---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 12602"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "12602"
heading: "Members of Army National Guard of United States and Air National Guard of United States: credit for service as members of National Guard"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/12602"
units:
  - "Subtitle E — Reserve Components"
  - "Part II — Personnel Generally"
  - "Chapter 1217 — Miscellaneous Rights and Benefits"
---

# §12602. Members of Army National Guard of United States and Air National Guard of United States: credit for service as members of National Guard

- (a) For the purposes of laws providing benefits for members of the [Army National Guard of the United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-3) and their dependents and beneficiaries—
  - (1) military training, duty, or other service performed by a member of the [Army National Guard of the United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-3) in his status as a member of the [Army National Guard](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-2) for which he is entitled to [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) from the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) shall be considered military training, duty, or other service, as the case may be, in Federal service as a [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) of the Army;
  - (2) [full-time National Guard duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-5) performed by a member of the [Army National Guard of the United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-3) shall be considered [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) in Federal service as a [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) of the Army; and
  - (3) [inactive-duty training](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-7) performed by a member of the [Army National Guard of the United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-3) in his status as a member of the [Army National Guard](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-2), in accordance with regulations prescribed under [section 502 of title 32](/usc/32/502.md) or other express provision of law, shall be considered [inactive-duty training](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-7) in Federal service as a [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) of the Army.
- (b) For the purposes of laws providing benefits for members of the [Air National Guard of the United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-5) and their dependents and beneficiaries—
  - (1) military training, duty, or other service performed by a member of the [Air National Guard of the United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-5) in his status as a member of the [Air National Guard](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-4) for which he is entitled to [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) from the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) shall be considered military training, duty, or other service, as the case may be, in Federal service as a [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) of the Air Force;
  - (2) [full-time National Guard duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-5) performed by a member of the [Air National Guard of the United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-5) shall be considered [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) in Federal service as a [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) of the Air Force; and
  - (3) [inactive-duty training](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-7) performed by a member of the [Air National Guard of the United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-5) in his status as a member of the [Air National Guard](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-4), in accordance with regulations prescribed under [section 502 of title 32](/usc/32/502.md) or other express provision of law, shall be considered [inactive-duty training](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-7) in Federal service as a [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) of the Air Force.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, § 1662(g)(1), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2995.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in sections 3686 and 8686 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–337, § 1662(g)(2).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Dec. 1, 1994, except as otherwise provided, see section 1691 of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as a note under section 10001 of this title.