§ 505. Regular components: qualifications, term, grade

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

1. 1968

   Pub. L. 90–235 § 2(a)(1)(B) · 81 Stat. 753

   Enacted · 10 U.S.C. § 505

   Added Pub. L. 90–235, § 2(a)(1)(B), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 754

   Source evidence

   Code source credit
   Added Pub. L. 90–235, § 2(a)(1)(B), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 754

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (B) by inserting the following new sections: “§ 501. Definition “In this chapter ‘enlistment’ means original enlistment or reenlistment. “*      *      *      *      *      *      * “§ 503. Enlistments: recruiting campaigns “The Secretary concerned shall conduct intensive recruiting campaigns to obtain enlistments in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, and Regular Coast Guard. “§ 504. Persons not qualified “No person who is insane, intoxicated, or a deserter from an armed force, or who has been convicted of a felony, may be enlisted in any armed force. However, the Secretary concerned may authorize exceptions, in meritorious cases, for the enlistment of deserters and persons convicted of felonies. “§ 505. Regular components: qualifications, term, grade “(a) The Secretary concerned may accept original enlistments in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be, of qualified, effective, and able-bodied persons who are not less than seventeen years of age in the case of male persons and not less than eighteen years of age in the case of female persons, nor more than thirty-five years of age. However, no male person under eighteen years of age, or female person under twenty-one years of age, may be originally enlisted without the written consent of his parent or guardian, if he has a parent or guardian entitled to his custody and control. “(b) A person is enlisted in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard in the grade or rating prescribed by the Secretary concerned. “(c) The Secretary concerned may accept original enlistments in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be— “(1) of male persons for the duration of their minority or for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years; and “(2) of female persons for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years. “(d) In the Regular Army, female persons may be enlisted only in the Women’s Army Corps. “(e) The Secretary concerned may accept reenlistments in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be, for periods of two, three, four, five, or six years. No enlisted member is entitled to be reenlisted for a period that would expire before the end of his current enlistment. “§ 506. Regular components: extension of enlistments during war “An enlistment in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard in effect at the beginning of a war, or entered into during a war, unless sooner terminated by the President, continues in effect until six months after the termination of that war. “§ 507. Extension of enlistment for members needing medical care or hospitalization “(a) An enlisted member of an armed force on active duty whose term of enlistment expires while he is suffering from disease or injury incident to service and not due to his misconduct, and who needs medical care or hospitalization, may be retained on active duty, with his consent, until he recovers to the extent that he is able to meet the physi-cal requirements for reenlistment, or it is determined that recovery to that extent is impossible. “(b) This section does not prevent the retention in service, without his consent, of an enlisted member of an armed force under section 972 of this title. 72 Stat. 1443. “§ 508. Reenlistment: qualifications “(a) No person whose service during his last term of enlistment was not honest and faithful may be reenlisted in an armed force. However, the Secretary concerned may authorize the reenlistment in the armed force under his jurisdiction of such a person if his conduct after that service has been good. “(b) A person discharged from a Regular component may be reenlisted in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be, under such regulations as the Secretary concerned may prescribe. “(c) This section does not deprive a person of any right to be reenlisted in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard under any other provision of law. “§ 509. Voluntary extension of enlistments: periods and benefits “(a) Under such regulations as the Secretary concerned may prescribe, the term of enlistment of a member of an armed force may be extended or reextended with his written consent for any period. However, the total of all such extensions of an enlistment may not exceed four years. “(b) When a member is discharged from an enlistment that has been extended under this section, he has the same rights, privileges, and benefits that he would have if discharged at the same time from an enlistment not so extended. “*      *      *      *      *      *      * “§ 518. Temporary enlistments “Temporary enlistments may be made only in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, as the case may be, without specification of component. “§ 519. Temporary enlistments: during war or emergency “Except as provided in section 505 of this title and except for enlistments Ante, p. 754. as Reserves of an armed force— “(1) temporary enlistments in an armed force entered into in time of war or of emergency declared by Congress shall be for the duration of the war or emergency plus six months; and “(2) only persons at least eighteen years of age and otherwise qualified under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary concerned are eligible for such enlistments.”; and

2. 1974

   Pub. L. 93–290 § 1 · 88 Stat. 173

   Struck · 10 U.S.C. § 505(a)

   Pub. L. 93–290, § 1, struck out provisions which prohibited the Secretary from accepting original enlistments from female persons less than 18 years of age, and which required consent of the parent or guardian for an original enlistment of a female person under 21 years of age

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–290, § 1, struck out provisions which prohibited the Secretary from accepting original enlistments from female persons less than 18 years of age, and which required consent of the parent or guardian for an original enlistment of a female person under 21 years of age.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   Section 1. (a) The first sentence of section 505(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking out “in the case of male persons and not less than eighteen years of age in the case of female persons”. (b) The second sentence of section 505(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking out “male” and by striking out “, or female person under twenty-one years of age,”.

3. 1974

   Pub. L. 93–290 § 2 · 88 Stat. 173

   Substituted · 10 U.S.C. § 505(c)

   Pub. L. 93–290, § 2, substituted provisions permitting the Secretary to accept original enlistments of persons for the duration of their minority or for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years, for provisions which limited the Secretary to accept original enlistments from male persons for the duration of their minority or for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years, and from female persons for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 93–290, § 2, substituted provisions permitting the Secretary to accept original enlistments of persons for the duration of their minority or for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years, for provisions which limited the Secretary to accept original enlistments from male persons for the duration of their minority or for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years, and from female persons for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   Sec. 2. Section 505(c) of title 10, United State Code, is amended by— (1) inserting “of persons for the duration of their minority or for a period of two, three, four, five, or six years,” after “enlistments”; (2) inserting a period after “be” and by striking out the dash after “be”; and (3) striking out paragraph (1) and paragraph (2).

