---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 20232"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "20232"
heading: "Authority to allow officers to opt out of selection board consideration"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/20232"
units:
  - "Subtitle F — Alternative Military Personnel Systems"
  - "Part I — Space Force"
  - "Chapter 2005 — Officers"
  - "Subchapter III — Promotions"
---

# §20232. Authority to allow officers to opt out of selection board consideration

- (a) **Authority.—** The Secretary of the Air Force may provide that an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) on the Space Force [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) list may, upon the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s request and with the approval of the Secretary, be excluded from consideration by a selection board convened under [section 20211 of this title](/usc/10/20211.md) to consider [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) for promotion to the next higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7).
- (b) **Criteria.—** The Secretary may only approve a request under [subsection (a)](#a) as follows:
  - (1) **Completion of certain assignments.—** If—
    - (A) the basis for the request is to allow an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) to complete a broadening assignment, an advanced education assignment, another assignment of significant value to the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6), or a career progression requirement delayed by such an assignment;
    - (B) the Secretary determines the exclusion from consideration is in the best interest of the Space Force; and
    - (C) the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) has not previously failed of selection for promotion to the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) for which the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) requests the exclusion from consideration.
  - (2) **Completion of certain education.—** If—
    - (A) the basis for the request is to allow an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) to complete advanced education or professional military education;
    - (B) the Secretary determines that it is in the best interests of the Space Force for the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) to continue to serve in current position and [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7); and
    - (C) the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) has not previously opted out of a promotion board under this section.
  - (3) **Service in critical skill position.—** If—
    - (A) the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) is serving in a critical skill position that cannot be filled by another Space Force [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) serving in the same [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7);
    - (B) the Secretary determines that it is in the best interests of the Space Force for the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) to continue to serve in their current position and [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7); and
    - (C) the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) has not previously opted out of a promotion board under this section.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1716(c), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 641.)