Pub. L. 107–295, set out as a note under section 2146 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–337 effective on the first day of the fourth month beginning after Oct. 5, 1994, see section 541(h) of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as a note under section 571 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
Effective Date
of 1991 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–190 effective Feb. 1, 1992, see section 1132 of Pub. L. 102–190, set out as a note under section 521 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
Effective Date
Section effective Sept. 15, 1981, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as an
Effective Date
of 1980 Amendment note under section 101 of Title 10, Armed Forces. Transition Provisions Under Defense Officer Personnel Management ActFor provisions to prevent extinction or premature termination of rights, duties, penalties, or proceedings that existed or were begun prior to the
Effective Date
of Pub. L. 96–513, and otherwise to allow for an orderly transition to the system of officer personnel management put in place under Pub. L. 96–513, see section 601 et seq. of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 611 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
14 U.S.C. § 2147
Title 14, Coast Guard
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102