10 U.S.C. § 636 — Retirement for years of service: regular and Space Force officers in grades above brigadier general; regular Navy officers in grades above rear admiral (lower half)

(a) Major generals and rear admirals serving in grade. (1) Unless subsection (b) or (c), section 637(b), or section 637a provides otherwise, each Regular Army, Regular Air Force, or Regular Marine Corps officer holding the regular grade of major general, and each Regular Navy officer holding the regular grade of rear admiral, must be retired if not retired earlier. Retirement occurs on the first day of the first month that begins after the fifth anniversary of the officer’s appointment to that grade, or on the first day of the month after the month in which the officer completes 35 years of active commissioned service, whichever date is later. (2) Unless subsection (b) or (c), section 637(b), or section 637a provides otherwise, each Space Force officer holding the grade of major general must, if not retired earlier, be retired under paragraph (1). (b) Lieutenant generals and vice admirals. When applying subsection (a) to an officer serving as a lieutenant general or vice admiral, the applicable number of years of active commissioned service is 38 years. (c) Generals and admirals. When applying subsection (a) to an officer serving as a general or admiral, the applicable number of years of active commissioned service is 40 years.