Section 638b - Voluntary retirement incentive(a) INCENTIVE FOR VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT FOR CERTAIN OFFICERS.-The Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military department to provide a voluntary retirement incentive payment in accordance with this section to an officer of the armed forces under that Secretary's jurisdiction who is specified in subsection (c) as being eligible for such a payment.(b) LIMITATIONS.-(1) Any authority provided the Secretary of a military department under this section shall expire as specified by the Secretary of Defense, but not later than December 31, 2018.(2) The total number of officers who may be provided a voluntary retirement incentive payment under this section may not exceed 675 officers.(c) ELIGIBLE OFFICERS.-(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), an officer of the armed forces is eligible for a voluntary retirement incentive payment under this section if the officer-(A) has served on active duty for more than 20 years, but not more than 29 years, on the approved date of retirement;(B) meets the minimum length of commissioned service requirement for voluntary retirement as a commissioned officer in accordance with section 7311, 8323, or 9311 of this title, as applicable to that officer;(C) on the approved date of retirement, has 12 months or more remaining on active-duty service before reaching the maximum retirement years of active service for the member's grade as specified in section 633 or 634 of this title;(D) on the approved date of retirement, has 12 months or more remaining on active-duty service before reaching the maximum retirement age under any other provision of law; and(E) meets any additional requirements for such eligibility as is specified by the Secretary concerned, including any requirement relating to years of service, skill rating, military specialty or competitive category, grade, any remaining period of obligated service, or any combination thereof.(2) The following officers are not eligible for a voluntary retirement incentive payment under this section:(A) An officer being evaluated for disability under chapter 61 of this title.(B) An officer projected to be retired under section 1201 or 1204 of this title.(C) An officer projected to be discharged with disability severance pay under section 1212 of this title.(D) A member transferred to the temporary disability retired list under section 1202 or 1205 of this title.(E) An officer subject to pending disciplinary action or subject to administrative separation or mandatory discharge under any other provision of law or regulation.(d) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.-The amount of the voluntary retirement incentive payment paid an officer under this section shall be an amount determined by the Secretary concerned, but not to exceed an amount equal to 12 times the amount of the officer's monthly basic pay at the time of the officer's retirement. The amount may be paid in a lump sum at the time of retirement.(e) REPAYMENT FOR MEMBERS WHO RETURN TO ACTIVE DUTY.-(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a member of the armed forces who, after having received all or part of a voluntary retirement incentive under this section, returns to active duty shall have deducted from each payment of basic pay, in such schedule of monthly installments as the Secretary concerned shall specify, until the total amount deducted from such basic pay equals the total amount of voluntary retirement incentive received.(3) The Secretary of Defense may waive, in whole or in part, repayment required under paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that recovery would be against equity and good conscience or would be contrary to the best interest of the United States. The authority in this paragraph may be delegated only to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense of Personnel and Readiness.Added Pub. L. 112-81, div. A, title V, §504(a)(1), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1389; amended Pub. L. 115-232, div. A, title VIII, §809(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1840.EDITORIAL NOTES
AMENDMENTS2018-Subsec. (c)(1)(B). Pub. L. 115-232 substituted "section 7311, 8323, or 9311" for "section 3911, 6323, or 8911".
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2018 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 115-232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115-232 set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.
- Secretary concerned
- The term "Secretary concerned" means-(A) the Secretary of the Army, with respect to matters concerning the Army;(B) the Secretary of the Navy, with respect to matters concerning the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard when it is operating as a service in the Department of the Navy;(C) the Secretary of the Air Force, with respect to matters concerning the Air Force and the Space Force; and(D) the Secretary of Homeland Security, with respect to matters concerning the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy.
- active duty
- The term "active duty" means full-time duty in the active military service of the United States, including sustained duty in the Space Force. Such term includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, and attendance, while in the active military service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary of the military department concerned. Such term does not include full-time National Guard duty.
- active service
- The term "active service" means service on active duty or full-time National Guard duty.
- armed forces
- The term "armed forces" means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard.
- commissioned officer
- The term "commissioned officer" includes a commissioned warrant officer.
- full-time National Guard duty
- The term "full-time National Guard duty" means training or other duty, other than inactive duty, performed by a member of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States in the member's status as a member of the National Guard of a State or territory, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia under section 316, 502, 503, 504, or 505 of title 32 for which the member is entitled to pay from the United States or for which the member has waived pay from the United States.
- grade
- The term "grade" means a step or degree, in a graduated scale of office or military rank, that is established and designated as a grade by law or regulation.
- officer
- The term "officer" means a commissioned or warrant officer.
- pay
- The term "pay" includes basic pay, special pay, retainer pay, incentive pay, retired pay, and equivalent pay, but does not include allowances.
- rating
- The term "rating" means the name (such as "boatswain's mate") prescribed for members of an armed force in an occupational field. The term "rate" means the name (such as "chief boatswain's mate") prescribed for members in the same rating or other category who are in the same grade (such as chief petty officer or seaman apprentice).