14 U.S.C. § 304 (COAST GUARD)
§ 304. Retirement of Commandant or Vice Commandant
(a)
(1) A Commandant who is not reappointed shall be retired with the grade of admiral at the expiration of the appointed term, except as provided in section 306(d) of this title.
(2) A Vice Commandant who is retired while serving as Vice Commandant, after serving not less than 2 years as Vice Commandant, shall be retired with the grade of admiral, except as provided in section 306(d).
(b) A Commandant or Vice Commandant who is retired for physical disability shall be placed on the retired list with the grade of admiral.
(c) An officer who is retired prior to the expiration of the officer’s term, while serving as Commandant or as an officer serving as Vice Commandant who has served less than 2 years as Vice Commandant, may, in the discretion of the President, be retired with the grade of admiral.
(d) Retirement under this section is subject to section 2501(a) of this title.
(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 499, § 46; Pub. L. 86–474, § 1(5), May 14, 1960, 74 Stat. 144; Pub. L. 88–130, § 1(4), Sept. 24, 1963, 77 Stat. 175; Pub. L. 89–444, § 1(4), (5), June 9, 1966, 80 Stat. 195; Pub. L. 97–295, § 2(1), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1301; Pub. L. 99–348, title II, § 205(b)(1), July 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 699; Pub. L. 103–206, title II, § 204(a), Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2421; Pub. L. 114–120, title II, § 209(2), Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 40; Pub. L. 115–232, div. C, title XXXV, § 3528(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2318; renumbered § 303 and amended Pub. L. 115–282, title I, §§ 104(b), 123(b)(2), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4196, 4240; Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXII [LXXXII], § 8201(a), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4641; Pub. L. 117–263, div. K, title CXII, § 11240, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 4039; renumbered § 304, Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXII, § 7201(b), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1675.)
heading: Historical and Revision Notes
text: Based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 161 (Jan. 12, 1923, ch. 25, § 2, 42 Stat. 1130; June 25, 1936, ch. 808, 49 Stat. 1924; June 9, 1937, ch. 309, § 1, 50 Stat. 252; June 6, 1940, ch. 257, § 1(a), 54 Stat. 246).
Provision is added for retirement of the Commandant with the grade and pay of vice admiral after 3 years service, in the discretion of the President, regardless of total length of service. Provision is also added for retirement with the grade and pay of vice admiral in case of physical disability. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Prior Provisions
text: A prior section 304 was renumbered section 303 of this title.
Another prior section 304, act Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 518, provided for voluntary retirement of warrant officers after thirty years’ service, with retired pay of grade with which retired, prior to repeal by act May 29, 1954, ch. 249, § 20(o), 68 Stat. 167, and by Pub. L. 88–130, § 1(10)(A), Sept. 24, 1963, 77 Stat. 177.
heading: Amendments
text: 2025—Pub. L. 119–60 renumbered section 303 of this title as this section.
2022—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 117–263, § 11240(1), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “A Vice Commandant who is not reappointed or appointed Commandant shall be retired with the grade of admiral at the expiration of the appointed term, except as provided in section 306(d).”
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–263, § 11240(2), substituted “or as an officer serving as Vice Commandant who has served less than 2 years as Vice Commandant” for “or Vice Commandant”.
2021—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–283 added subsec. (d).
2018—Pub. L. 115–282, § 104(b), renumbered section 46 of this title as this section.
Pub. L. 115–232, § 3528(a)(1), inserted “or Vice Commandant” after “Commandant” in section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 306(d)” for “section 51(d)” in pars. (1) and (2).
Pub. L. 115–232, § 3528(a)(2), (3), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–232, § 3528(a)(4), inserted “or Vice Commandant” after “Commandant”.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–232, § 3528(a)(4), (5), inserted “or Vice Commandant” after “Commandant” and substituted “the officer’s” for “his”.
2016—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–120 substituted “section” for “subsection”.
1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–206 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Any Commandant who is not reappointed shall, at the expiration of his term, be retired with the grade of admiral.”
1986—Pub. L. 99–348 struck out “and retired pay computed at the highest rates of basic pay applicable to him while he served as Commandant” after “admiral” in subsecs. (a) to (c).
1982—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–295 substituted “Commandant” for “commandant”.
1966—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 89–444, § 1(4), removed requirement that the Commandant serve 2½ years as Commandant before being eligible for retirement with the grade of admiral and retired pay computed at the highest rates of basic pay applicable to him while he served as Commandant.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 89–444, § 1(5), repealed subsec. (d) which provided that a Commandant who retired within 2½ years of the date of his original appointment as Commandant would retire in his permanent grade and with the retired pay of that grade.
1963—Subsecs. (a) to (c). Pub. L. 88–130 substituted “of admiral and retired pay computed at the highest rates of basic pay applicable to him while he served as Commandant” for “and retired pay of admiral”.
1960—Pub. L. 86–474 authorized any Commandant who is not reappointed at the expiration of his term to be retired with the grade and retired pay of admiral, directed placement on the retired list with the grade and retired pay of admiral for a Commandant who is retired for physical disability, reduced from three to two and one-half years the period that the Commandant must serve before he may voluntarily apply retirement without regard to total length of service, and provided that any Commandant who retires within two and one-half years of the date of his original appointment as Commandant shall retire in his permanent grade and with the retired pay of that grade.