Selective Continuation:

Federal Law

10 U.S. Code § 661: Service Secretaries may convene continuation boards in order to retain the service of officers who would otherwise be discharged or retired for reasons related to failing of selection for promotion.

10 U.S. Code § 637: Officers subject to involuntary discharge or retirement may be retained on active-duty if selected for continuation by a board convened by Service Secretaries.

Limitations to the length of continuation are as follows:

• O3: 20 years of commissioned service
• O4: 24 years of commissioned service
• O5 and O6: continuation cannot exceed 5 years or age 62

O7s and O8s may have retirement deferred and be continued on active-duty by Service Secretaries, and O9s and O10s may have retirement deferred and be continued on active duty by the President. Continuation for O7s and O8s cannot exceed 5 years or age 64. Continuation for O9s and O10s cannot exceed age 66 if deferred by the SECDEF and age 68 if deferred by the President.

10 U.S. Code § 14701: Reserve officers in grades O3 through O6 who are to be discharged due to failing of selection for promotion may be retained on the RASL if selected for continuation. The length limits of such continuation are as follows:

• O3: 20 years of commissioned service (YCS)
• O4: 24 YCS
• O5: 33 YCS
• O6: 35 YCS

10 U.S. Code § 14702: Service Secretaries may retain on the RASL any O4 through O7 who is either

• an Army National Guard officer assigned to a HQ detachment of a state (may be retained up to age 60) OR
• an Army or Air Force Reserve officer who is required, as a condition for continued employment as a technician, to maintain membership in a Selected Reserve unit (may be retained up to age 62).

10 U.S. Code § 14703: Service Secretaries may retain reserve officers who are assigned to chaplain, medical, medical services, dental, nurse, veterinary, health, and biomedical sciences corps until those officers reach the age of 68.

Back to Top

DoD Policy

DODI 1320.08: Service Secretaries are responsible for convening boards for continuation of officers on the ADL and RASL. Army National Guard and Air National Guard officers cannot be continued without consent from the Governor.

The minimum periods of continuation of officers are as follows:

When Service Secretaries intend not to continue large pools of ADL O4s who would qualify for retirement within 6 years, they shall notify USD(P&R) of the proposed course of action.

There may be no more than 10 RASL O7s apiece in the Army and Air Force continued under this provision at any one time. There may be no more than 10 RASL O8s apiece in the Army and Air Force continued under this provision at any one time.

Service Secretaries can retain reserve officers who serve in medical, dental, veterinary, chaplain, and nursing or biomedical capacities up until the officers turn 67 years of age.

DODI 1320.10: Any officer not qualified to be promoted from the grade of O1 to the grade of O2 on the ADL or RASL shall be retained for at least 6 but not more than 18 months. The officer may be promoted during the retention period if he or she is found qualified for promotion. The officer may be discharged at any time after 6 months if still not qualified for promotion.

Back to Top

Air Force Policy (AF Community of Practice Wiki)

AFPAM 36-2506: A selective continuation board may consider officers not selected the second time for promotion (or if the officers have reached the maximum time in service for their grade) if the officers possess critical skills, as determined by the Secretary of the Air Force. Officers so selected may remain on active duty for an initial 3-year period. Prior to expiration of the initial 3-year period, the Air Force considers officers for further continuations until they are eligible to retire, unless a board selects the officers for promotion during the initial continuation period. Selective continuation for captain and major is a board process and is not something for which an individual applies. Continued officers remain eligible for promotion consideration as long as they are on active duty and meet established promotion board criteria.

AFI 36-2504: When necessary, the Secretary of the Air Force establishes a quota of officers eligible for continuation when twice deferred for promotion to the next higher grade or if the officers reach the maximum time in service for their grade (O5 and O6). Officers must apply for continuation consideration if it is offered to them, and approval is based on the needs of the Air Force.

Back to Top

Army Policy (Army Community of Practice Wiki)

AR 600-8-29: The position of officers on the RASL is based on the following criteria, in the given order: current grade, date of rank (DOR), relative seniority in previous grade, duration of active commissioned service, date of appointment, date of birth, and alphabetical order. The RASL is used to determine eligibility for promotion and relative position in relation to promotion zones.

Officers in grades O5 and above may be selectively continued for up to five years past the age of mandatory retirement.

AR 135-155: Reserve officers subject to discharge pending twice failing of promotion may be selectively continued on the RASL if selected by a continuation board convened by the Secretary of the Army. Continuation lasts 3 years and may not extend beyond 20 YCS for O3s and 24 YCS for O4s. Officers not selected for continuation may be transferred to the Retired Reserve (if requested) or are discharged.

Reserve O5s and O6s may be selectively continued until 33 and 35 years, respectively, of commissioned service.

Back to Top

Navy Policy (Navy Community of Practice Wiki)

SECNAVINST 1401.3A: The annual promotion plans from the CNO and CMC will identify guidance for continuation and selective early retirement or removal.

SECNAVINST 1920.7B: The Navy may selectively continue officers to meet needs subject to minimums and maximums set in law and policy. If O3s or O4s are within 2 or 6 years of retirement, respectively, they may be continued until retirement-eligible. Deferral of mandatory retirement of officers on the ADL may not extend beyond 62 years of age or be more than 5 years of continued service.

Back to Top

Marine Corps Policy (USMC Community of Practice Wiki)

MCO P1400.31C, MARCORSEPMAN, Vol 1, OFFPROM: The Secretary of the Navy will convene continuation boards whenever the needs of the Marine Corps so require, based upon the recommendations of the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The Manpower Management Promotion Branch (MMPR) executes the continuation board based on the promotion plan and with the eligible population provided.

Officers on the RASL will be continued under procedures prescribed by Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs (MMSR) per SECNAVINST 1920.7B.

MCO P1900.16F, MARCORSEPMAN: Continuation of reserve officers is based upon the following law and policy: 10 U.S. Code § 14701 provides the Secretary of the Navy with the option of continuing reserve officers in the grades of O4, O5, and O6 to 24, 33, and 35 YCS, respectively. In addition, reserve officers in the grade of captain with two failures of selection to promotion to the next higher grade may be continued to 20 YCS. SECNAVINST 1920.7B and SECNAVINST 1412.9B, further delegate continuation of commissioned officers and chief warrant officers to MMSR.