---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 647"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "647"
heading: "Force shaping authority"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/647"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 36 — Promotion, Separation, and Involuntary Retirement of Officers on the Active-Duty List"
  - "Subchapter V — Additional Provisions Relating to Promotion, Separation, and Retirement"
---

# §647. Force shaping authority

- (a) **Authority.—** The [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5) may, solely for the purpose of restructuring an armed force under the jurisdiction of that [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3)—
  - (1) discharge an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) described in [subsection (b)](#b); or
  - (2) transfer such an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) from the [active-duty list](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-13) of that armed force to the [reserve active-status list](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-7) of a [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [component](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13).
- (b) **Covered Officers.—**
  - (1) The authority under this section may be exercised in the case of an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) (other than an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the Space Force) who—
    - (A) has completed not more than six years of service as a [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2) in the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4); or
    - (B) has completed more than six years of service as a [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2) in the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4), but has not completed a minimum service obligation applicable to that member.
  - (2) In this subsection, the term “minimum service obligation” means the initial period of required [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) service together with any additional period of required [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) service incurred during the initial period of required [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) service.
- (c) **Appointment of Transferred Officers.—** An [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the [Regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) Army, [Regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) Air Force, [Regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) Navy, or [Regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) Marine Corps who is transferred to a [reserve active-status list](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-7) under this section shall be discharged from the [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) [component](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) concerned and appointed as a [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2) under [section 12203 of this title](/usc/10/12203.md).
- (d) **Regulations.—** The [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5) shall prescribe regulations for the exercise of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3)’s authority under this section.
- (e) **Space Force.—** For a similar provision with respect to [officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) of the Space Force, see [section 20405 of this title](/usc/10/20405.md).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, § 501(c)(1)(A), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1873; amended Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title V, § 503(b), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 95; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 924(b)(4)(H), (16), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3822, 3823; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1718(b), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 658.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2023—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1718(b)(1), inserted “(other than an officer of the Space Force)” after “in the case of an officer” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1718(b)(2), which directed amendment of subsec. (c) by substituting “or Regular Marine Corps” for “Regular Marine Corps, of Regular Space Force”, was executed by making the substitution for “Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Space Force” to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1718(b)(3), added subsec. (e).

2021—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 116–283, § 924(b)(16), struck out “of that armed force” before period at end.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–283, § 924(b)(4)(H), substituted “Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Space Force” for “or Regular Marine Corps”.

2008—Subsec. (b)(1)(A), (B). Pub. L. 110–181 substituted “six years” for “5 years”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective on the first day of the first month beginning more than 180 days after Oct. 28, 2004, see section 501(g) of Pub. L. 108–375, set out as an Effective Date of 2004 Amendment note under section 531 of this title.