Removal from the reserve active-status list for years of service: reserve general and flag officers
10 U.S.C. § 14508
in effect(a) Thirty Years Service or Five Years in Grade for Brigadier Generals and Rear Admirals (Lower Half).—Unless retired, transferred to the Retired Reserve, or discharged at an earlier date, each reserve officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps in the grade of brigadier general who has not been recommended for promotion to the grade of major general, and each reserve officer of the Navy in the grade of rear admiral (lower half) who has not been recommended for promotion to rear admiral shall, 30 days after completion of 30 years of commissioned service or on the fifth anniversary of the date of the officer’s appointment in the grade of brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half), whichever is later, be separated in accordance with section 14514 of this title.
(b) Thirty-Five Years Service or Five Years in Grade for Major Generals and Rear Admirals.—Unless retired, transferred to the Retired Reserve, or discharged at an earlier date, each reserve officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps in the grade of major general, and each reserve officer of the Navy in the grade of rear admiral, shall, 30 days after completion of 35 years of commissioned service or on the fifth anniversary of the date of the officer’s appointment in the grade of major general or rear admiral, whichever is later, be separated in accordance with section 14514 of this title.
(c) Thirty-Eight Years of Service for Lieutenant Generals and Vice Admirals.—Unless retired, transferred to the Retired Reserve, or discharged at an earlier date, each reserve officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps in the grade of lieutenant general and each reserve officer of the Navy in the grade of vice admiral shall be separated in accordance with section 14514 of this title on the later of the following:(1) 30 days after completion of 38 years of commissioned service. (2) The fifth anniversary of the date of the officer’s appointment in the grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral.
(d) Forty Years of Service for Generals and Admirals.—Unless retired, transferred to the Retired Reserve, or discharged at an earlier date, each reserve officer of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps in the grade of general and each reserve officer of the Navy in the grade of admiral shall be separated in accordance with section 14514 of this title on the first day of the first month beginning after the date of the fifth anniversary of the officer’s appointment to that grade or 30 days after the date on which the officer completes 40 years of commissioned service, whichever is later.
(e) Retention of Brigadier Generals.—A reserve officer of the Army or Air Force in the grade of brigadier general who would otherwise be removed from an active status under subsection (a) may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Air Force, as the case may be, be retained in an active status, but not later than the last day of the month in which the officer becomes 62 years of age. Not more than 10 officers of the Army and not more than 10 officers of the Air Force may be retained under this subsection at any one time.
(f) Retention of Major Generals.—A reserve officer of the Army or Air Force in the grade of major general who would otherwise be removed from an active status under subsection (b) may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Air Force, as the case may be, be retained in an active status, but not later than the date on which the officer becomes 64 years of age. Not more than 10 officers of the Army and not more than 10 officers of the Air Force may be retained under this subsection at any one time.
(g) Retention of Lieutenant Generals.—A reserve officer of the Army or Air Force in the grade of lieutenant general who would otherwise be removed from an active status under subsection (c) may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Air Force, as the case may be, be retained in an active status, but not later than the date on which the officer becomes 66 years of age.
(h) Exception for State Adjutants General and Assistant Adjutants General.—This section does not apply to an officer who is the adjutant general or assistant adjutant general of a State.
Source: OLRC USLMURL: https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/95/xml_usc10@119-95.zipFetched: 6/3/2026