§661. Management policies for joint qualified officers

(a) Establishment.-The Secretary of Defense shall establish policies, procedures, and practices for the effective management of officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps on the active-duty list, and officers of the Space Force on the Space Force officer list, who are particularly trained in, and oriented toward, joint matters (as defined in section 668 of this title). Such officers shall be identified or designated (in addition to their principal military occupational specialty) as a joint qualified officer or in such other manner as the Secretary of Defense directs.

(b) Levels, Designation, and Numbers.-(1)(A) The Secretary of Defense shall establish different levels of joint qualification, as well as the criteria for qualification at each level. Such levels of joint qualification shall be established by the Secretary with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Each level shall, as a minimum, have both joint education criteria and joint experience criteria. The purpose of establishing such qualification levels is to ensure a systematic, progressive, career-long development of officers in joint matters and to ensure that officers serving as general and flag officers have the requisite experience and education to be highly proficient in joint matters.

(B) The number of officers who are joint qualified shall be determined by the Secretary of Defense, with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Such number shall be large enough to meet the requirements of subsection (d).

(2) Certain officers shall be designated as joint qualified by the Secretary of Defense with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

(3) An officer may be designated as joint qualified under paragraph (2) only if the officer-

(A) meets the education and experience criteria of subsection (c);

(B) meets such additional criteria as prescribed by the Secretary of Defense; and

(C) holds the grade of captain or, in the case of the Navy, lieutenant or a higher grade.

(4) The authority of the Secretary of Defense under paragraph (2) to designate officers as joint qualified may be delegated only to the Deputy Secretary of Defense or an Under Secretary of Defense.

(c) Education and Experience Requirements.-(1) An officer may not be designated as joint qualified until the officer-

(A) successfully completes an appropriate program of joint professional military education, as described in subsections (b) and (c) of section 2155 of this title, at a joint professional military education school; and

(B) successfully completes-

(i) a full tour of duty in a joint assignment, as described in section 664(d) of this title; or

(ii) such other assignments and experiences in a manner that demonstrate the officer's mastery of knowledge, skills, and abilities in joint matters, as determined under such regulations and policy as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) through (6), the Secretary of Defense may waive the requirement under paragraph (1)(A) that an officer has successfully completed a program of education, as described in subsections (b) and (c) of section 2155 of this title.

(3) In the case of an officer in a grade below brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half), a waiver under paragraph (2) may be granted only if-

(A) the officer has completed two full tours of duty in a joint duty assignment, as described in section 664(d) of this title, in such a manner as to demonstrate the officer's mastery of knowledge, skills, and abilities on joint matters; and

(B) the Secretary of Defense determines that the types of joint duty experiences completed by the officer have been of sufficient breadth to prepare the officer adequately for service as a general or flag officer in a joint duty assignment position.

(4) In the case of a general or flag officer, a waiver under paragraph (2) may be granted only-

(A) under unusual circumstances justifying the variation from the education requirement under paragraph (1)(A); and

(B) under circumstances in which the waiver is necessary to meet a critical need of the armed forces, as determined by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

(5) In the case of officers in grades below brigadier general or rear admiral (lower half), the total number of waivers granted under paragraph (2) for officers in the same pay grade during a fiscal year may not exceed 10 percent of the total number of officers in that pay grade designated as joint qualified during that fiscal year.

(6) There may not be more than 32 general and flag officers on active duty at the same time who, while holding a general or flag officer position, were designated joint qualified (or were selected for the joint specialty before October 1, 2007) and for whom a waiver was granted under paragraph (2).

(d) Number of Joint Duty Assignments.-(1) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that approximately one-half of the joint duty assignment positions in grades above major or, in the case of the Navy, lieutenant commander are filled at any time by officers who have the appropriate level of joint qualification.

(2) The Secretary of Defense, with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall designate an appropriate number of joint duty assignment positions as critical joint duty assignment positions. A position may be designated as a critical joint duty assignment position only if the duties and responsibilities of the position make it important that the occupant be particularly trained in, and oriented toward, joint matters.

(3)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), a position designated under paragraph (2) may be held only by an officer who-

(i) was designated as joint qualified in accordance with this chapter; or

(ii) was selected for the joint specialty before October 1, 2007.

(B) The Secretary of Defense may waive the requirement in subparagraph (A) with respect to the assignment of an officer to a position designated under paragraph (2). Any such waiver shall be granted on a case-by-case basis. The authority of the Secretary to grant such a waiver may be delegated only to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or a designee of the Chairman who is an officer of the armed forces in grade O–9 or higher.

(4) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that, of those joint duty assignment positions that are filled by general or flag officers, a substantial portion are among those positions that are designated under paragraph (2) as critical joint duty assignment positions.

(e) Career Guidelines.-The Secretary, with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall establish career guidelines for officers to achieve joint qualification and for officers who have been designated as joint qualified. Such guidelines shall include guidelines for-

(1) selection;

(2) military education;

(3) training;

(4) types of duty assignments; and

(5) such other matters as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(f) Treatment of Certain Service.-Any service by an officer in the grade of captain or, in the case of the Navy, lieutenant in a joint duty assignment shall be considered to be service in a joint duty assignment for purposes of all laws (including section 619a of this title) establishing a requirement or condition with respect to an officer's service in a joint duty assignment.

