TITLE 10 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER III - FAILURE OF SELECTION FOR PROMOTION AND RETIREMENT FOR YEARS OF SERVICE

10 USC 627 - Failure of selection for promotion

An officer in a grade below the grade of colonel or, in the case of an officer of the Navy, captain who is in or above the promotion zone established for his grade and competitive category under section 623 of this title and is considered but not selected for promotion by a selection board convened under section 611 (a) of this title shall be considered to have failed of selection for promotion.

10 USC 628 - Special selection boards

(a) Persons Not Considered by Promotion Boards Due to Administrative Error.—

(1) If the Secretary of the military department concerned determines that because of administrative error a person who should have been considered for selection for promotion from in or above the promotion zone by a promotion board was not so considered, or the name of a person that should have been placed on an all-fully-qualified-officers list under section 624 (a)(3) of this title was not so placed, the Secretary shall convene a special selection board under this subsection to determine whether that person (whether or not then on active duty) should be recommended for promotion.

(2) A special selection board convened under paragraph (1) shall consider the record of the person whose name was referred to it for consideration as that record would have appeared to the board that should have considered him. That record shall be compared with a sampling of the records of those officers of the same competitive category who were recommended for promotion, and those officers who were not recommended for promotion, by the board that should have considered him.

(3) If a special selection board convened under paragraph (1) does not recommend for promotion a person whose name was referred to it for consideration for selection for appointment to a grade other than a general officer or flag officer grade, the person shall be considered to have failed of selection for promotion.

(b) Persons Considered by Promotion Boards in Unfair Manner.—

(1) If the Secretary of the military department concerned determines, in the case of a person who was considered for selection for promotion by a promotion board but was not selected, that there was material unfairness with respect to that person, the Secretary may convene a special selection board under this subsection to determine whether that person (whether or not then on active duty) should be recommended for promotion. In order to determine that there was material unfairness, the Secretary must determine that

(A) the action of the promotion board that considered the person was contrary to law in a matter material to the decision of the board or involved material error of fact or material administrative error; or

(B) the board did not have before it for its consideration material information.

(2) A special selection board convened under paragraph (1) shall consider the record of the person whose name was referred to it for consideration as that record, if corrected, would have appeared to the board that considered him. That record shall be compared with the records of a sampling of those officers of the same competitive category who were recommended for promotion, and those officers who were not recommended for promotion, by the board that considered him.

(3) If a special selection board convened under paragraph (1) does not recommend for promotion a person whose name was referred to it for consideration, the person incurs no additional failure of selection for promotion.

(1) Each special selection board convened under this section shall submit to the Secretary of the military department concerned a written report, signed by each member of the board, containing the name of each person it recommends for promotion and certifying that the board has carefully considered the record of each person whose name was referred to it.

(2) The provisions of sections 617 (b) and 618 of this title apply to the report and proceedings of a special selection board convened under this section in the same manner as they apply to the report and proceedings of a selection board convened under section 611 (a) of this title. However, in the case of a board convened under this section to consider a warrant officer or former warrant officer, the provisions of sections 576 (d) and 576 (f) of this title (rather than the provisions of sections 617 (b) and 618 of this title) apply to the report and proceedings of the board in the same manner as they apply to the report and proceedings of a selection board convened under section 573 of this title.

(d) Appointment of Persons Selected by Boards.—

(1) If the report of a special selection board convened under this section, as approved by the President, recommends for promotion to the next higher grade a person whose name was referred to it for consideration, that person shall, as soon as practicable, be appointed to that grade in accordance with subsections (b), (c), and (d) of section 624 of this title. However, in the case of a board convened under this section to consider a warrant officer or former warrant officer, if the report of that board, as approved by the Secretary concerned, recommends that warrant officer or former warrant officer for promotion to the next higher grade, that person shall, as soon as practicable, be appointed to the next higher grade in accordance with provisions of section 578 (c) of this title (rather than subsections (b), (c), and (d) of section 624 of this title).

(2) A person who is appointed to the next higher grade as the result of the recommendation of a special selection board convened under this section shall, upon that appointment, have the same date of rank, the same effective date for the pay and allowances of that grade, and the same position on the active-duty list as he would have had if he had been recommended for promotion to that grade by the board which should have considered, or which did consider, him. In the case of a person who is not on the active-duty list when appointed to the next higher grade, placement of that person on the active-duty list pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be only for purposes of determination of eligibility of that person for consideration for promotion by any subsequent special selection board under this section.

