Is there an age you're required to retire as an officer?

GySgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 15:58:08 -0500

I know in the Marine Corps, 60 is the age where officers are required to retire. I'm curious to know if this is true of the other services?

Response by TSgt Kenneth Ellis made Feb 21 at 2016 4:42 PM

TSgt Kenneth Ellis — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 16:42:06 -0500

I thought it was at 55 unless you are a General.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Feb 21 at 2016 4:44 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 16:44:05 -0500

Flag officers can serve long after age 60 GySgt Private RallyPoint Member. Admiral Hyman Rickover, the father of the nuclear navy, served 63 years until he was 82 and forced about by Secretary of the Navy Lehman.

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made Feb 21 at 2016 5:51 PM

Sgt Tom Cunnally — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 17:51:01 -0500

My cousin was the oldest enlisted man in the Navy when he retired as a Master Chief at 60.. He had a high skill set as a Computer Techie so that may be why he was able to stay in so long...?? He said they had to push him out the door. His Computer Section was in the Pentagon on 9 11. But he was TAD to a Navy base in Florida when he lost most of his guys on that day when a plane took out most of the building where they worked.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Feb 21 at 2016 7:31 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 19:31:55 -0500

Certain chaplains can stay longer. Ditto doctors...

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Feb 21 at 2016 7:45 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 19:45:02 -0500

I shudder at the thought of working that long in the military.

Response by MSgt Kurt Woodward made Feb 22 at 2016 11:34 PM

MSgt Kurt Woodward — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 23:34:24 -0500

In the Air Force, there is no mandatory Retirement age for Officers. However, they are still required to be able to pass their annual PT test and be at least an O-6. I remember reading in Airman Magazine, about the oldest person on Active duty. He was a specialty Dr.,and was in his late 70's; if my memory serves me correctly. Hopefully this answers your question.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2016 5:23 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 05:23:28 -0500

The short Army answer is 60 unless one is eligible for one of the many possible exceptions. (Extensions are generally available to O-6's and above, but it's not unlikely for a medical O-5 in a highly demanded specialty who started military service later to be extended beyond 60.)

Response by LCDR ♘ Mike Magnant made Feb 23 at 2016 7:28 AM

LCDR ♘ Mike Magnant — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 07:28:28 -0500

Good Morning, Just my opinion, the job is for youngish men and women. The Navy's up or out tendencies remove lots of people but there seem to be exceptions and perhaps some good ones. To me if there is a bar each must get over on day 1 to enter the service, then there is little reason to adjust the bar with time unless it is to raise it. When we lower the bar someone is at risk and no wishful thinking much less political correctness can change that.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2016 7:44 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 07:44:26 -0500

There was an Army doc I worked with while stationed at Ft Belvoir who retired last year at 75, but he had several age waivers. Prior to his retirement, he was the oldest soldier on Active Duty.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2016 8:08 AM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 08:08:10 -0500

Age 60 for the Army unless you are a doctor or dentist. Most officers however will never make age 60 as you also hit a years of service limit......28 years 0-5, 30 years 0-6 as a commissioned officer. I'll be done at age 54.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2016 8:52 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 08:52:31 -0500

U.S. ARMY 10 U.S. Code § 1251: Mandatory retirement age is age 62 for all officers other than general or flag officers. Service Secretaries may defer the retirement of health professional officers and chaplains until the age of 68.
After 68 you can get extensions on an annual basis.
As of 2 years ago Col. Arthur Wittich was 75 and still practicing at Ft. Belvoir. He may still be practicing as a OB-GYN.

Response by Maj Marty Greene made Feb 23 at 2016 9:11 AM

Maj Marty Greene — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 09:11:14 -0500

I was recalled at age 59 to active duty in 2009. Did the special two year recall, had to return to retirement status before age 62. Yes, I had to pass PT.

Response by CPT Kevin Tracy made Feb 23 at 2016 9:49 AM

CPT Kevin Tracy — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 09:49:12 -0500

The Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service has no mandatory retirement age.

Response by LTC Robert McKenna made Feb 23 at 2016 10:10 AM

LTC Robert McKenna — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 10:10:22 -0500

60 unless a 2 star or above which is 62. However, there are some additional one off exceptions built into law. Some are related to the authorities granted to the President under a state of emergency, such as we have had in place sine 9/11 and which has been renewed annually.