(Added Pub. L. 99–433, title IV, §401(a), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 1025 ; amended Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title XIII, §1301–1302(b), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1168 , 1169; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title V, §§511, 512(a), 517(a), 518, Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 1968 , 1971; Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title XI, §§1113, 1122, Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1554 , 1556; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title V, §501(a), (d), title XV, §1503(a)(6), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 290 , 292, 511; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title V, §521(a), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1097 ; Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title V, §502(c), title X, §1062(a)(3), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2530 , 2649; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, §516(a)–(e)(1), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2187–2189 ; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title V, §522(a)(1), (2), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4444 , 4445; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, §1081(a)(20), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1595 ; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title V, §505, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1345 ; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, §924(b)(1)(D), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3820 ; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, §1722(c), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 670 .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2023-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 118–31 substituted "and Marine Corps" for "Marine Corps, and Space Force" and inserted ", and officers of the Space Force on the Space Force officer list," after "active-duty list".

2021-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–283 substituted "Marine Corps, and Space Force" for "and Marine Corps".

2019-Subsec. (d)(3)(B). Pub. L. 116–92 inserted "or a designee of the Chairman who is an officer of the armed forces in grade O–9 or higher" after "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff".

2017-Subsec. (c)(1)(B)(i), (3)(A). Pub. L. 115–91 substituted "664(d)" for "664(f)".

2008-Pub. L. 110–417 amended section catchline generally, substituting "Management policies for joint qualified officers" for "Management policies for officers who are joint qualified", and in subsec. (a), substituted "as a joint qualified officer or in such other manner as the Secretary of Defense directs" for "in such manner as the Secretary of Defense directs".

2006-Pub. L. 109–364, §516(e)(1), substituted "officers who are joint qualified" for "joint specialty officers" in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–364, §516(a), struck out at end "For purposes of this chapter, officers to be managed by such policies, procedures, and practices are referred to as having, or having been nominated for, the 'joint specialty'."

Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 109–364, §516(b), amended subsecs. (b) to (d) generally. Prior to amendment, subsecs. (b) to (d) related to numbers and selection of officers with the joint specialty, education and experience requirements, and number of joint duty assignments.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 109–364, §516(c), substituted "officers to achieve joint qualification and for officers who have been designated as joint qualified" for "officers with the joint specialty" in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 109–364, §516(d), substituted "619a" for "619(e)(1)".

2002-Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 107–314, §1062(a)(3), substituted "December 28, 2001," for "the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002".

Subsec. (c)(3)(E). Pub. L. 107–314, §502(c), substituted "paragraph" for "subparagraph".

2001-Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 107–107, in introductory provisions, substituted "Each officer on the active-duty list on the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 who has not before that date been nominated for the joint specialty by the Secretary of a military department, and each officer who is placed on the active-duty list after such date, who meets the requirements of subsection (c) shall automatically be considered to have been nominated for the joint specialty. From among those officers considered to be nominated for the joint specialty, the Secretary may select for the joint specialty only officers-" for "The Secretaries of the military departments shall nominate officers for selection for the joint specialty. Nominations shall be made from among officers-".

1996-Subsec. (c)(3)(D). Pub. L. 104–106, §501(d)(1), in third sentence, substituted "In the case of officers in grades below brigadier general and rear admiral (lower half), the total number" for "The total number".

Subsec. (c)(3)(E). Pub. L. 104–106, §501(d)(2), added subpar. (E).

Subsec. (d)(2)(A). Pub. L. 104–106, §501(a), substituted "800" for "1,000".

Subsec. (d)(2)(B). Pub. L. 104–106, §1503(a)(6)(A), substituted "Each position designated by the Secretary under subparagraph (A)" for "Until January 1, 1994, at least 80 percent of the positions designated by the Secretary under subparagraph (A) shall be held at all times by officers who have the joint specialty. On and after January 1, 1994, each position so designated".

Subsec. (d)(2)(C). Pub. L. 104–106, §1503(a)(6)(B), struck out "the second sentence of" after "the requirement in".

Subsec. (d)(2)(D). Pub. L. 104–106, §1503(a)(6)(C), struck out subpar. (D) which read as follows: "During the period beginning on October 1, 1992, and ending on January 1, 1993, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the operation, to the date of the report, of the first sentence of subparagraph (B) and on the Secretary's projection for the use of the waiver authority provided under subparagraph (C), including the Secretary's estimate of the average annual number of waivers to be provided under subparagraph (C)."

1989-Subsec. (c)(1)(B), (3)(A). Pub. L. 101–189, §1113, substituted "(as described in section 664(f) of this title (other than in paragraph (2) thereof))" for "(as described in section 664(f)(1) or (f)(3) of this title)".

Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 101–189, §1122, added par. (4).

1988-Subsec. (c)(3)(D). Pub. L. 100–456, §511, inserted "for officers in the same pay grade" after "under this paragraph", substituted "10 percent" for "5 percent", and inserted "in that pay grade" after "numbers of officers".

