---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 7343"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "7343"
heading: "Highest grade held satisfactorily: Reserve enlisted members reduced in grade not as a result of the member’s misconduct"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/7343"
units:
  - "Subtitle B — Army"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 743 — Retired Grade"
---

# §7343. Highest grade held satisfactorily: Reserve enlisted members reduced in grade not as a result of the member’s misconduct

- (a) A [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [enlisted member](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-6) of the Army described in [subsection (b)](#b) who is retired under [section 7314 of this title](/usc/10/7314.md) shall be retired in the highest enlisted [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) in which the member served on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) satisfactorily (or, in the case of a member of the [National Guard](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-1), in which the member served on [full-time National Guard duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-5) satisfactorily), as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/10/7551.md?p=5) of the Army.
- (b) This section applies to a [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [enlisted member](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-6) who—
  - (1) at the time of retirement is serving on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) (or, in the case of a member of the [National Guard](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-1), on [full-time National Guard duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-5)) in a [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) lower than the highest enlisted [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) held by the member while on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) (or [full-time National Guard duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-5)); and
  - (2) was previously administratively reduced in [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) not as a result of the member’s own misconduct, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/10/7551.md?p=5) of the Army.
- (c) This section applies with respect to [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [enlisted members](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-6) who are retired under [section 7314 of this title](/usc/10/7314.md) after September 30, 1996.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title V, § 532(a)(1), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2518, § 3963; renumbered § 7343 and amended Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, §§ 808(b)(13), 809(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1839, 1840.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 7343, act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 454, related to manufacture of naval aircraft at plants owned by United States under certain circumstances, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title VIII, § 824(a)(9), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1708.

### Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–232, § 808(b)(13), renumbered section 3963 of this title as this section.

Subsecs. (a), (c). Pub. L. 115–232, § 809(a), substituted “section 7314” for “section 3914”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.