§ 661. Management policies for joint qualified officers
(a)
Establishment.—
The Secretary of Defense shall establish policies, procedures, and practices for the effective management of officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps on the active-duty list who are particularly trained in, and oriented toward, joint matters (as defined in section
668 of this title). Such officers shall be identified or designated (in addition to their principal military occupational specialty) as a joint qualified officer or in such other manner as the Secretary of Defense directs.
(b)
Levels, Designation, and Numbers.—
(1)
(A)
The Secretary of Defense shall establish different levels of joint qualification, as well as the criteria for qualification at each level. Such levels of joint qualification shall be established by the Secretary with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Each level shall, as a minimum, have both joint education criteria and joint experience criteria. The purpose of establishing such qualification levels is to ensure a systematic, progressive, career-long development of officers in joint matters and to ensure that officers serving as general and flag officers have the requisite experience and education to be highly proficient in joint matters.
(2)
Certain officers shall be designated as joint qualified by the Secretary of Defense with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(c)
Education and Experience Requirements.—
(1)
An officer may not be designated as joint qualified until the officer—
(A)
successfully completes an appropriate program of joint professional military education, as described in subsections (b) and (c) of section
2155 of this title, at a joint professional military education school; and
(2)
Subject to paragraphs (3) through (6), the Secretary of Defense may waive the requirement under paragraph (1)(A) that an officer has successfully completed a program of education, as described in subsections (b) and (c) of section
2155 of this title.
(3)
In the case of an officer in a grade below brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half), a waiver under paragraph (2) may be granted only if—
(4)
In the case of a general or flag officer, a waiver under paragraph (2) may be granted only—
(5)
In the case of officers in grades below brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half), the total number of waivers granted under paragraph (2) for officers in the same pay grade during a fiscal year may not exceed 10 percent of the total number of officers in that pay grade designated as joint qualified during that fiscal year.
(d)
Number of Joint Duty Assignments.—
(1)
The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that approximately one-half of the joint duty assignment positions in grades above major or, in the case of the Navy, lieutenant commander are filled at any time by officers who have the appropriate level of joint qualification.
(2)
The Secretary of Defense, with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall designate an appropriate number of joint duty assignment positions as critical joint duty assignment positions. A position may be designated as a critical joint duty assignment position only if the duties and responsibilities of the position make it important that the occupant be particularly trained in, and oriented toward, joint matters.
(3)
(A)
Subject to subparagraph (B), a position designated under paragraph (2) may be held only by an officer who—
(B)
The Secretary of Defense may waive the requirement in subparagraph (A) with respect to the assignment of an officer to a position designated under paragraph (2). Any such waiver shall be granted on a case-by-case basis. The authority of the Secretary to grant such a waiver may be delegated only to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(e)
Career Guidelines.—
The Secretary, with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall establish career guidelines for officers to achieve joint qualification and for officers who have been designated as joint qualified. Such guidelines shall include guidelines for—
(f)
Treatment of Certain Service.—
Any service by an officer in the grade of captain or, in the case of the Navy, lieutenant in a joint duty assignment shall be considered to be service in a joint duty assignment for purposes of all laws (including section
619a of this title) establishing a requirement or condition with respect to an officer’s service in a joint duty assignment.