Response by LTC Patrick Turner made Feb 23 at 2016 10:20 AM

LTC Patrick Turner — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 10:20:16 -0500

You've asked an excellent question but I'm going to give an obtuse answer. What stops most officers in the Army is LENGTH of service. For example, a 0-5 may only serve 28 years, a 0-6 is 30 years. Sometimes, a person with lengthy enlisted service THEN becomes a commissioned officer and they can go deep into their 50s just by simple math. I was forcibly retired in 2003 due to mandatory retirement ("MRD") of 28 years as a 0-5. BUT, I volunteered for multiple tours in the Middle East and I was still serving as an officer. 4 months short of 60. And, I turned down another Tour to AFG. I was the oldest guy wherever I went, frankly. Remember, retired officers I would gather, can serve perhaps beyond 60. I sense there is probably a federal law that limits all officer of all services as being the same.

Response by LTC George Clarke made Feb 23 at 2016 10:55 AM

LTC George Clarke — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 10:55:03 -0500

The US Military as a whole have set a mandatory retirement date of age 60 years; the date is not waiverable but has been ignored for special cases. Admiral Rickover "father of the Nuclear Navy" was in his 80's. Unfortunately a great deal of experience and knowledge is lost under this policy. This is a byproduct of the "up or out" policy which based on no forgiveness for an error in judgement, personality clashes and only the Rater's opinion; Senior Raters tend to just rubber stamp whatever the Rater opines. There is also the established or nominal quotas for the number of personnel permitted at each grade level. Some non-US military structures permit well trained, experienced personnel to continue service in grade to retirement without meeting promotion criteria. The number of personnel permitted in the Armed Forces has just been reduced due to budgetary constraints; it is a vicious circle.

Response by CDR Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham made Feb 23 at 2016 11:39 AM

CDR Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:39:25 -0500

I was "involuntarily retired" as a Naval Officer in 2012 at the age of 60. I was offered the chance to stay until age 62, but I would have to apply ofr the "privilege" of serving another two years, be interviewed, and appear before a Board of Officers in order to be considered for retention. I opted to retire.

Response by CPT Sylvia Burch made Feb 23 at 2016 11:55 AM

CPT Sylvia Burch — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:55:52 -0500

Yes - age 60 seemed to be the age to retire Army Nurses, although I believe it could be challenged.

Response by COL David Turk made Feb 23 at 2016 12:22 PM

COL David Turk — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 12:22:54 -0500

There were a few army medical officers (doctors-specialists) in their 70's put on active duty that served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Read about it in my school's alumni paper. They had been in the Army, and either got out or retired. They had raised their families, been successful and were looking for something with meaning to do; a way to contribute back to society. When they found out the Army would give them medical (not admin but in medical treatment centers; e.g., surgery) tours in a combat zone, off they went.

Response by Maj Gen Maj Gen (Ret) Howard Brent Baker made Feb 23 at 2016 12:25 PM

Maj Gen Maj Gen (Ret) Howard Brent Baker — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 12:25:33 -0500

As far as I know there is actually no mandatory retirement age. As an officer, you may only serve 30 years unless you make flag officer rank. If you make FO, then you are allowed to serve at the pleasure of the president/service. I personally know of an FO that served into his 60s. Also remember, everything is waiverable as well.

Response by CAPT Frank Nice made Feb 23 at 2016 12:40 PM

CAPT Frank Nice — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 12:40:09 -0500

I believe that a CO in the USPHS must retire at age 65, although that can be waived, as it was for SG Koop.

Response by COL Jim Lincoln made Feb 23 at 2016 1:29 PM

COL Jim Lincoln — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 13:29:16 -0500

yes-20 years if no promotion to 05,28 if no promotion to 06,and in general,age 62 for any officer not a General/Admiral,or 64 if you are one,but SecDef can extend any officer-usually medical or specialist Adm Rickover served 61 years! and Gen MacArthur over 50,after being recalled from retirement in 1937.

Response by COL John Hudson made Feb 23 at 2016 1:44 PM

COL John Hudson — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 13:44:05 -0500

Yes...60 and out. I completed two tours in Vietnam, one during the Balkan conflict, and the better part of four years in Iraq. That's "boots on the ground" and NOT behind a desk. I've maintained my educational and physical requirements throughout. There are exceptions; some may be retained in highly critical MOS positions - Medical, for example...but no such luck for old infantry gray heads. I was deeply hurt by a letter from Dept. of the Army while in full combat in Iraq, stating, "As you were born prior to March, 1949, you will not be considered for promotion to Brigadier General," or words close to that. At the height of my career, never having been advised previously of such a restriction, DA pulled the figurative rug from under my feet and kicked me out for being too old. Go figure. I just wish they would have advised me BEFORE I went to all of those schools required for advancement. That said, I was truly privileged to work side-by-side with some of the finest young service men and women I had ever seen during my military career, exposed to the same challenges they were in a hard risk arena. The US military and civil aviation are two of the organizations that can legally discriminate for age related reasons.