(e) Deceased Persons.—
If a person whose name is being considered for referral to a special selection board under this section dies before the completion of proceedings under this section with respect to that person, this section shall be applied to that person posthumously.

(f) Convening of Boards.—
A board convened under this section

(1) shall be convened under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense;

(2) shall be composed in accordance with section 612 of this title or, in the case of board to consider a warrant officer or former warrant officer, in accordance with section 573 of this title and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the military department concerned; and

(3) shall be subject to the provisions of section 613 of this title.

(g) Judicial Review.—

(1)

(A) A court of the United States may review a determination by the Secretary of a military department under subsection (a)(1) or (b)(1) not to convene a special selection board in the case of any person. In any such case, the court may set aside the Secretarys determination only if the court finds the determination to be

(i) arbitrary or capricious;

(ii) not based on substantial evidence;

(iii) a result of material error of fact or material administrative error; or

(iv) otherwise contrary to law.

(B) If a court sets aside a determination by the Secretary of a military department not to convene a special selection board under this section, it shall remand the case to the Secretary concerned, who shall provide for consideration by such a board.

(2) A court of the United States may review the action of a special selection board convened under this section or an action of the Secretary of the military department concerned on the report of such a board. In any such case, a court may set aside the action only if the court finds that the action was

(A) arbitrary or capricious;

(B) not based on substantial evidence;

(D) otherwise contrary to law.

(3)

(A) If, six months after receiving a complete application for consideration by a special selection board under this section in any case, the Secretary concerned has not convened such a board and has not denied consideration by such a board in that case, the Secretary shall be deemed for the purposes of this subsection to have denied the consideration of the case by such a board.

(B) If, six months after the convening of a special selection board under this section in any case, the Secretary concerned has not taken final action on the report of the board, the Secretary shall be deemed for the purposes of this subsection to have denied relief in such case.

(C) Under regulations prescribed under subsection (j), the Secretary of a military department may waive the applicability of subparagraph (A) or (B) in a case if the Secretary determines that a longer period for consideration of the case is warranted. Such a waiver may be for an additional period of not more than six months. The Secretary concerned may not delegate authority to make a determination under this subparagraph.

(h) Limitations of Other Jurisdiction.—
No official or court of the United States may, with respect to a claim based to any extent on the failure of a person to be selected for promotion by a promotion board

(1) consider the claim unless the person has first been referred by the Secretary concerned to a special selection board convened under this section and acted upon by that board and the report of the board has been approved by the President; or

(2) except as provided in subsection (g), grant any relief on the claim unless the person has been selected for promotion by a special selection board convened under this section to consider the person for recommendation for promotion and the report of the board has been approved by the President.

(i) Existing Jurisdiction.—
Nothing in this section limits

(1) the jurisdiction of any court of the United States under any provision of law to determine the validity of any law, regulation, or policy relating to selection boards; or

(2) the authority of the Secretary of a military department to correct a military record under section 1552 of this title.

(j) Regulations.—

(1) The Secretary of each military department shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. Regulations under this subsection may not apply to subsection (g), other than to paragraph (3)(C) of that subsection.

(2) The Secretary may prescribe in the regulations under paragraph (1) the circumstances under which consideration by a special selection board may be provided for under this section, including the following:

(A) The circumstances under which consideration of a persons case by a special selection board is contingent upon application by or for that person.

(B) Any time limits applicable to the filing of an application for such consideration.

(3) Regulations prescribed by the Secretary of a military department under this subsection may not take effect until approved by the Secretary of Defense.

(k) Promotion Board Defined.—
In this section, the term promotion board means a selection board convened by the Secretary of a military department under section 573 (a) or 611 (a) of this title.

10 USC 629 - Removal from a list of officers recommended for promotion

(a) Removal by President.—
The President may remove the name of any officer from a list of officers recommended for promotion by a selection board convened under this chapter.

(b) Removal Due to Senate Not Giving Advice and Consent.—
If, after consideration of a list of officers approved for promotion by the President to a grade for which appointment is required by section 624 (c) of this title to be made by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, the Senate does not give its advice and consent to the appointment of an officer whose name is on the list, that officers name shall be removed from the list.

