---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 14102"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "14102"
heading: "Selection boards: appointment and composition"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/14102"
units:
  - "Subtitle E — Reserve Components"
  - "Part III — Promotion and Retention of Officers on the Reserve Active-Status List"
  - "Chapter 1403 — Selection Boards"
---

# §14102. Selection boards: appointment and composition

- (a) **Appointment.—** Members of selection boards convened under [section 14101 of this title](/usc/10/14101.md) shall be appointed by the [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of the military [department](/usc/10/12521.md?p=5) concerned in accordance with this section. Promotion boards and special selection boards shall consist of five or more [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1). Selection boards convened under [section 14101(b) of this title](/usc/10/14101.md?p=b) shall consist of three or more [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1). All of the [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of any such selection board shall be of the same armed force as the [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) under consideration by the board.
- (b) **Composition.—** At least one-half of the members of such a selection board shall be [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1), to include at least one [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) from each [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) component from which [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) are to be considered by the board. Each member of a selection board must hold a permanent [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) higher than the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) of the [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) under consideration by the board, and no member of a board may hold a [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) below major or lieutenant commander. The members of a selection board shall represent the diverse population of the armed force concerned to the extent practicable.
- (c) **Representation of Competitive Categories.—**
  - (1) Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#c-2), a selection board shall include at least one [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) from each competitive category of [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) to be considered by the board.
  - (2) A selection board need not include an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) from a competitive category to be considered by the board if there is no [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of that competitive category on the [reserve active-status list](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-7) or the [active-duty list](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-13) in a permanent [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) higher than the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) of the [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) to be considered by the board and otherwise eligible to serve on the board. However, in such a case, the [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of the military [department](/usc/10/12521.md?p=5) concerned, in his discretion, may appoint as a member of the board a retired [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of that competitive category who is in the same armed force as the [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) under consideration by the board who holds a higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) than the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) of the [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) under consideration.
- (d) **Prohibition of Service on Consecutive Promotion Boards.—** No [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) may be a member of two successive promotion boards convened under [section 14101(a) of this title](/usc/10/14101.md?p=a) for the consideration of [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the same competitive category and [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) if the second of the two boards is to consider any [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) who was considered and not recommended for promotion to the next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) by the first of the two boards.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, § 1611, Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2924; amended Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title V, § 511(b)(2), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1459; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title V, § 503(b), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3565.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in sections 3362(b), (c), 5893(a), (b), and 8362(b), (c) of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–337, § 1629(a)(1), (b)(2), (c)(1).

### Amendments

2021—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–283 inserted at end: “The members of a selection board shall represent the diverse population of the armed force concerned to the extent practicable.”

2003—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–136 substituted “Selection boards convened under section 14101(b) of this title” for “Continuation boards”.

### 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.