§2150 Captains; Continuation on Active Duty; Involuntary Retirement

Summary

The Secretary may, no more than once a year, set up a board of at least six officers who are rear admirals (lower half) or rear admirals. The board reviews captains on the active-duty promotion list who will have at least three years in that rank during the promotion year and who were not picked for promotion to rear admiral (lower half). Captains who must be retired under section 2149 during that promotion year cannot be considered. The Secretary creates a “continuation zone” of the most senior eligible captains who have not been placed in such a zone before and decides how many to include. The Secretary also tells the board how many officers may be kept on active duty; that number must be at least 50% of those considered. The board picks the best qualified from the zone. Certain promotion rules in sections 2108, 2109, 2115, and 2117 apply unless they conflict. The Secretary issues detailed rules, and the board reports to the Secretary who can return the report for fixes and then sends it to the President. Any captain considered but not recommended will be retired on June 30 of the promotion year when the report is approved, or on the last day of the month they reach 20 years of active service, whichever is later, unless another law retires them first. The Commandant may, each year, keep on active duty any officer who would otherwise be retired under this rule or section 2149; if kept, that officer will be retired on June 30 of the promotion year when no further retention action is taken.