(1) If an officer whose name is on a list of officers approved for promotion under section 624 (a) of this title to a grade for which appointment is required by section 624 (c) of this title to be made by and with the advice and consent of the Senate is not appointed to that grade under such section during the officers promotion eligibility period, the officers name shall be removed from the list unless as of the end of such period the Senate has given its advice and consent to the appointment.

(2) Before the end of the promotion eligibility period with respect to an officer under paragraph (1), the President may extend that period for purposes of paragraph (1) by an additional 12 months.

(3) In this subsection, the term promotion eligibility period means, with respect to an officer whose name is on a list of officers approved for promotion under section 624 (a) of this title to a grade for which appointment is required by section 624 (c) of this title to be made by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, the period beginning on the date on which the list is so approved and ending on the first day of the eighteenth month following the month during which the list is so approved.

(d) Continued Eligibility for Promotion.—

(1) An officer whose name is removed from a list under subsection (a), (b), or (c) continues to be eligible for consideration for promotion. If he is recommended for promotion by the next selection board convened for his grade and competitive category and he is promoted, the Secretary of the military department concerned may, upon such promotion, grant him the same date of rank, the same effective date for the pay and allowances of the grade to which promoted, and the same position on the active-duty list as he would have had if his name had not been so removed.

(2) If such an officer who is in a grade below the grade of colonel or, in the case of the Navy, captain is not recommended for promotion by the next selection board convened for his grade and competitive category, or if his name is again removed from the list of officers recommended for promotion, of if the Senate again does not give its advice and consent to his promotion, he shall be considered for all purposes to have twice failed of selection for promotion.

10 USC 630 - Discharge of commissioned officers with less then six years of active commissioned service or found not qualified for promotion for first lieutenant or lieutenant (junior grade)

The Secretary of the military department concerned, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense

(1) may discharge any officer on the active-duty list who

(A) has less than six years of active commissioned service; or

(B) is serving in the grade of second lieutenant or ensign and has been found not qualified for promotion to the grade of first lieutenant or lieutenant (junior grade); and

(2) shall, unless the officer has been promoted, discharge any officer described in paragraph (1)(B) at the end of the 18-month period beginning on the date on which the officer is first found not qualified for promotion.

10 USC 631 - Effect of failure of selection for promotion: first lieutenants and lieutenants (junior grade)

(a) Except an officer of the Navy and Marine Corps who is an officer designated for limited duty (to whom section 5596 (e) or 6383 of this title applies), each officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps on the active-duty list who holds the grade of first lieutenant and has failed of selection for promotion to the grade of captain for the second time, and each officer of the Navy on the active-duty list who holds the grade of lieutenant (junior grade) and has failed of selection for promotion to the grade of lieutenant for the second time, whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the next higher grade shall

(1) be discharged on the date requested by him and approved by the Secretary of the military department concerned, which date shall be not later than the first day of the seventh calendar month beginning after the month in which the President approves the report of the board which considered him for the second time;

(2) if he is eligible for retirement under any provision of law, be retired under that law on the date requested by him and approved by the Secretary concerned, which date shall be not later than the first day of the seventh calendar month beginning after the month in which the President approves the report of the board which considered him for the second time; or

(3) if on the date on which he is to be discharged under paragraph (1) he is within two years of qualifying for retirement under section 3911, 6323, or 8911 of this title, be retained on active duty until he is qualified for retirement and then be retired under that section, unless he is sooner retired or discharged under another provision of law.

(b) The retirement or discharge of an officer pursuant to this section shall be considered to be an involuntary retirement or discharge for purposes of any other provision of law.

(c) An officer who is subject to discharge under subsection (a)(1) is not eligible for further consideration for promotion.

(d) For the purposes of this chapter, an officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps who holds the grade of first lieutenant, and an officer of the Navy who holds the grade of lieutenant (junior grade), shall be treated as having failed of selection for promotion if the Secretary of the military department concerned determines that the officer would be eligible for consideration for promotion to the next higher grade by a selection board convened under section 611 (a) of this title if such a board were convened but is not fully qualified for promotion when recommending for promotion under section 624 (a)(3) of this title all fully qualified officers of the officers armed force in such grade who would be eligible for such consideration.