Response by MAJ Anthony Henderson made Feb 23 at 2016 2:11 PM

MAJ Anthony Henderson — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 14:11:38 -0500

Yes. Most mandatory removal dates are on or around the age of 55 for the Army. You can convert over to Warrant Office and serve longer and retire with the highest rank held.

Response by Sgt William Coffee made Feb 23 at 2016 4:58 PM

Sgt William Coffee — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 16:58:55 -0500

I believe it is 16.

Response by LTC Donald (Don) Bachler made Feb 23 at 2016 6:02 PM

LTC Donald (Don) Bachler — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 18:02:53 -0500

It depends on your rank. 28 years of active service is the mandatory retirement date (MRD) for lieutenant colonels. I forgot what it is for other ranks.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Feb 23 at 2016 6:50 PM

CPT Pedro Meza — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 18:50:46 -0500

ARMY Reserves is age 60 too.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2016 8:24 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 20:24:44 -0500

The retirement criteria is the same for all services. It ismore complicated than just age 60. Usually is 28 years commissioned service for LTCs, 30 years for COLs and for General officers well beyond 30. For all is their time in as commissioned offier mentioned above or age 60, whichever comes first. General Officers may stay a bit longer depending on the need of the service Another exception is made for physicians who may go beyond age 60 regardless of grade.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2016 11:21 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 23:21:45 -0500

60 unless you get a waver

Response by COL Mike Walton made Feb 24 at 2016 1:53 AM

COL Mike Walton — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 01:53:41 -0500

I am very sure that it's federal law we're talking about...Commissioned Officers stay in until they are 60s unless they are General officers, in which case the age limit goes up a couple of years for each star. Someone please correct the record if I'm incorrect...but I am pretty sure of this...

Response by PFC Tuan Trang made Feb 24 at 2016 9:26 AM

PFC Tuan Trang — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 09:26:00 -0500

I would say 60-65.

Response by LTC Mike Kallman made Feb 24 at 2016 9:58 PM

LTC Mike Kallman — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 21:58:49 -0500

The Army actually does have a mandatory retirement age, which has recently been changed from 55 to 62 years (MILPER Message 06/104). This can be waivered for certain commissioned officers and mission critical job skills (MOS). We knew a retired Army chaplain who was recalled to active duty at age 72 during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Response by LCDR Randy Ryan made Feb 25 at 2016 11:08 PM

LCDR Randy Ryan — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 23:08:58 -0500

There are a number of factors that go into the formula for when an Officer in the military, all branches, is forced to retire. It is governed in all five uniformed services by the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA). You can look it up in 10 U S Code.

Response by Maj Chris Clark made Feb 28 at 2016 10:30 PM

Maj Chris Clark — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 22:30:08 -0500

There is a combination of service that can also come into play. An O-6 is eligible to serve for 30 years (or at the pleasure of the President), so a prior enlisted Marine who earns a commission can go on to serve for 30 more years assuming he is an O-6 or CWO4/5. That could make his service well into 40+ years of service and not be a general officer.

Response by CWO3 Patrick Wills made Feb 29 at 2016 1:28 PM

CWO3 Patrick Wills — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 13:28:28 -0500

You can stay until you have 30 service as an commissioned officer unless you are I believe an O-6 or above then you can stay longer.

Response by 2LT Darren Bradshaw made Mar 1 at 2016 9:01 AM

2LT Darren Bradshaw — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 09:01:29 -0500

For me it was 23. In retrospect though, I don't think "retire" was the word they used.

Response by LTC George Clarke made Jul 5 at 2017 1:44 PM

LTC George Clarke — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 13:44:27 -0400

I hit my MRD while on active duty in Iraq; I requested a waiver but was turned down; however, on retirement I was given an opportunity to serve again as I was passed a request for return to service for an unlimited term if I accepted the offer within 30 days of retirement. Did I accept you betcha. Marines don't retire the.y just move on to another fight

Response by CAPT Hiram Patterson made Jul 6 at 2017 12:18 PM

CAPT Hiram Patterson — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 12:18:29 -0400

I retired form the Navy Reserve 10 months short of the mandatory retirement age of 62. Medical Corps and Nurse Corps personnel could extend to age 65 and potentially longer but they had to officially request an extension. This may have changed since 2012.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Jul 26 at 2019 11:15 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 23:15:28 -0400

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover

It's really funny you ask that...he was very, very famous, he was well into his 80s when Pres Reagan finally met with him and said it's time...there was also a head of Selective Svc who was also about the same age, Congress insisted on keeping them on forever...I never got to interview with him here, though I tried, a good friend of mine did, as did Pres Carter, if you read about him, he actually accepted my friend, my friend decided Navy wasn't for him...it's a very, very famous story, honest, enjoy....

