§ 1431. Election of annuity: members of armed forces

3,842 words·~17 min read·/usc/title-10/section-1431

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(a)This section applies to all members of the armed forces except—

(1)members whose names are on a retired list other than a list maintained under section 12774(a) of this title;

(2)cadets at the United States Military Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, or the Coast Guard Academy; and

(3)midshipmen.

(b)To provide an annuity under section 1434 of this title, a person covered by subsection

(a)may elect to receive a reduced amount of the retired pay or retainer pay to which he may become entitled as a result of service in his armed force. Except as otherwise provided in this section, unless it is made before he completes nineteen years of service for which he is entitled to credit in the computation of his basic pay, the election must be made at least two years before the first day for which retired pay or retainer pay is granted. However, if, because of military operations, a member is assigned to an isolated station or is missing, interned in a neutral country, captured by a hostile force, or beleaguered or besieged, and for that reason is unable to make an election before completing nineteen years of that service, he may make the election, to become effective immediately, within one year after he ceases to be assigned to that station or returns to the jurisdiction of his armed force, as the case may be. A member to whom retired pay or retainer pay is granted retroactively, and who is otherwise eligible to make an election, may make the election within ninety days after receiving notice that such pay has been granted to him. An election made after August 13, 1968, is not effective if—

(1)the elector dies during the first thirty-day period he is entitled to retired pay as a result of a physical condition which led to his being granted retired pay under chapter 61 of title 10 with a disability of 100 per centum under the standard schedule of rating disabilities in use by the Department of Veterans Affairs at the time of the determination of the per centum of his disability;

(2)the disability was not the result of injury or disease received in line of duty as a direct result of armed conflict; and

(3)his surviving spouse or children are entitled to dependency and indemnity compensation under chapter 13 of title 38 based upon his death.

(c)An election may be changed or revoked by the elector before the first day for which retired or retainer pay is granted. Unless it is made on the basis of restored mental competency under section 1433 of this title, or unless it is made before the elector completes nineteen years of service for which he is entitled to credit in the computation of his basic pay (in which case only the latest change or revocation shall be effective), the change or revocation is not effective if it is made less than two years before the first day for which retired or retainer pay is granted. The elector may, however, before the first day for which retired or retainer pay is granted, change or revoke his election (provided the change does not increase the amount of the annuity elected) to reflect a change in the marital or dependency status of the member or his family that is caused by death, divorce, annulment, remarriage, or acquisition of a child, if such change or revocation of election is made within two years of such change in marital or dependency status.

(d)If an election made under this section is found to be void for any reason except fraud or willful intent of the member making the election, he may make a corrected election at any time within 90 days after he is notified in writing that the election is void. A corrected election made under this subsection is effective as of the date of the voided election it replaces.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 108; Pub. L. 85–861, § 33(a)(11), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1565; Pub. L. 87–381, § 2, Oct. 4, 1961, 75 Stat. 810; Pub. L. 90–485, § 1(1), (2), Aug. 13, 1968, 82 Stat. 751; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 511(55), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2925; Pub. L. 99–145, title XIII, § 1301(a)(2), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 735; Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title XVI, § 1621(a)(1), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1602; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title XV, § 1501(c)(17), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 499.)

In subsection (a), the language of the revised subsection is substituted for 37:371(b) and (c), to make clear that the section was intended to include enlisted members and members of the Army, or the Air Force, without component. The words “the United States Air Force Academy” are inserted to reflect its establishment by the Air Force Academy Act (68 Stat. 47). The words “retirement pay” are omitted as covered by the words “retired pay”. The words “equivalent pay” are omitted as surplusage. 37:371(c) (less 1st 21 words) is omitted as executed, since the persons described must have completed 18 years of the required service on the effective date of the source statute and exercised the option by 180 days after that date. 37:371(a) is omitted, since the revised chapter applies only to the armed forces. 37:371(d) is omitted, since the words “person entitled to retired or retainer pay”, or their equivalent, are used throughout the revised chapter. 37:371(g) is omitted, since the words “retired or retainer pay” are used throughout the revised chapter. 37:371(h) is omitted as unnecessary in view of the definitions contained in section 101(5), (7), and (8). 37:372(a) (2d sentence) is omitted as surplusage.

In subsection (b), 37:372(a) (last 28 words of 1st sentence) is omitted as covered by section 1434 of this title. The words “or naval” are omitted as covered by the word “military”. The last sentence is substituted for 37:372(a) (4th sentence, less 61st through 81st words). 37:372(a) (3d sentence, and 61st through 85th words of 4th sentence) and 37:372(b) (less last sentence) are omitted as executed.

In subsection (c), the words “is retired or becomes entitled to retired or retainer pay” are substituted for the words “his retirement” and “he retires” since, under sections 1331–1333 of this title, a person may be granted retired pay without having been retired. The last eight words are substituted for 37:372(a) (7th through 17th words of last sentence). 37:372(a) (last sentence, less 1st 17 words) is omitted as surplusage.

1958 Act

The change makes clear that section 1431 applies to a person who, because of military operations, is missing under any circumstances.

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