---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 14902"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "14902"
heading: "Separation for substandard performance and for certain other reasons"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/14902"
units:
  - "Subtitle E — Reserve Components"
  - "Part III — Promotion and Retention of Officers on the Reserve Active-Status List"
  - "Chapter 1411 — Additional Provisions Relating to Involuntary Separation"
---

# §14902. Separation for substandard performance and for certain other reasons

- (a) **Substandard Performance of Duty.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of the military [department](/usc/10/12521.md?p=5) concerned shall prescribe, by regulation, procedures for the review at any time of the record of any [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) to determine whether that [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) should be required, because that [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s performance has fallen below standards prescribed by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9), to show cause for retention in an [active status](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-4).
- (b) **Misconduct, Etc.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of the military [department](/usc/10/12521.md?p=5) concerned shall prescribe, by regulation, procedures for the review at any time of the record of any [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) to determine whether that [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) should be required, because of misconduct, because of moral or professional dereliction, or because the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s retention is not clearly consistent with the interests of national security, to show cause for retention in an [active status](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-4).
- (c) **Regulations.—** The authority of the [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of a military [department](/usc/10/12521.md?p=5) under this section shall be carried out subject to such limitations as the [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of Defense may prescribe by regulation.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, § 1611, Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2958.)

## Notes

### 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.