---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 977"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "977"
heading: "Conversion of military medical and dental positions to civilian medical and dental positions: limitation"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/977"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 49 — Miscellaneous Prohibitions and Penalties"
---

# §977. Conversion of military medical and dental positions to civilian medical and dental positions: limitation

- (a) **Process.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, in collaboration with the [Secretaries](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8), shall establish a process to define the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) medical and dental personnel requirements necessary to meet operational medical force readiness requirements.
- (b) **Requirements Relating to Conversion.—** A [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) medical or dental position within the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense may be converted to a civilian medical or dental position if the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) determines that the position is not necessary to meet operational medical force readiness requirements, as determined pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a).
- (c) **Grade or Level Converted.—** In carrying out a conversion under [subsection (b)](#b), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense—
  - (1) shall convert the applicable [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) position to a civilian position with a level of compensation commensurate with the skills and experience necessary to carry out the duties of such civilian position; and
  - (2) may not place any limitation on the [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) or level to which the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) position is so converted.
- (d) **Definitions.—** In this section:
  - (1) The term “[military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) medical or dental position” means a position for the performance of [health care](/usc/10/1072.md?p=10) [functions](/usc/10/467.md?p=1) within the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) held by a member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4).
  - (2) The term “civilian medical or dental position” means a position for the performance of [health care](/usc/10/1072.md?p=10) [functions](/usc/10/467.md?p=1) within the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense held by an employee of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) or of a contractor of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6).
  - (3) The term “conversion”, with respect to a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) medical or dental position, means a change of the position to a civilian medical or dental position, effective as of the date of the manning authorization document of the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) making the change (through a change in designation from [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) to civilian in the document, the elimination of the listing of the position as a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) position in the document, or through any other means indicating the change in the document or otherwise).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VII, § 721(a)(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2227.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 977, added Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title III, § 351(a), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1626; amended Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title X, § 1073(a)(16), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1901; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title X, § 1066(a)(6), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 770, related to prohibition of assignment of active duty members to operation of commissary stores, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title VI, § 651(e)(1), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1972.

Another prior section 977, added Pub. L. 96–342, title X, § 1002(a), Sept. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1119; amended Pub. L. 97–22, § 11(a)(1), July 10, 1981, 95 Stat. 137, provided that no one who originally enlisted after Sept. 7, 1980, in a regular armed services component and failed to serve at least 24 months of such enlistment would be eligible for Federal benefits otherwise receivable because of active service under such enlistment, except that such exclusion was not applicable to one discharged under section 1173 of chapter 61 of this title or to one later proved to be suffering from a disability resulting from an injury or disease incurred during enlistment, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 97–306, title IV, § 408(c)(1), Oct. 14, 1982, 96 Stat. 1446. See section 5303A of Title 38, Veterans’ Benefits, and provisions set out as notes under that section.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VII, § 721(a)(3), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2228, provided that: “The Secretary of Defense may not carry out section 977(b) of title 10, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1), until the date that is 180 days after the date on which the Secretary submits the report under subsection (b).”