2015 US Code
Title 10 - Armed Forces (Sections 101 - 18506)
Subtitle B - Army (Sections 3001 - 4842)
Part II - Personnel (Sections 3201 - 4061)
Chapter 369 - Retired Grade (Sections 3961 - 3966)
Sec. 3962 - Higher grade for service in special positions

Upon retirement, any permanent professor of the United States Military Academy whose grade is below brigadier general, and whose service as such a professor has been long and distinguished, may, in the discretion of the President, be retired in the grade of brigadier general.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 230; Pub. L. 85–861, §1(99), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1489; Pub. L. 89–288, §2, Oct. 22, 1965, 79 Stat. 1050; Pub. L. 96–343, §13(a)(1)–(3), Sept. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1131; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, §502(19), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2910; Pub. L. 97–22, §10(a)(2)(B), July 10, 1981, 95 Stat. 136; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title V, §502(c), (d)(1), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 293.)

In subsection (a), the words "who has served (1) as Chief of Staff to the President, (2) as Chief of Staff of the Army, (3) as a senior member of the Military Staff Committee of the United Nations, or (4) in a position of importance and responsibility designated by the President to carry the grade of general or lieutenant general under section 3066 of this title" are substituted for the words "while serving in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) or (c) of this section".

In subsection (b), or 10:156c (1st 6, and 9th through 43d, words) is omitted as covered by 10:1026 (less 24 words before proviso, and less proviso), since the Medical Service Corps is a branch of the Army. The references to the Commanding General of the General Headquarters Air Force are omitted as executed.

In subsection (c), 10:166g(b) (proviso) is omitted as executed.

In subsection (d), the words "Upon retirement" are substituted for the words "When * * * is retired". The word "allowances" is omitted, since retired officers are not entitled to allowances. The words "grade is below brigadier general" are inserted, since any permanent professor who has the grade of brigadier general retires in that grade under section 4335 of this title.

The amendment reflects section 1 of the Act of May 31, 1956, ch. 348 (70 Stat. 222), which in effect amended section 3963 of this title to cover regular officers covered by section 3962(c).

1996—Pub. L. 104–106 designated subsec. (b) as entire section and struck out subsec. (a) which read as follows: "Upon retirement, a commissioned officer of the Army who has served (1) as Chief of Staff to the President, (2) as Chief of Staff of the Army, (3) as a senior member of the Military Staff Committee of the United Nations, or (4) as Surgeon General of the Army in the grade of lieutenant general may, in the discretion of the President, be retired, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, in the highest grade in which he served on active duty."

1980—Pub. L. 96–343, §13(a)(3), substituted "positions" for "positions: regular commissioned officers" in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96–513, §502(19)(A), as amended by Pub. L. 97–22, struck out cl. (4) which had referred to service in a position of importance and responsibility designated by the President to carry out the grade of general or lieutenant general under section 3066 of this title, and redesignated cl. (5) as (4).

Pub. L. 96–343, §13(a)(1), substituted "Army who has" for "Regular Army who has" and "in which he served on active duty" for "held by him at any time on the active list".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–513, §502(19)(B), (C), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b). Former subsec. (b), which provided that, upon retirement, a commissioned officer of the Army who had served at least four years as chief or assistant chief of a branch was entitled to retire in the highest grade, prescribed for such an office, that he had held while so serving, was struck out.

Pub. L. 96–343, §13(a)(2), struck out "Regular" before "Army".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–513, §502(19)(C), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b).

1965—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 89–288 added the Surgeon General of the Army to the list of commissioned officers who may, in the discretion of the President, be retired, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, in the highest grade held by him at any time on the active list.

1958—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 85–861 redesignated former subsec. (d) as (c) and repealed former subsec. (c) which related to retirement of commissioned officers who served as Director or Deputy Director of the Women's Army Corps, Chief of the Army Nurse Corps, or Chief or assistant chief of the Women's Medical Specialist Corps.

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–513 effective Sept. 15, 1981, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

Pub. L. 96–343, §13(c), Sept. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1132, provided that:

"(1) The President may, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint any commissioned officer of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who retired after December 31, 1967, to the retired grade in which such officer could have been retired had such officer retired on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Sept. 8, 1980].

"(2) The retired pay of any retired officer who is appointed to a higher retired grade under paragraph (1) shall be recalculated as if such officer had retired in the grade to which appointed, but any increase in such retired pay by virtue of such appointment or this subsection shall be effective only with respect to periods beginning on or after the date on which such appointment is made."

Act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, §38, 70A Stat. 635, provided that the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, could extend privilege granted by former sections 3962(a) and 8962(a) of this title to retired officers who served in grade of general or lieutenant general after Dec. 7, 1941, and before July 1, 1946.