10 USC 632 - Effect of failure of selection for promotion: captains and majors of the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps and lieutenants and lieutenant commanders of the Navy

(a) Except an officer of the Navy and Marine Corps who is an officer designated for limited duty (to whom section 5596 (e) or 6383 of this title applies) and except as provided under section 637 (a) of this title, each officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps on the active-duty list who holds the grade of captain or major, and each officer of the Navy on the active-duty list who holds the grade of lieutenant or lieutenant commander, who has failed of selection for promotion to the next higher grade for the second time and whose name is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the next higher grade shall

(1) except as provided in paragraph (3) and in subsection (c), be discharged on the date requested by him and approved by the Secretary concerned, which date shall be not later than the first day of the seventh calendar month beginning after the month in which the President approves the report of the board which considered him for the second time;

(3) if on the date on which he is to be discharged under paragraph (1) he is within two years of qualifying for retirement under section 3911, 6323, or 8911 of this title, be retained on active duty until he is qualified for retirement and then retired under that section, unless he is sooner retired or discharged under another provision of law.

(b) The retirement or discharge of an officer pursuant to this section shall be considered to be an involuntary retirement or discharge for purposes of any other provision of law.

(c)

(1) If a health professions officer described in paragraph (3) is subject to discharge under subsection (a)(1) and, as of the date on which the officer is to be discharged under that subsection, the officer has not completed a period of active duty service obligation that the officer incurred under section 2005, 2114, 2123, or 2603 of this title, the officer shall be retained on active duty until completion of such active duty service obligation, and then be discharged under that subsection, unless sooner retired or discharged under another provision of law.

(2) The Secretary concerned may waive the applicability of paragraph (1) to any officer if the Secretary determines that completion of the active duty service obligation of that officer is not in the best interest of the service.

(3) This subsection applies to a medical officer or dental officer or an officer appointed in a medical skill other than as a medical officer or dental officer (as defined in regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense).

10 USC 633 - Retirement for years of service: regular lieutenant colonels and commanders

(a) 28 Years of Active Commissioned Service.—
Except as provided in subsection (b) and as provided under section 637 (b) of this title, each officer of the Regular Army, Regular Air Force, or Regular Marine Corps who holds the regular grade of lieutenant colonel, and each officer of the Regular Navy who holds the regular grade of commander, who is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the regular grade of colonel or captain, respectively, shall, if not earlier retired, be retired on the first day of the month after the month in which he completes 28 years of active commissioned service.

(b) Exceptions.—
Subsection (a) does not apply to the following:

(1) An officer of the Navy or Marine Corps who is an officer designated for limited duty to whom section 5596 (e) or 6383 of this title applies.

(2) An officer of the Navy or Marine Corps who is a permanent professor at the United States Naval Academy.

10 USC 634 - Retirement for years of service: regular colonels and Navy captains

(a) 30 Years of Active Commissioned Service.—
Except as provided in subsection (b) and as provided under section 637 (b) 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.

(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 6383 (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.

10 USC 635 - Retirement for years of service: regular brigadier generals and rear admirals (lower half)

Except as provided under section 637 (b) of this title, each officer of the Regular Army, Regular Air Force, or Regular Marine Corps who holds the regular grade of brigadier general, and each officer of the Regular Navy who holds the regular grade of rear admiral (lower half), who is not on a list of officers recommended for promotion to the regular grade of major general or rear admiral, respectively, shall, if not earlier retired, be retired on the first day of the first month beginning after the date of the fifth anniversary of his appointment to that grade or on the first day of the month after the month in which he completes 30 years of active commissioned service, whichever is later.

10 USC 636 - Retirement for years of service: regular officers in grades above brigadier general and rear admiral (lower half)

(a) Major Generals and Rear Admirals Serving in Grade.—
Except as provided in subsection (b) or (c) and under section 637 (b) of this title, each officer of the Regular Army, Regular Air Force, or Regular Marine Corps who holds the regular grade of major general, and each officer of the Regular Navy who holds the regular grade of rear admiral, shall, if not earlier retired, be retired on the first day of the first month beginning after the date of the fifth anniversary of his appointment to that grade or on the first day of the month after the month in which he completes 35 years of active commissioned service, whichever is later.

(b) Lieutenant Generals and Vice Admirals.—
In the administration of subsection (a) in the case of an officer who is serving in the grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral, the number of years of active commissioned service applicable to the officer is 38 years.

(c) Generals and Admirals.—
In the administration of subsection (a) in the case of an officer who is serving in the grade of general or admiral, the number of years of active commissioned service applicable to the officer is 40 years.