### §578. Promotions: how made; effective date

(a) When the report of a selection board convened under this chapter is approved by the Secretary concerned, the Secretary shall place the names of the warrant officers approved for promotion on a single promotion list for each grade (or grade and competitive category), in the order set forth in section 576(c) of this title.

(b) Promotions of warrant officers on the warrant officer promotion list shall be made when, in accordance with regulations issued by the Secretary concerned, additional warrant officers in that grade (or grade and competitive category), are needed.

(c) A regular warrant officer who is promoted is appointed in the regular grade to which promoted, and a reserve warrant officer who is promoted is appointed in the reserve grade to which promoted. The date of appointment in that grade and date of rank shall be prescribed by the Secretary concerned. A warrant officer is entitled to the pay and allowances for the grade to which appointed from the date specified in the appointment order.

(d) Promotions shall be made in the order in which the names of warrant officers appear on the promotion list and after warrant officers previously selected for promotion in the applicable grade (or grade and competitive category) have been promoted.

(e) A warrant officer who is appointed to a higher grade under this section is considered to have accepted such appointment on the date on which the appointment is made unless the officer expressly declines the appointment.

(f) A warrant officer who has served continuously as an officer since subscribing to the oath of office prescribed in section 3331 of title 5 is not required to take a new oath upon appointment to a higher grade under this section.

(g) Notwithstanding subsection (d), and subject to regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, in the case of a warrant officer who is selected for promotion by a selection board convened under this chapter, and prior to the placement of the warrant officer's name on the applicable promotion list is approved 1 for transfer to a new component within the same or a different armed force, the Secretary concerned may place the warrant officer's name on a corresponding promotion list of the new component without regard to the warrant officer's competitive category. A warrant officer's promotion under this subsection shall be made pursuant to section 12242 of this title.

(Added Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title XI, §1112(a), Dec. 5, 1991, 105 Stat. 1497; amended Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title X, §1052(4), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2499; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title V, §501(c), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2748; Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title V, §508(c), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2560; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title V, §503(a), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 240.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Amendments

2023—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 118–31 added subsec. (g).

2022—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–263 substituted "set forth in section 576(c) of this title" for "of the seniority of such officers on the warrant officer active-duty list".

1994—Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 103–337 added subsecs. (e) and (f).

1992—Pub. L. 102–484 substituted "Promotions:" for "Promotions;" in section catchline.

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Effective Date

Section effective Feb. 1, 1992, see section 1132 of Pub. L. 102–190, set out as an Effective Date of 1991 Amendment note under section 521 of this title.

1 So in original.