§668. Definitions — Inbound Citations
10 U.S.C. § 668
Cited by 59 provisions in release 119-102.
Citations to 10 U.S.C. § 668 as a whole
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(a) The Secretary of Defense shall establish policies, procedures, and practices for the effective management of officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps on the active-duty list, and officers of the Space Force on the Space Force officer list, who are particularly trained in, and oriented toward, joint matters (as defined in section 668 of this title). Such officers shall be identified or designated (in addition to their principal military occupational specialty) as a joint qualified officer or in such other manner as the Secretary of Defense directs.
Citations to §668(a)(1)
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(a) The Secretary of Defense shall establish policies, procedures, and practices for the effective management of officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps on the active-duty list, and officers of the Space Force on the Space Force officer list, who are particularly trained in, and oriented toward, joint matters (as defined in section 668 of this title). Such officers shall be identified or designated (in addition to their principal military occupational specialty) as a joint qualified officer or in such other manner as the Secretary of Defense directs.
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(A) The Secretary of Defense shall establish different levels of joint qualification, as well as the criteria for qualification at each level. Such levels of joint qualification shall be established by the Secretary with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Each level shall, as a minimum, have both joint education criteria and joint experience criteria. The purpose of establishing such qualification levels is to ensure a systematic, progressive, career-long development of officers in joint matters and to ensure that officers serving as general and flag officers have the requisite experience and education to be highly proficient in joint matters.
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(ii) such other assignments and experiences in a manner that demonstrate the officer’s mastery of knowledge, skills, and abilities in joint matters, as determined under such regulations and policy as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.
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(A) the officer has completed two full tours of duty in a joint duty assignment, as described in section 664(d) of this title, in such a manner as to demonstrate the officer’s mastery of knowledge, skills, and abilities on joint matters; and
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(2) The Secretary of Defense, with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall designate an appropriate number of joint duty assignment positions as critical joint duty assignment positions. A position may be designated as a critical joint duty assignment position only if the duties and responsibilities of the position make it important that the occupant be particularly trained in, and oriented toward, joint matters.
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The Secretary of Defense shall establish personnel policies emphasizing education and experience in joint matters for reserve officers not on the active-duty list. Such policies shall, to the extent practicable for the reserve components, be similar to the policies provided by this chapter.
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(a) Joint professional military education consists of the rigorous and thorough instruction and examination of officers of the armed forces in an environment designed to promote a theoretical and practical in-depth understanding of joint matters and, specifically, of the subject matter covered. The subject matter to be covered by joint professional military education shall include at least the following:(1) National Military Strategy.(2) Joint planning at all levels of war.(3) Joint doctrine.(4) Joint command and control.(5) Joint force and joint requirements development.(6) Operational contract support.
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(b) The Secretary of Defense, with the advice and assistance of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall periodically review and revise the curriculum of each school of the National Defense University (and of any other joint professional military education school) to enhance the education and training of officers in joint matters. The Secretary shall require such schools to maintain rigorous standards for the military education of officers with the joint specialty.
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(1) joint matters; and
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(A) in the case of an officer whose immediately previous assignment was in a joint duty assignment and who is thoroughly familiar with joint matters;
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(2) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff may grant exceptions to the requirement under paragraph (1). Such an exception may be granted only on a case-by-case basis under exceptional circumstances, as determined by the Chairman. An officer selected to receive such an exception shall have knowledge of joint matters and other aspects of the Phase I curriculum that, to the satisfaction of the Chairman, qualifies the officer to meet the minimum requirements established for entry into Phase II instruction without first completing Phase I instruction. The number of officers selected to attend an offering of the principal course of instruction at the Joint Forces Staff College or a senior level service school designated by the Secretary of Defense as a joint professional military education institution who have not completed Phase I instruction should comprise no more than 10 percent of the total number of officers selected.
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(B) so that students progress from a basic knowledge of joint matters learned in Phase I instruction to the level of expertise necessary for successful performance in the joint arena.
Citations to §668(b)(1)
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(B) has completed a full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment (as defined in section 664(f)1 of this title) as a general or flag officer.
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(B) has completed a full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment (as defined in section 664(d) of this title) as a general or flag officer.
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(1) An officer released from a joint duty assignment, but only during the 60-day period beginning on the date the officer departs the joint duty assignment, except that the Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military department to extend the 60-day period by an additional 120 days, but no more than three officers from each armed forces may be on active duty who are excluded under this paragraph.
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(2) The number of officers required to serve in joint duty assignments as authorized by the Secretary of Defense under section 526(b) for each military service.