Hyman G. Rickover - Wikipedia

Hyman G. Rickover (January 27, 1900 – July 8, 1986) was an Admiral in the U.S. Navy. He directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of the U.S. Naval Reactors office. In addition, he oversaw the development of the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, the world's first commercial pressurized water reactor used for generating electricity.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Jul 26 at 2019 11:15 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 23:15:59 -0400

There are also others, however, he was one of the most famous instances I know of, honest....

Response by MAJ Matthew Arnold made Jul 27 at 2019 12:56 PM

MAJ Matthew Arnold — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 12:56:11 -0400

I'm going out on a limb here, but I would venture to say all the regulations and all the laws are, "... more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules." (Captain Barbosa) If the DOD needed another Gen. Marshall (USA), or Adm. Rickover (USN), or Gen. Puller (USMC), or Gen. Arnold (USAF), it would recall the old master as needed.

Response by CW4 Craig Urban made Jul 27 at 2019 9:18 PM

CW4 Craig Urban — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 21:18:40 -0400

60 or 40 years of service. I joined in 1966. I was 17. So I would have had to get out at 57.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jul 27 at 2019 9:47 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 21:47:24 -0400

GySgt Private RallyPoint Member It’s 62, it was until recently 55. You need a SECDEF waiver to go past it. For Chaplains it's longer. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/1251

For Permanent Academy Professors, it's 64...interesting fact if they are O6s at retirement, they retire as an O7.

For General Officers, it's 64, unless they are O9/O10 and waived by the President (to 68) or the SECDEF (to 66).
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/1253

The active federal commissioned service AFCS, which officers use like sort of like TIS limits will usually get you before the age limit. O6 is 30 years AFCS. O5 was 26 years AFCS. There has been some churn on this. In the Army at least, your branch manager notifies you when you have a hard Mandatory Retirement date which factors age, impending promotion, and AFCS. You would need a heavy to go to bat to get that moved. I saw an O6 Commander get ripped out of Command at the end of year one because of an MRD. The three star went to bat to no avail. All he was asking was to finish the two year command, so 12 months more. Not only no, but hell no. That was during the giant officer purge of 2012-2017.

10 U.S. Code § 1251 - Age 62: regular commissioned officers in grades below general and flag...

2011—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 111–383, §501(b)(2), substituted “the officer—” for “the officer will be performing duties consisting primarily of providing patient care or performing other clinical duties.” and added subpars. (A) and (B).

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2019 1:14 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 13:14:55 -0400

Awesome answers here by retirees that volunteered or extended their tours. 60 is Mandatory unless you are a 2 star or higher then 62 or 64 years old depending on your # of stars.
At least in the ARNG/USAR. COL Private RallyPoint Member LTC Stephen F. MAJ Anthony Henderson COL Private RallyPoint Member CH (LTC) Private RallyPoint Member MAJ Matthew Arnold CSM Charles Hayden

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2020 9:40 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 09:40:32 -0400

The Army has raised the retirement age from 60 to 62 for all Officers.

Response by SSgt James Atkinson made Jun 9 at 2020 7:25 PM

SSgt James Atkinson — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 19:25:00 -0400

It is sort of a "it depends" situation where the bulk of the military gets the send off ceremony at age 62 or 63 depending os several variables. Medical officers, chaplains, service academy professors, and certain intelligence officer can waiver this considerably, but to get these waiver they need to be able to prove that they are most likely the only person in the their occupation that is their age or older, and outside of the very limited medical, religious, other the "music does on" at at 62, and just doubles in volume until the person hears it and puts in their paperwork. The problems is this can vex anybody in the military as their service can be extended in certain fields, and this extension will be "voluntary" more or less. Technically, there is also an issue as anybody who serves in the active duty regular military (not reservists and not guardsmen) can be recalled to duty at any time, of any age, in any disability, any gender, up to the date of their death. While rarely activated, when a person joins the regular forces, they are subject to recall for the duration of their lives, and during WWII quite a few blind and legless WWI veterans were recalled to a active duty, although their inability to walk or see was no limitation to the work they performed during WWII. The Korean War had a small number of these activation, and it was unheard of during Vietnam, although there were a small number right after the First Gulf War, and with the Second Gulf War those slots were filled by outside contractors and there was no reason to roll out wheelchair bound veterans for active duty.

At present, the laws are still on the books whereby the President owns anybody who raises their right hand and enters the regular military forces, literally for the remainder of their life, even beyond the statutory retirement ages, but too often people glance over one part of the military law and are not aware of the powers granted to unlimited, and unrestricted recalll into active duty in times of national emergency, insurrection, and other times there retired and discharged military personnel may find themselves squeezing back into uniform a decade or two after their last PT profile. Yes, and there is cases where this has taken place in the past, although it is exceptionally rare since WWII.