---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 572"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "572"
heading: "Warrant officers: original appointment; service credit"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/572"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 33A — Appointment, Promotion, and Involuntary Separation and Retirement for Members on the Warrant Officer Active-Duty List"
---

# §572. Warrant officers: original appointment; service credit

- (a) For the purposes of promotion, [persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) originally appointed in [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) or [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) [grades](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) shall be credited with such service as the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5) may prescribe. However, such a [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) may not be credited with a period of service greater than the period of [active service](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-3) performed in the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7), or [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) corresponding to the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7), in which so appointed, or in any higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) or [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7).
- (b) The [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5) shall credit a [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) who is receiving an [original](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-10) appointment as a [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) in the [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) [component](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) of an armed force under the jurisdiction of such [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5), and who has advanced education or [training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9) or special experience, with constructive service for such education, [training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9), or experience, as follows:
  - (1) For special [training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9) or experience in a particular [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) field designated by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5), if such [training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9) or experience is directly related to the operational needs of the armed force concerned, as determined by such [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5).
  - (2) For advanced education in a [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) field designated by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5), if such education is directly related to the operational needs of the armed force concerned, as determined by such [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title XI, § 1112(a), Dec. 5, 1991, 105 Stat. 1493; amended Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title V, § 507(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2558.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 556 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–190, § 1112(a).

### Amendments

2022—Pub. L. 117–263 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Feb. 1, 1992, see section 1132 of Pub. L. 102–190, set out as an Effective Date of 1991 Amendment note under section 521 of this title.