---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 637a"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "637a"
heading: "Continuation on active duty: officers in certain military specialties and career tracks"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/637a"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 36 — Promotion, Separation, and Involuntary Retirement of Officers on the Active-Duty List"
  - "Subchapter IV — Continuation on Active Duty and Selective Early Retirement"
---

# §637a. Continuation on active duty: officers in certain military specialties and career tracks

- (a) **In General.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) concerned may authorize an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in a [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) above [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) O–2 to remain on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) after the date otherwise provided for the separation or retirement of the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in section [632](/usc/10/632.md), [633](/usc/10/633.md), [634](/usc/10/634.md), [635](/usc/10/635.md), or [636](/usc/10/636.md) of this title, as applicable, if the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) has a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) occupational specialty, [rating](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-9), or specialty code in a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) specialty designated pursuant to [subsection (b)](#b).
- (b) **Military Specialties.—** Each [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) shall designate the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) specialties in which a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) occupational specialty, [rating](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-9), or specialty code, as applicable, assigned to members of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) under the jurisdiction of such [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) authorizes the members to be eligible for continuation on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) as provided in [subsection (a)](#a).
- (c) **Duration of Continuation.—** An [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) continued on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) pursuant to this section shall, if not earlier retired, be retired on the first day of the month after the month in which the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) completes 40 years of [active service](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-3).
- (d) **Regulations.—** The [Secretaries](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8) shall carry out this section in accordance with regulations prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense. The regulations shall specify the criteria to be used by the [Secretaries](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8) in designating [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) specialties for purposes of [subsection (b)](#b).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title V, § 505(a)(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2107; amended Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title V, § 506, title X, § 1081(a)(8), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1743, 1983; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title V, § 504, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1345.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2019—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–92 inserted “separation or” after “provided for the”.

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–232, § 506, substituted “grade O–2” for “grade O–4” and inserted “632,” before “633,”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–232, § 1081(a)(8), substituted “specialties” for “specialities”.