§ 12203. Commissioned officers: appointment, how made; term

923 words·~4 min read·/usc/title-10/section-12203

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(a)Appointments of reserve officers in commissioned grades of lieutenant colonel and commander or below, except commissioned warrant officer, shall be made by the President alone. Appointments of reserve officers in commissioned grades above lieutenant colonel and commander shall be made by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, except as provided in section 624, 12213, or 12214 of this title.

(b)Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the President, the Secretary of Defense may appoint as a reserve commissioned officer any regular officer transferred from the active-duty list of an armed force to the reserve active-status list of a reserve component under section 647 of this title, notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (a).

(c)Appointments of Reserves in commissioned grades are for an indefinite term and are held during the pleasure of the President.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 25, § 593; Pub. L. 85–861, § 1(10)(C), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1440; Pub. L. 92–129, title VI, § 601, Sept. 28, 1971, 85 Stat. 361; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 501(7), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2907; renumbered § 12203 and amended Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, §§ 1632, 1662(c)(2), 1675(b)(1), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2965, 2990, 3017; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title XV, § 1501(a)(6), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 495; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, § 501(c)(4), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1874; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, § 1075(b)(54), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4372; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title V, § 501(b), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1343.)

In subsection (a), the word “alone” is inserted for clarity. The exception as to commissioned warrant officers is inserted to reflect section 597 of this title, since reserve chief warrant officers of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are appointed by commission by the Secretary concerned.

In subsection (b), 50:948 (2d and last sentences) is omitted as executed.

The exception is inserted to reflect section 3352(b) of title 10, United States Code.