---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 14302"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "14302"
heading: "Promotion zones"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/14302"
units:
  - "Subtitle E — Reserve Components"
  - "Part III — Promotion and Retention of Officers on the Reserve Active-Status List"
  - "Chapter 1405 — Promotions"
---

# §14302. Promotion zones

- (a) **Promotion Zones Generally.—** For purposes of this chapter, a promotion zone is an eligibility category for the consideration of [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) by a mandatory promotion board. A promotion zone consists of those [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) on the [reserve active-status list](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-7) who are in the same [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and competitive category and who meet the requirements of both paragraphs [(1)](#a-1) and [(2)](#a-2) or the requirements of [paragraph (3)](#a-3), as follows:
  - (1)
    - (A) In the case of [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in [grades](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) below colonel, for [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, or captain, for [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the Navy [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6), those who have neither (i) failed of selection for promotion to the next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7), nor (ii) been removed from a list of [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) recommended for promotion to that [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7).
    - (B) In the case of [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) of colonel or brigadier general, for [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the Army and Marine Corps, or in the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) of captain or rear admiral (lower half), for [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the Navy, those who have neither (i) been recommended for promotion to the next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) when considered in the promotion zone, nor (ii) been removed from a list of [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) recommended for promotion to that [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7).
  - (2) Those [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) who are senior to the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) designated by the [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of the military [department](/usc/10/12521.md?p=5) concerned to be the junior [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in the promotion zone eligible for consideration for promotion to the next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) so designated.
  - (3) Those [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) who—
    - (A) have been selected from below the zone for promotion to the next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) or by a vacancy promotion board, but whose names were removed from the list of [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) recommended for promotion to that next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) resulting from that selection;
    - (B) have not failed of selection for promotion to that next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7); and
    - (C) are senior to the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) designated by the [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of the military [department](/usc/10/12521.md?p=5) concerned to be the junior [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in the promotion zone eligible for consideration for promotion to that next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) so designated.
- (b) **Officers Above the Zone.—** [Officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) on the [reserve active-status list](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-7) are considered to be above the promotion zone for a [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and competitive category if they—
  - (1) are eligible for consideration for promotion to the next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7);
  - (2) are in the same [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) as those [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in the promotion zone for that competitive category; and
  - (3) are senior to the senior [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in the promotion zone for that competitive category.
- (c) **Officers Below the Zone.—** [Officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) on the [reserve active-status list](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-7) are considered to be below the promotion zone for a [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and competitive category if they—
  - (1) are eligible for consideration for promotion to the next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7);
  - (2) are in the same [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) as those [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in the promotion zone for that competitive category; and
  - (3) are junior to the junior [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in the promotion zone for that competitive category.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, § 1611, Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2932; amended Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title V, § 515(b)(1)(RR), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3234.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

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

### 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.