4. 1978

   An Act to amend chapter 5 of title 37, United States Code, to revise the special pay structure relating to medical officers of the uniformed services

   Pub. L. 95–485 title VIII § 820(a) · 92 Stat. 1611

   Redesignated · 10 U.S.C. § 505(d); 10 U.S.C. § 505(e)

   Pub. L. 95–485 redesignated subsec. (e) as (d). Former subsec. (d), which provided that in the Regular Army female persons may be enlisted only in the Women’s Army Corps, was struck out

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 95–485 redesignated subsec. (e) as (d). Former subsec. (d), which provided that in the Regular Army female persons may be enlisted only in the Women’s Army Corps, was struck out.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (a) Section 505 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking out subsection (d) and by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d).

5. 1983

   Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1984

   Pub. L. 98–94 title X § 1023 · 97 Stat. 614

   Substituted · 10 U.S.C. § 505(c); 10 U.S.C. § 505(d)

   Pub. L. 98–94 substituted “at least two but not more than six years” for “two, three, four, five, or six years”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 98–94 substituted “at least two but not more than six years” for “two, three, four, five, or six years”.

6. 1996

   National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997

   Pub. L. 104–201 div. A title V § 511 · 110 Stat. 2422

   Amended · 10 U.S.C. § 505(d)

   Pub. L. 104–201 amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (d) read as follows: “The Secretary concerned may accept reenlistments in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be, for period of at least two but not more than six years. No enlisted member is entitled to be reenlisted for a period that would expire before the end of his current enlistment.”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–201 amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (d) read as follows: “The Secretary concerned may accept reenlistments in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be, for period of at least two but not more than six years. No enlisted member is entitled to be reenlisted for a period that would expire before the end of his current enlistment.”

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   SEC. 511. CAREER SERVICE REENLISTMENTS FOR MEMBERS WITH AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF SERVICE. Subsection (d) of section 505 of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: “(d) (1) The Secretary concerned may accept a reenlistment in the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, Regular Marine Corps, or Regular Coast Guard, as the case may be, for a period determined under this subsection. “(2) In the case of a member who has less than 10 years of service in the armed forces as of the day before the first day of the period for which reenlisted, the period for which the member reenlists shall be at least two years but not more than six years. “(3) In the case of a member who has at least 10 years of service in the armed forces as of the day before the first day of the period for which reenlisted, the Secretary concerned may accept a reenlistment for either— “(A) a specified period of at least two years but not more than six years; or “(B) an unspecified period. “(4) No enlisted member is entitled to be reenlisted for a period that would expire before the end of the member’s current enlistment.”.

7. 2006

   National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006

   Pub. L. 109–163 § 543 · 119 Stat. 3136

   Substituted · 10 U.S.C. § 505(a)

   Pub. L. 109–163, § 543, in first sentence, substituted “forty-two years of age” for “thirty-five years of age”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–163, § 543, in first sentence, substituted “forty-two years of age” for “thirty-five years of age”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   SEC. 543. INCREASE IN MAXIMUM AGE FOR ENLISTMENT.   Section 505(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking “thirty-five years of age” and inserting “forty-two years of age”.

8. 2006

   National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006

   Pub. L. 109–163 § 544 · 119 Stat. 3136

   Substituted · 10 U.S.C. § 505(c)

   Pub. L. 109–163, § 544, substituted “eight years” for “six years”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–163, § 544, substituted “eight years” for “six years”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   SEC. 544. INCREASE IN MAXIMUM TERM OF ORIGINAL ENLISTMENT IN REGULAR COMPONENT.   Section 505(c) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking “six years” and inserting “eight years”.

9. 2008

   Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009

   Pub. L. 110–417 · 122 Stat. 4356

   Substituted · 10 U.S.C. § 505(d)(2); 10 U.S.C. § 505(3)(A)

   Pub. L. 110–417 substituted “eight years” for “six years”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (d)(2), (3)(A). Pub. L. 110–417 substituted “eight years” for “six years”.

10. 2021

    William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021

    Pub. L. 116–283 div. A title IX § 924(b)(5)(A) · 134 Stat. 3388

    Substituted · 10 U.S.C. § 505

    Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “Regular Marine Corps, Regular Space Force,” for “Regular Marine Corps,” wherever appearing

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “Regular Marine Corps, Regular Space Force,” for “Regular Marine Corps,” wherever appearing.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (A) Section 505.

11. 2023

    Space Force Personnel Management Act

    Pub. L. 118–31 § 1717(b)(2)(A) · 137 Stat. 136

    Struck · 10 U.S.C. § 505

    Pub. L. 118–31, § 1717(b)(2)(A), struck out “Regular Space Force,” after “Regular Marine Corps,” wherever appearing

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 118–31, § 1717(b)(2)(A), struck out “Regular Space Force,” after “Regular Marine Corps,” wherever appearing.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (A) by striking “Regular Space Force,” each place it appears; and

12. 2023

    Space Force Personnel Management Act

    Pub. L. 118–31 § 1717(b)(2)(B) · 137 Stat. 136

    Added · 10 U.S.C. § 505(e)

    Pub. L. 118–31, § 1717(b)(2)(B), added subsec. (e)

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1717(b)(2)(B), added subsec. (e).

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (B) by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(e) Enlistments in the Space Force.— For enlistments in the Space Force, see sections 20301 and 20302 of this title.” .

10 of 12 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 2 partial