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(1) The limitations of this section do not apply to a reserve component general or flag officer who is on active duty for a period in excess of 365 days, but not to exceed three years, except that the number of officers from each reserve component who are covered by this subsection and are not serving in a position that is a joint duty assignment for purposes of chapter 38 of this title may not exceed 5 per component, unless authorized by the Secretary of Defense.
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(3) The limitations of this section do not apply to a Space Force general officer serving in a Space Force active status but not on sustained duty orders, and who is on active service for a period in excess of 365 days but not to exceed three years. Unless authorized by the Secretary of Defense, the number of Space Force general officers covered by this subsection and not serving in a joint duty assignment for purposes of chapter 38 of this title may not exceed two. Not later than 30 days after authorizing more than two Space Force general officers covered by this subsection, the Secretary of Defense shall provide the notification required in accordance with paragraph (2).
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(1) The Secretary of Defense may designate up to 232 general officer and flag officer positions that are joint duty assignments for purposes of chapter 38 of this title for exclusion from the limitations in subsection (a).
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(B) The number of officers described in subparagraph (A) who do not serve in a position that is a joint duty assignment for purposes of chapter 38 of this title may not exceed five per armed force, unless authorized by the Secretary of Defense.
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(1) The limitations in subsection (a) do not apply to a general officer or flag officer assigned to a temporary joint duty assignment designated by the Secretary of Defense.
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(2) A general officer or flag officer assigned to a temporary joint duty assignment as described in paragraph (1) may not be excluded under this subsection from the limitations in subsection (a) for a period of longer than one year.
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(f) The limitations in subsection (a) do not apply to an officer released from a joint duty assignment, but only during the 60-day period beginning on the date the officer departs the joint duty assignment. The Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military department to extend the 60-day period by an additional 120 days, except that not more than three officers on active duty from each armed force may be covered by the additional extension at the same time.
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(1) If the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff proposes an action that would increase above the baseline the number of general officers and flag officers of the armed forces in joint duty assignments who count against the statutory limit under subsection (b)(1), the action shall not take effect until after the end of the 60-calendar day period beginning on the date on which such Secretary or the Chairman, as the case may be, provides notice of the proposed action, including the rationale for the action, to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
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(A) the statutory limit on general officer and flag officer positions that are joint duty assignments under subsection (b)(1); or
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(B) the actual number of general officers and flag officers who, as of January 1, 2023, were in joint duty assignments counted toward the statutory limit under subsection (b)(1).
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(2) The number of general officers and flag officers in joint duty assignments who, as of such January 1, counted toward the statutory limit under subsection (b)(1).
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(1) When an officer is recommended to the President for an initial appointment to the grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral, or for an initial appointment to the grade of general or admiral, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall submit to the Secretary of Defense the Chairman’s evaluation of the performance of that officer as a member of the Joint Staff and in other joint duty assignments. The Secretary of Defense shall submit the Chairman’s evaluation to the President at the same time the recommendation for the appointment is submitted to the President.
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(2) Whenever the Secretaries of the military departments are required to submit the names of officers under paragraph (1)(A), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall submit to the Secretary of Defense the Chairman’s evaluation of the performance of each officer whose name is submitted under that paragraph (and of any officer whose name the Chairman submits to the Secretary under paragraph (1)(B) for consideration for the same vacancy). The Chairman’s evaluation shall primarily consider the performance of the officer as a member of the Joint Staff and in other joint duty assignments, but may include consideration of other aspects of the officer’s performance as the Chairman considers appropriate.
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(4) In the case of an officer selected by a promotion board for appointment to the grade of brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half) while serving in a joint duty assignment if the officer’s total consecutive service in joint duty assignments is not less than two years and the officer has successfully completed a program of education described in subsections (b) and (c) of section 2155 of this title.
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(5) In the case of an officer who served in a joint duty assignment that began before January 1, 1987, if the officer served in that assignment for a period of sufficient duration (which may not be less than 12 months) for the officer’s service to have been considered a full tour of duty under the policies and regulations in effect on September 30, 1986.
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(d) In the case of a waiver under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall provide that the first duty assignment as a general or flag officer of the officer for whom the waiver is granted shall be in a joint duty assignment.
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(g) A general officer or flag officer who before January 1, 1999, received a waiver of subsection (a) under the authority of this subsection (as in effect before that date) may not be appointed to the grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral until the officer completes a full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment.
