10 U.S.C. § 653 — Minimum service requirement for certain flight crew positions

(a) Pilots. A member who successfully completes armed-forces pilot training has a minimum service obligation of 8 years if trained to fly fixed-wing jet aircraft, or 6 years if trained to fly another type of aircraft. (b) Navigators and Naval Flight Officers. A member who successfully completes training as a navigator or naval flight officer has a minimum service obligation of 6 years. (c) Definition. “Service obligation” means the required period of active duty. For a reserve-component member who completed flight training while on active duty for training, it means the required period of service in an active status in the Selected Reserve. The period begins after (1) undergraduate pilot training for a pilot, (2) undergraduate navigator training for a navigator, or (3) undergraduate naval-flight-officer training for a naval flight officer.