---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2153"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2153"
heading: "Capstone course: newly selected general and flag officers"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2153"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part III — Training and Education"
  - "Chapter 107 — Professional Military Education"
---

# §2153. Capstone course: newly selected general and flag officers

- (a) **Requirement.—** Each [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) selected for promotion to the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) of brigadier general or, in the case of the Navy or the [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2) corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rear admiral (lower half) shall be required, after such selection, to attend a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) education course designed specifically to prepare new general and [flag officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-5) to work with the other [uniformed services](/usc/10/1072.md?p=1).
- (b) **Waiver Authority.—**
  - (1) Subject to [paragraph (2)](#b-2), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense or the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Commerce, as applicable, may waive [subsection (a)](#a)—
    - (A) in the case of an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) whose immediately previous assignment was in a [joint duty assignment](/usc/10/668.md?p=b-1) and who is thoroughly familiar with [joint matters](/usc/10/668.md?p=a-1);
    - (B) when necessary for the good of the service;
    - (C) in the case of an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) whose proposed selection for promotion is based primarily upon scientific and technical qualifications for which joint requirements do not exist (as determined under regulations prescribed under [section 619(e)(4)](/usc/10/619.md)[^1] of this title); and
    - (D) in the case of a [medical officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-14), [dental officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-15), veterinary [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1), medical service [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1), nurse, biomedical science [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1), or chaplain.
  - (2) The authority of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense to grant a waiver under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) may only be delegated to the Deputy [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, an Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, or an Assistant [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense. Such a waiver may be granted only on a case-by-case basis in the case of an individual [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1).

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, § 532(a)(2), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1897; amended Pub. L. 116–259, title II, § 205(b)(3), Dec. 23, 2020, 134 Stat. 1167.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 619(e)(4) of this title, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(C), was repealed by Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title IX, § 931(b), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1734. See section 619a(f) of this title.

### Amendments

2020—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–259, § 205(b)(3)(A), inserted “or the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration” after “in the case of the Navy” and substituted “other uniformed services” for “other armed forces”.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–259, § 205(b)(3)(B), inserted “or the Secretary of Commerce, as applicable,” after “the Secretary of Defense” in introductory provisions.