--- kind: "section" citation: "10 U.S.C. § 20203" title: "10" title_heading: "Armed Forces" number: "20203" heading: "Original appointments: service credit" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/20203" units: - "Subtitle F — Alternative Military Personnel Systems" - "Part I — Space Force" - "Chapter 2005 — Officers" - "Subchapter I — Original Appointments" --- # §20203. Original appointments: service credit - (a) **In General.—** The provisions of [section 533 of this title](/usc/10/533.md) shall apply to the crediting of prior active commissioned service for [original](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-10) appointments of [commissioned officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2). - (b) **Credit for Prior Service.—** - (1) For the purpose of determining the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and [rank](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-8) within [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) of a person receiving an [original](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-10) appointment in a commissioned [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) in the Space Force, such person shall be credited at the time of such appointment with any commissioned service (other than service as a commissioned [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3)) that the person performed before such appointment— - (A) as a Space Force [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) or in a [space force active status](/usc/10/101.md?p=e-1); or - (B) as a [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1), or as a [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in an [active status](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-4), in any uniformed service. - (2) The regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense under [section 533 of this title](/usc/10/533.md) shall apply to the Space Force to authorize the Secretary of the Air Force to limit the amount of prior active commissioned service with which a person receiving an [original](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-10) appointment may be credited under [paragraph (1)](#b-1). - (b) **Credit for Education, Training, and Experience.—** - (1) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Air Force, the Secretary shall credit a person who is receiving an [original](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-10) appointment in a commissioned [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) in the Space Force and who has advanced education, training, or special experience with constructive service for such education, training, or experience in a particular [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) career field as designated by the Secretary of the Air Force, if such education, training, or experience is directly related to the operational needs of the Space Force. - (2) - (A) The Secretary may credit a person with constructive service under this subsection for each instance of relevant advanced education or training or special experience regardless of whether two or more such instances are concurrent. - (B) The Secretary may not credit more than 20 persons with an amount of constructive credit under this paragraph in any year. - (3) The amount of constructive service credited an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) under this subsection may not exceed the amount required in order for the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) to be eligible for an [original](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-10) appointment in the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) of colonel. - (4) Constructive service credited an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) under this subsection is in addition to any service credited that [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) under [subsection (a)](#a) and shall be credited at the time of the [original](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-10) appointment of the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1). - (5) Not later than December 1 of each year, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit a report to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives regarding the amount of constructive service credited under this subsection during the preceding calendar year. - (c) **Authorized Use of Constructive Credit.—** Constructive service credited an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) under [subsection (b)](#b) shall be used only for determining the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s— - (1) initial [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7); - (2) [rank](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-8) in [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7); and - (3) service in [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) for promotion eligibility. - (d) **Exclusion for Graduates of the Service Academies.—** A graduate of a Service Academy (as such term is defined in [section 347 of this title](/usc/10/347.md)) is not entitled to service credit under this section for service performed, or education, training, or experience obtained, before graduation from such Service Academy. - (e) **Reserve Officers.—** A [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) (other than a [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3)) who receives an [original](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-10) appointment as an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in the Space Force shall— - (1) in the case of an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) on the [active-duty list](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-13) of an armed force immediately before that appointment, be appointed in the same [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and with the same date of [rank](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-8) as the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and date of [rank](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-8) held by the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) on the [active-duty list](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-13) immediately before the appointment; and - (2) in the case of an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) not on the [active-duty list](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-13) immediately before that appointment, be appointed in the same [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and with the same date of [rank](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-8) as the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and date of [rank](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-8) which the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) would have held had the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) been serving on the [active-duty list](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-13) on the date of the appointment. - (f) **Continuity of Existing Delegation of Presidential Appointment Functions.—** Except as otherwise provided by the President by Executive order, the provisions of Executive Order 13384 ([10 U.S.C. 531](/usc/10/531.md) note) relating to the functions of the President under [section 531(a) of this title](/usc/10/531.md?p=a) shall apply in the same manner to functions of the President under [section 20201 of this title](/usc/10/20201.md). ## Source credit (Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1716(a), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 632.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### References in Text Executive Order 13384, referred to in subsec. (f), is Ex. Ord. No. 13384, July 27, 2005, 70 F.R. 43739, which is set out as a note under section 531 of this title.