10 U.S.C. § 1251 — Age 62: regular commissioned officers in grades below general and flag officer grades; exceptions

(a) Unless earlier retired or separated, a covered regular commissioned Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force officer below brigadier general, or Navy rear admiral (lower half), must retire or separate under (e) on the first day of the month after turning 62. Officers covered by section 1252 and commissioned warrant officers are excluded. (b)(1) Subject to (d), the military-department Secretary may defer a health-professions officer if the officer will primarily provide patient care or clinical duties, or belongs to a designated category whose primary duties are those in (2)(D). (2) Such officers are medical officers, dental officers, Army or Navy Nurse Corps officers, Air Force nurses, and designated categories primarily providing health care, clinical care, or related administration. (c) Subject to (d), the Secretary may defer another officer if deferral is in the department’s best interest. (d)(1) A deferment normally cannot extend beyond the first day of the month after age 68. (2) The Secretary may extend it further when necessary for department needs, case by case and for an appropriate period. (e)(1) An officer with at least six but fewer than 20 years of creditable service is separated with pay under section 1174(d)(1); one with fewer than six years is separated under (a). (2) A covered officer placed on the retired list before enactment of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act is retired with pay under section 1401.