---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 20501"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "20501"
heading: "Authority to establish procedures to consider the separation of officers for substandard performance of duty and for certain other reasons"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/20501"
units:
  - "Subtitle F — Alternative Military Personnel Systems"
  - "Part I — Space Force"
  - "Chapter 2011 — Separation of Officers for Substandard Performance of Duty or for Certain Other Reasons"
---

# §20501. Authority to establish procedures to consider the separation of officers for substandard performance of duty and for certain other reasons

- (a) **Procedures for Review of Record of Officers Relating to Standards of Performance of Duty.—**
  - (1) The Secretary of the Air Force shall prescribe, by regulation, procedures for the review at any time of the record of any [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2) (other than a retired [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)) of the Space Force in a [space force active status](/usc/10/101.md?p=e-1) to determine whether the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) shall be required, because of a reason stated in [paragraph (2)](#a-2), to show cause for the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s retention in a [space force active status](/usc/10/101.md?p=e-1).
  - (2) The reasons referred to in [paragraph (1)](#a-1) are the following:
    - (A) The [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s performance of duty has fallen below standards prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
    - (B) The [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) has failed to satisfy the standards and qualifications established under [section 20403 of this title](/usc/10/20403.md) by the Secretary of the Air Force.
- (b) **Procedures for Review of Record of Officers Relating to Certain Other Reasons.—**
  - (1) The Secretary of the Air Force shall prescribe, by regulation, procedures for the review at any time of the record of any [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2) (other than a retired [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)) of the Space Force in a [space force active status](/usc/10/101.md?p=e-1) to determine whether the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) should be required, because of a reason stated in [paragraph (2)](#b-2), to show cause for the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s retention in a [space force active status](/usc/10/101.md?p=e-1).
  - (2) The reasons referred to in [paragraph (1)](#b-1) are the following:
    - (A) Misconduct.
    - (B) Moral or professional dereliction.
    - (C) The [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’s retention is not clearly consistent with the interests of national security.
- (c) **Secretary of Defense Limitations.—** Regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Air Force under this section are subject to such limitations as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1719, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 659.)