---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 602"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "602"
heading: "Flexibility in determining terms of appointment for certain senior officer positions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/602"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 35 — Temporary Appointments in Officer Grades"
---

# §602. Flexibility in determining terms of appointment for certain senior officer positions


The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may extend or reduce the duration of an appointment made under section [152](/usc/10/152.md), [154](/usc/10/154.md), [7033](/usc/10/7033.md), [8033](/usc/10/8033.md), [8043](/usc/10/8043.md), [9033](/usc/10/9033.md), or [9082](/usc/10/9082.md) of this title by up to six months if the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) determines that such an extension or reduction is necessary either in the interests of national defense, or to ensure an appropriate staggering of terms of senior [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) leadership.


## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title V, § 504(a), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 241.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 602, Pub. L. 96–513, title I, § 105, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2849, related to temporary promotions of warrant officers, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title XI, § 1113(a), Dec. 5, 1991, 105 Stat. 1502.