U.S. Code > Title 10 Armed Forces > Subtitle A—General Military Law (§§ 101—2925) > PART II—PERSONNEL (§§ 501—1801_to_1805) > CHAPTER 36—PROMOTION, SEPARATION, AND INVOLUNTARY RETIREMENT OF OFFICERS ON THE ACTIVE-DUTY LIST (§§ 611—647) > SUBCHAPTER III—FAILURE OF SELECTION FOR PROMOTION AND RETIREMENT FOR YEARS OF SERVICE (§§ 627—636) > § 636. Retirement for years of service: regular officers in grades above brigadier general and rear admiral (lower half)

§ 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.