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(A) the officer has completed two full tours of duty in a joint duty assignment, as described in section 664(d) of this title, in such a manner as to demonstrate the officer’s mastery of knowledge, skills, and abilities on joint matters; and
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(B) the Secretary of Defense determines that the types of joint duty experiences completed by the officer have been of sufficient breadth to prepare the officer adequately for service as a general or flag officer in a joint duty assignment position.
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(1) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that approximately one-half of the joint duty assignment positions in grades above major or, in the case of the Navy, lieutenant commander are filled at any time by officers who have the appropriate level of joint qualification.
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(2) The Secretary of Defense, with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall designate an appropriate number of joint duty assignment positions as critical joint duty assignment positions. A position may be designated as a critical joint duty assignment position only if the duties and responsibilities of the position make it important that the occupant be particularly trained in, and oriented toward, joint matters.
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(4) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that, of those joint duty assignment positions that are filled by general or flag officers, a substantial portion are among those positions that are designated under paragraph (2) as critical joint duty assignment positions.
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(f) Any service by an officer in the grade of captain or, in the case of the Navy, lieutenant in a joint duty assignment shall be considered to be service in a joint duty assignment for purposes of all laws (including section 619a of this title) establishing a requirement or condition with respect to an officer’s service in a joint duty assignment.
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The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the qualifications of officers assigned to joint duty assignments are such that—
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(a) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that each officer designated as a joint qualified officer who graduates from a school within the National Defense University specified in subsection (c) shall be assigned to a joint duty assignment for that officer’s next duty assignment after such graduation (unless the officer receives a waiver of that requirement by the Secretary in an individual case).
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(1) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that a high proportion (which shall be greater than 50 percent) of the officers graduating from a school within the National Defense University specified in subsection (c) who are not designated as a joint qualified officer shall receive assignments to a joint duty assignment (or, as authorized by the Secretary in an individual case, to a joint assignment other than a joint duty assignment) as their next duty assignment after such graduation or, to the extent authorized in paragraph (2), as their second duty assignment after such graduation.
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(a) The length of a joint duty assignment shall be not less than two years.
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(1) Service in a joint duty assignment in which the full tour of duty in the assignment is not completed by the officer because of—(A) retirement;(B) release from active duty;(D) a qualifying reassignment from a joint duty assignment as prescribed by the Secretary of Defense in regulations.
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(D) a qualifying reassignment from a joint duty assignment as prescribed by the Secretary of Defense in regulations.
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(2) Service in a joint duty assignment in a case in which the officer’s tour of duty in that assignment brings the officer’s accrued service for purposes of subsection (d)(2) to the requirement in subsection (a).
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(d) An officer shall be considered to have completed a full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment upon completion of any of the following:(1) A joint duty assignment that meets the requirement in subsection (a).(2) Accrued joint experience in joint duty assignments as described in subsection (e).(3) A joint duty assignment with respect to which the Secretary of Defense has granted a waiver under subsection (b), but only in a case in which the Secretary determines that the service completed by that officer in that duty assignment shall be considered to be a full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment.(4) A second and subsequent joint duty assignment that is less than the period required under subsection (a).
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(1) A joint duty assignment that meets the requirement in subsection (a).
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(2) Accrued joint experience in joint duty assignments as described in subsection (e).
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(3) A joint duty assignment with respect to which the Secretary of Defense has granted a waiver under subsection (b), but only in a case in which the Secretary determines that the service completed by that officer in that duty assignment shall be considered to be a full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment.
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(4) A second and subsequent joint duty assignment that is less than the period required under subsection (a).
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(f) The Secretary of Defense may award constructive credit in the case of an officer (other than a general or flag officer) who, for reasons of military necessity, is reassigned from a joint duty assignment within 60 days of meeting the tour length criteria prescribed in subsection (d)(1). The amount of constructive service that may be credited to such officer shall be the amount sufficient for the completion of the applicable tour of duty requirement, but in no case more than 60 days.
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(B) other officers who serve in joint duty assignments.
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(1) monitor the promotions and career assignments of officers designated as a joint qualified officer and of other officers who have served in joint duty assignments; and
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(d) Assignment to a Detachment shall not qualify as a joint duty assignment, as defined in section 668(b)(1) of title 10, United States Code, unless approved by the Secretary of Defense.
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(2) preparing officers for joint duty assignments.
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(A) in the case of an officer whose immediately previous assignment was in a joint duty assignment and who is thoroughly familiar with joint matters;
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(2) The Secretary of Defense shall designate those positions in the Office of the National Security Space Architect of the Department of Defense (or any successor office) that qualify as joint duty assignment positions for purposes of chapter 38 of this title.