10 U.S.C. § 20212 — Composition of selection boards

**(a) Appointment and Composition of Boards.—** (1) **In general.—** — Members of a selection board shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Air Force in accordance with this section. A selection board shall consist of five or more officers of the Space Force. Each member of a selection board must be serving in a grade higher than the grade of the officers under consideration by the board, except that no member of a board may be serving in a grade below major. The members of a selection board shall include at least one member serving on sustained duty and at least one member in a space force active status who is not serving on sustained duty. The ratio of the members of a selection board serving on sustained duty to members serving in a space force active status not on sustained duty shall, to the extent practicable, reflect the ratio of officers serving in each of those statuses who are being considered for promotion by the board. The members of a selection board shall represent the diverse population of the Space Force to the extent practicable. (2) **Representation from competitive categories.—** (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a selection board shall include at least one officer from each competitive category of officers to be considered by the board. (B) A selection board need not include an officer from a competitive category when there are no officers of that competitive category on the Space Force officer list in a grade higher than the grade of the officers to be considered by the board and eligible to serve on the board. (3) **Retired officers.—** — If qualified officers on the Space Force officer list are not available in sufficient number to comprise a selection board, the Secretary of the Air Force shall complete the membership of the board by appointing as members of the board— (A) Space Force officers who hold a grade higher than the grade of the officers under consideration by the board and who are retired officers; and (B) if sufficient Space Force officers are not available pursuant to subparagraph (A), Air Force officers who hold a grade higher than the grade of the officers under consideration by the board and who are retired officers, but only if the Air Force officer to be appointed to the board has served in the Space Force or in a space-related career field of the Air Force for sufficient time such that the Secretary of the Air Force determines that the retired Air Force officer has adequate knowledge concerning the standards of performance and conduct required of an officer of the Space Force. (4) **Exclusion of retired general officers on active duty to serve on a board from numeric general officer active-duty limitations.—** — A retired general officer who is on active duty for the purpose of serving on a selection board shall not, while so serving, be counted against any limitation on the number of general and flag officers who may be on active duty. **(b) Limitation on Membership on Consecutive Boards.—** (1) **General rule.—** — Except as provided in paragraph (2), no officer may be a member of two successive selection boards convened under [section 20211 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section20211&num=0&edition=prelim) for the consideration of officers of the same competitive category and grade. (2) **Exception for general officer boards.—** — Paragraph (1) does not apply with respect to selection boards convened under [section 20211 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section20211&num=0&edition=prelim) for the consideration of officers in the grade of colonel or brigadier general. **(c) Joint Qualified Officers.—** (1) Each selection board convened under [section 20211 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section20211&num=0&edition=prelim) that will consider an officer described in paragraph (2) shall include at least one officer designated by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who is a joint qualified officer. (2) Paragraph (1) applies with respect to an officer who— (A) is serving on, or has served on, the Joint Staff; or (B) is a joint qualified officer. (3) The Secretary of Defense may waive the requirement in paragraph (1) for any selection board of the Space Force.