--- kind: "section" citation: "10 U.S.C. § 578" title: "10" title_heading: "Armed Forces" number: "578" heading: "Promotions: how made; effective date" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/578" 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" --- # §578. Promotions: how made; effective date - (a) When the report of a selection board convened under this chapter is approved by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall place the names of the [warrant officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) approved for promotion on a single promotion list for each [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) (or [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and competitive category), in the order set forth in [section 576(c) of this title](/usc/10/576.md?p=c). - (b) Promotions of [warrant officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) on the [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) promotion list shall be made when, in accordance with regulations issued by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5), additional [warrant officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) in that [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) (or [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and competitive category), are needed. - (c) A [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) who is promoted is appointed in the [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) to which promoted, and a [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) who is promoted is appointed in the [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) to which promoted. The date of appointment in that [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and date of [rank](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-8) shall be prescribed by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5). A [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) is entitled to the [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) and allowances for the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) to which appointed from the date specified in the appointment order. - (d) Promotions shall be made in the order in which the names of [warrant officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) appear on the promotion list and after [warrant officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) previously selected for promotion in the applicable [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) (or [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) and competitive category) have been promoted. - (e) A [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) who is appointed to a higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) under this section is considered to have accepted such appointment on the date on which the appointment is made unless the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) expressly declines the appointment. - (f) A [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) who has served continuously as an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) since subscribing to the oath of office prescribed in [section 3331 of title 5](/usc/5/3331.md) is not required to take a new oath upon appointment to a higher [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) under this section. - (g) Notwithstanding [subsection (d)](#d), and subject to regulations prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, in the case of a [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3) who is selected for promotion by a selection board convened under this chapter, and prior to the placement of the [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3)’s name on the applicable promotion list as approved for transfer to a new [component](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) within the same or a different armed force, the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5) may place the [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3)’s name on a corresponding promotion list of the new [component](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) without regard to the [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3)’s competitive category. A [warrant officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-3)’s promotion under this subsection shall be made pursuant to [section 12242 of this title](/usc/10/12242.md). ## Source credit (Added Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title XI, § 1112(a), Dec. 5, 1991, 105 Stat. 1497; amended Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title X, § 1052(4), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2499; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title V, § 501(c), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2748; Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title V, § 508(c), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2560; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title V, § 503(a), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 240; Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(a)(13), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2203.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### Amendments 2024—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 118–159 substituted “as approved” for “is approved”. 2023—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 118–31 added subsec. (g). 2022—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–263 substituted “set forth in section 576(c) of this title” for “of the seniority of such officers on the warrant officer active-duty list”. 1994—Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 103–337 added subsecs. (e) and (f). 1992—Pub. L. 102–484 substituted “Promotions:” for “Promotions;” in section catchline. ### 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.