§ 51. — Retirement.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 14USC51]
TITLE 14--COAST GUARD
PART I--REGULAR COAST GUARD
CHAPTER 3--COMPOSITION AND ORGANIZATION
Sec. 51. Retirement
(a) An officer who, while serving in the grade of vice admiral, is
retired for physical disability shall be placed on the retired list with
the grade of vice admiral.
(b) An officer who is retired while serving in the grade of vice
admiral, or who, after serving at least two and one-half years in the
grade of vice admiral, is retired while serving in a lower grade, may in
the discretion of the President, be retired with the grade of vice
admiral.
(c) An officer who, after serving less than two and one-half years
in the grade of vice admiral, is retired while serving in a lower grade,
shall be retired in his permanent grade.
(d) An officer serving in the grade of admiral or vice admiral shall
continue to hold that grade--
(1) while being processed for physical disability retirement,
beginning on the day of the processing and ending on the day that
officer is retired, but not for more than 180 days; and
(2) while awaiting retirement, beginning on the day that officer
is relieved from the position of Commandant, Vice Commandant, Area
Commander, or Chief of Staff and ending on the day before the
officer's retirement, but not for more than 60 days.
(Added Pub. L. 92-451, Sec. 1(5), Oct. 2, 1972, 86 Stat. 755; amended
Pub. L. 99-348, title II, Sec. 205(b)(3), July 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 700;
Pub. L. 103-206, title II, Secs. 204(d), 205(c), Dec. 20, 1993, 107
Stat. 2421, 2422.)
Amendments
1993--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-206, Sec. 205(c)(1), substituted ``in
the grade of vice admiral'' for ``as Commander, Atlantic Area, or
Commander, Pacific Area''.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103-206, Sec. 205(c)(2), substituted ``in the
grade of vice admiral'' for ``as Commander, Atlantic Area, or Commander,
Pacific Area''.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103-206, Sec. 204(d), added subsec. (d).
1986--Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 99-348, Sec. 205(b)(3)(A), struck
out ``and retired pay'' after ``with the grade''.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99-348, Sec. 205(b)(3)(B), struck out ``and
with the retired pay of that grade'' after ``permanent grade''.
Effective Date
Section effective Oct. 2, 1972, except that continuation boards may
not be held until one year thereafter, see section 3 of Pub. L. 92-451,
set out as an Effective Date of 1972 Amendment note under section 290 of
this title.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 46, 47, 50, 50a of this
title.
