Us Code § 637a - Continuation on active duty: officers in certain military specialties and career tracks

Full text of Us Code United States Code § 637a — Continuation on active duty: officers in certain military specialties and career tracks, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 637a. Continuation on active duty: officers in certain military specialties and career tracks

(a) In General.—The Secretary of the military department concerned may authorize an officer in a grade above grade O–2 to remain on active duty after the date otherwise provided for the separation or retirement of the officer in section 632, 633, 634, 635, or 636 of this title, as applicable, if the officer has a military occupational specialty, rating, or specialty code in a military specialty designated pursuant to subsection (b).

(b) Military Specialties.—Each Secretary of a military department shall designate the military specialties in which a military occupational specialty, rating, or specialty code, as applicable, assigned to members of the armed forces under the jurisdiction of such Secretary authorizes the members to be eligible for continuation on active duty as provided in subsection (a).

(c) Duration of Continuation.—An officer continued on active duty pursuant to this section shall, if not earlier retired, be retired on the first day of the month after the month in which the officer completes 40 years of active service.

(d) Regulations.—The Secretaries of the military departments shall carry out this section in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. The regulations shall specify the criteria to be used by the Secretaries of the military departments in designating military specialties for purposes of subsection (b).

(Added Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title V, §505(a)(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2107; amended Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title V, §506, title X, §1081(a)(8), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1743, 1983; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title V, §504, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1345.)


Editorial Notes

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–92 inserted "separation or" after "provided for the".

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–232, §506, substituted "grade O–2" for "grade O–4" and inserted "632," before "633,".

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–232, §1081(a)(8), substituted "specialties" for "specialities".

About This Section

10 U.S.C. § 637a is part of Title 10 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.

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Sources

Source: official Us Code text · Last verified 2026-08-27

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Frequently Asked Questions About Us Code § 637a

What does United States Code § 637a cover?

Section 637a ("Continuation on active duty: officers in certain military specialties and career tracks") is part of the United States Code, the codified statutory law of Us Code. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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