10 U.S.C. § 14503 — Discharge of officers with less than six years of commissioned service or found not qualified for promotion to first lieutenant or lieutenant (junior grade)

(a) Authorized Discharges — The Secretary of the military department may discharge any reserve officer who (1) has less than six years of active-status service as a commissioned officer, or (2) is a second lieutenant or ensign found not qualified for promotion to first lieutenant or lieutenant (junior grade). (b) Time for Discharge — (1) An officer described in (a)(2) (A) may be discharged any time after being found not qualified for promotion, and (B) if not sooner discharged, must be discharged at the end of the 18-month period beginning when the officer was first found not qualified. (2) This doesn't apply if the officer is promoted before then. (c) Regulations — Discharges under this section follow regulations the Secretary of Defense prescribes and can happen without regard to section 12645 of this title.