---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 20243"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "20243"
heading: "General officers ceasing to occupy positions commensurate with grade"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/20243"
units:
  - "Subtitle F — Alternative Military Personnel Systems"
  - "Part I — Space Force"
  - "Chapter 2005 — Officers"
  - "Subchapter III — Promotions"
---

# §20243. General officers ceasing to occupy positions commensurate with grade

- (a) **General Officers.—** Within 60 days after an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the Space Force on the Space Force [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) list in a [general officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-4) [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) ceases to occupy a position commensurate with that [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) (or commensurate with a higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7)), the Secretary of the Air Force shall transfer or discharge the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in accordance with whichever of the following the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) elects:
  - (1) Transfer the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) to the Space Force retired list, if the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) is qualified and applies for the transfer.
  - (2) Transfer the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) to a [Space Force inactive status](/usc/10/101.md?p=e-2), if the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) is qualified.
  - (3) Discharge the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) from the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s appointment and, if the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) is qualified and applies therefor, appoint the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) held by the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) before the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s appointment in a [general officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-4) [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7).
  - (4) Discharge the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) from the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s appointment.
- (b) **Credit for Service in Grade.—** An [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) who is appointed under [subsection (a)(3)](#a-3) shall be credited with an amount of service in the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) in which appointed that is equal to the amount of prior service in an [active status](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-4) in that [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and in any higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1716(c), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 649; amended Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title V, § 521(t), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1883.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2024—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 118–159 struck out “as a” after “held by the officer”.