10 U.S.C. § 12203

Current through P.L. 118-47 (published on www.congress.gov on 03/23/2024)
Section 12203 - Commissioned officers: appointment, how made; term
(a) Appointments of reserve officers in commissioned grades of lieutenant colonel and commander or below, except commissioned warrant officer, shall be made by the President alone. Appointments of reserve officers in commissioned grades above lieutenant colonel and commander shall be made by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, except as provided in section 624, 12213, or 12214 of this title.
(b) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the President, the Secretary of Defense may appoint as a reserve commissioned officer any regular officer transferred from the active-duty list of an armed force to the reserve active-status list of a reserve component under section 647 of this title, notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (a).
(c) Appointments of Reserves in commissioned grades are for an indefinite term and are held during the pleasure of the President.

10 U.S.C. § 12203

Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 25, §593; Pub. L. 85-861, §1(10)(C), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1440; Pub. L. 92-129, title VI, §601, Sept. 28, 1971, 85 Stat. 361; Pub. L. 96-513, title V, §501(7), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2907; renumbered §12203 and amended Pub. L. 103-337, div. A, title XVI, §§16321632,, 16621632,, 108 Stat. 2965, 2990, 3017; Pub. L. 104-106, div. A, title XV, §1501(a)(6), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 495; Pub. L. 108-375, div. A, title V, §501(c)(4), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1874; Pub. L. 111-383, div. A, title X, §1075(b)(54), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4372; Pub. L. 116-92, div. A, title V, §501(b), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1343.

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES 1956 ACT
Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large)
593(a) 593(b) 50:942.50:943.50:945.50:948 (less 3d and 4th sentences, as applicable to commissioned officers). July 9, 1952, ch. 608, §§218, 219, 221, 224 (less 3d and 4th sentences, as applicable to commissioned officers), 66 Stat. 487.
In subsection (a), the word "alone" is inserted for clarity. The exception as to commissioned warrant officers is inserted to reflect section 597 of this title, since reserve chief warrant officers of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are appointed by commission by the Secretary concerned.In subsection (b), 50:948 (2d and last sentences) is omitted as executed.

1958 ACT
Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large)
593(a) [No source]. [No source].
The exception is inserted to reflect section 3352(b) of title 10, United States Code.

EDITORIAL NOTES

AMENDMENTS2019-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116-92 substituted "the Secretary of Defense" for "the Secretary concerned". 2011-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111-383 substituted "of" for "above" in first sentence.2004-Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 108-375 added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c).1996-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104-106 made technical correction to directory language of Pub. L. 103-337, §1632. See 1994 Amendment note below.1994- Pub. L. 103-337, §1662(c)(2), renumbered section 593 of this title as this section. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-337, §1675(b), substituted "12213, or 12214" for "3352, or 8352". Pub. L. 103-337, §1632, as amended by Pub. L. 104-106 substituted "reserve officers in commissioned grades of lieutenant colonel and commander or below" for "Reserves in commissioned grades below lieutenant colonel and commander" and "reserve officers in commissioned grades above lieutenant colonel and commander" for "Reserves in commissioned grades above major and lieutenant commander". 1980-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96-513 inserted reference to section 624 of this title. 1971-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 92-129 substituted "below lieutenant colonel and commander" for "below general officer and flag officer", "in commissioned grades above major and lieutenant commander" for "as general and flag officers", and "section 3352 or 8352 of this title" for "section 3352 of this title". 1958-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 85-861 inserted ", except as provided in section 3352 of this title" after "consent of the Senate".

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2004 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 108-375 effective on the first day of the first month beginning more than 180 days after Oct. 28, 2004, see section 501(g) of Pub. L. 108-375 set out as a note under section 531 of this title.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1996 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 104-106 effective as if included in the Reserve Officer Personnel Management Act, title XVI of Pub. L. 103-337 as enacted on Oct. 5, 1994, see section 1501(f)(3) of Pub. L. 104-106 set out as a note under section 113 of this title.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1994 AMENDMENT Amendment by sections 1662(c)(2) and 1675(b)(1) of Pub. L. 103-337 effective Dec. 1, 1994, except as otherwise provided, and amendment by section 1632 of Pub. L. 103-337 effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 1691 of Pub. L. 103-337 set out as a note under section 10001 of this title.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1980 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 96-513 effective Sept. 15, 1981, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96-513 set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

INDEFINITE APPOINTMENTS FOR CERTAIN RESERVE OFFICERSAct Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, §41, 70A Stat. 636, provided that: "Each person who was a reserve officer on July 9, 1952, and who did not hold an appointment for an indefinite term on that date, shall be given an appointment for an indefinite term in place of the appointment he then held, if after written notification by competent authority before July 2, 1953, the officer agrees in writing to have that appointment continued for an indefinite term. In the event such officer does not agree in writing, the term of his current appointment shall not be changed by this section."

EXECUTIVE DOCUMENTS

DELEGATION OF FUNCTIONSFor assignment of functions of President under first sentence of subsec. (a) of this section, see sections 1(b) and 2(b) of Ex. Ord. No. 13358, Sept. 28, 2004, 69 F.R. 58797, set out as a note under section 301 of Title 3, The President.

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 list
The term "active-duty list" means a single list for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force (required to be maintained under section 620 of this title) which contains the names of all officers of that armed force, other than officers described in section 641 of this title, who are serving on active duty.
commissioned officer
The term "commissioned officer" includes a commissioned warrant officer.
flag officer
The term "flag officer" means an officer of the Navy or Coast Guard serving in or having the grade of admiral, vice admiral, rear admiral, or rear admiral (lower half).
general officer
The term "general officer" means an officer of the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force serving in or having the grade of general, lieutenant general, major general, or brigadier general.
officer
The term "officer" means a commissioned or warrant officer.
warrant officer
The term "warrant officer" means a person who holds a commission or warrant in a warrant officer grade.