---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 8334"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "8334"
heading: "Higher grade after 30 years of service: warrant officers and enlisted members"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/8334"
units:
- "Subtitle C — Navy and Marine Corps"
- "Part II — Personnel"
- "Chapter 841 — Voluntary Retirement"
---
# §8334. Higher grade after 30 years of service: warrant officers and enlisted members
- (a) Each [member of the naval service](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-3) covered by [subsection (b)](#b) who, after December 4, 1987, is retired with less than 30 years of [active service](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-3) or is transferred to the Fleet [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) or Fleet [Marine Corps](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-2) [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) is entitled, when his [active service](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-3) plus his service on the retired list or his service in the Fleet [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) or the Fleet [Marine Corps](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-2) [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) totals 30 years, to be advanced on the retired list to the highest [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) in which he served on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) satisfactorily, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/10/8720.md?p=4) of the [Navy](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-1).
- (b) This section applies to—
- (1) [warrant officers](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-7) of the naval service;
- (2) [enlisted members](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-4) of the [Regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) [Navy](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-1) and [Regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) [Marine Corps](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-2); and
- (3) [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [enlisted members](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-4) of the [Navy](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-1) and [Marine Corps](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-2) who, at the time of retirement or transfer to the Fleet [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) or Fleet [Marine Corps](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-2) [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6), are serving on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1).
- (c) An [enlisted member](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-4) of the naval service who is advanced on the retired list under this section is entitled to recompute his retired or retainer [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) under formula A of the following table, and a [warrant officer](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-7) of the naval service so advanced is entitled to recompute his retired [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) under formula B of that table. The amount recomputed, if not a multiple of $1, shall be rounded to the next lower multiple of $1.
| Formula | Column 1 Take | Column 2 Multiply by |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A | Retired [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) base as computed under section [1406(d)](/usc/10/1406.md?p=d) or [1407](/usc/10/1407.md) of this title | The retired [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) multiplier prescribed in [section 1409 of this title](/usc/10/1409.md) for the number of years creditable for his retainer or retired [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) at the time of retirement.[^1] |
| B | Retired [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) base as computed under [section 1406(d) of this title](/usc/10/1406.md?p=d) | The retired [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) multiplier prescribed in [section 1409 of this title](/usc/10/1409.md) for the number of years credited to him under [section 1405 of this title](/usc/10/1405.md). |
| [^1] In determining the retired [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) multiplier, credit each full month of service that is in addition to the number of full years of service creditable to the member as 1⁄12 of a year and disregard any remaining fractional part of a month. | | |
## Source credit
(Added Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title V, § 512(b), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1089, § 6334; amended Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title XVI, § 1622(g), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1605; renumbered § 8334, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(b)(15), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1836.)
## Notes
### Editorial Notes
### Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 6334 of this title as this section.
1989—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–189 substituted “December 4, 1987” for “the date of the enactment of this section”.
### 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.