---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 14101"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "14101"
heading: "Convening of selection boards"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/14101"
units:
  - "Subtitle E — Reserve Components"
  - "Part III — Promotion and Retention of Officers on the Reserve Active-Status List"
  - "Chapter 1403 — Selection Boards"
---

# §14101. Convening of selection boards

- (a) **Promotion Boards.—**
  - (1) Whenever the needs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps require, the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9) shall convene a selection board to recommend for promotion to the next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7), under [chapter 1405](/usc/10/chstE/ptIII/ch1405.md) of this title, [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) on the [reserve active-status list](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-7) of that armed force in a permanent [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) from first lieutenant through brigadier general or, in the case of the Navy [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6), lieutenant (junior [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7)) through rear admiral (lower half). A selection board convened under this subsection shall be known as a “promotion board”.
  - (2) A promotion board convened to recommend [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the Army or [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the Air Force for promotion (A) to fill a position vacancy under [section 14315 of this title](/usc/10/14315.md), or (B) to the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) of brigadier general or major general, shall be known as a “vacancy promotion board”. Any other promotion board convened under this subsection shall be known as a “mandatory promotion board”.
  - (3) [Paragraph (1)](#a-1) does not require the convening of a selection board in the case of [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in the permanent [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) of first lieutenant or, in the case of the Navy, lieutenant (junior [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7)) when the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9) recommends for promotion to the next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) under [section 14308(b)(4) of this title](/usc/10/14308.md?p=b-4) all such [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) whom the [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) finds to be fully qualified for promotion.
- (b) **Selective Early Separation Boards.—** Whenever the needs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps require, the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9) may convene a selection board to recommend [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of that armed force—
  - (1) for selective early removal from the [reserve active-status list](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-7) under [section 14704 of this title](/usc/10/14704.md); or
  - (2) for selective early retirement under [section 14705 of this title](/usc/10/14705.md).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, § 1611, Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2924; amended Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title V, § 514(a), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1732; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title V, § 505(b)(3), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1087; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title V, § 511(b)(1), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1459; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title V, § 515(b)(1)(PP), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3234.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2006—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 109–163 substituted “Navy Reserve” for “Naval Reserve”.

2003—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 108–136, § 511(b)(1)(A), (D), substituted “Selective Early Separation Boards” for “Continuation Boards” in heading and struck out concluding provisions which read as follows: “A selection board convened under this subsection shall be known as a ‘continuation board’.”

Subsec. (b)(1) to (3). Pub. L. 108–136, § 511(b)(1)(B), (C), redesignated pars. (2) and (3) as (1) and (2), respectively, and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “for continuation on the reserve active-status list under section 14701 of this title;”.

2001—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 107–107 added par. (3).

1997—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 105–85 struck out “(except in the case of a board convened to consider officers as provided in section 14301(e) of this title)” before “be known as a ‘vacancy promotion board’.”

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 1691(b)(1) of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as a note under section 10001 of this title.