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 100–456, §512(a), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), struck out sentence at end which directed that each position so designated by the Secretary could be held only by an officer who had the joint specialty, and added subpars. (B) to (D).

Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 100–456, §517(a), substituted "25 percent" for "one-third".

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 100–456, §518, added subsec. (f).

1987-Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 100–180, §1301(a)(1), added par. (3).

Subsec. (c)(1)(B). Pub. L. 100–180, §1301(b)(1), inserted "(as described in section 664(f)(1) or (f)(3) of this title)" after "joint duty assignment".

Subsec. (c)(2)(A). Pub. L. 100–180, §1301(b)(2)(A)–(C), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), substituted "An officer (other than a general or flag officer) who has a military occupational specialty that is" for "An officer who has" and "full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment (as described in section 664(f)(2) of this title)" for "joint duty assignment of not less than two years", and struck out provisions that an officer selected for the joint specialty complete generally applicable requirements for selection under par. (1)(B) as soon as practicable after such officer's selection.

Subsec. (c)(2)(B). Pub. L. 100–180, §1301(b)(2)(D), added subpar. (B).

Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 100–180, §1301(b)(3), added par. (3).

Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 100–180, §1302(a)(1), added subpars. (A) and (B) and substituted "by officers who-" for "by officers who have (or have been nominated for) the joint specialty." in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (d)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 100–180, §1302(b), added pars. (2) to (4) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: "The Secretary of Defense shall designate not fewer than 1,000 joint duty assignment positions as critical joint duty assignment positions. Each such position shall be held only by an officer with the joint specialty."

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2006 Amendment

Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, §516(f), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2189 , provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on October 1, 2007."

Designation of at Least One General Officer of the Marine Corps Reserve as a Joint Qualified Officer

Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title V, §516, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 249 , provided that: "The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that at least one general officer of the Marine Corps Reserve is designated as a joint qualified officer."

Treatment of Current Joint Specialty Officers

Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, §516(g), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2189 , provided that: "For the purposes of chapter 38 of title 10, United States Code, and sections 154, 164, and 619a of such title, an officer who, as of September 30, 2007, has been selected for or has the joint specialty under section 661 of such title, as in effect on that date, shall be considered after that date to be an officer designated as joint qualified by the Secretary of Defense under section 661(b)(2) of such title, as amended by this section."

Implementation Plan

Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, §516(h), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2189 , provided that:

"(1) Plan required.-Not later than March 31, 2007, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a plan for the implementation of the joint officer management system, which will take effect on October 1, 2007, as provided in subsection (f) [set out above], as a result of the amendments made by this section [amending this section] and other provisions of this Act [see Tables for classification] to provisions of chapter 38 of title 10, United States Code.

"(2) Elements of plan.-In developing the plan required by this subsection, the Secretary shall pay particular attention to matters related to the transition of officers from the joint specialty system in effect before October 1, 2007, to the joint officer management system in effect after that date. At a minimum, the plan shall include the following:

"(A) The policies and criteria to be used for designating officers as joint qualified on the basis of service performed by such officers before that date, had the amendments made by this section and other provisions of this Act to provisions of chapter 38 of title 10, United States Code, taken effect before the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 17, 2006].

"(B) The policies and criteria prescribed by the Secretary of Defense to be used in making determinations under section 661(c)(1)(B)(ii) of such title, as amended by this section.

"(C) The recommendations of the Secretary for any legislative changes that may be necessary to effectuate the joint officer management system."

Exclusion of Certain Officers From Limitation on Authority To Grant a Waiver of Required Completion or Sequencing for Joint Professional Military Education

Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title V, §502(a), (b), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2530 , provided for exclusion from the limitation set forth in former subsec. (c)(3)(D) of this section of any officer selected for the joint specialty who, on Dec. 28, 2001, had met the requirements for nomination for the joint specialty, but had not been nominated before that date, and who had been automatically nominated before Dec. 2, 2002, and provided that such exclusion would terminate on Oct. 1, 2006.

Independent Study of Joint Officer Management and Joint Professional Military Education Reforms

Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title V, §526, Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1099 , directed the Secretary of Defense to provide for an independent study of the joint officer management system and the joint professional military education system and to require the entity conducting the study to submit a report to Congress on the study not later than one year after Dec. 28, 2001.

Study of Distribution of General and Flag Officer Positions in Joint Duty Assignments

Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title IV, §404, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2398 , directed Secretary of Defense to conduct a study of whether joint organizations of Department of Defense are fully staffed with appropriate number of general and flag officers and, not later than one year after Oct. 23, 1992, submit a report to Congress.

Transition to Joint Officer Personnel Policy

Pub. L. 99–433, title IV, §406(a)–(c), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 1033 , as amended by Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title V, §516, Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 1971 , provided that:

"(a) Joint Duty Assignments.-(1) Section 661(d) of title 10, United States Code, shall be implemented as rapidly as possible and (except as provided under paragraph (2)) not later than October 1, 1989.

"(2) The first sentence of section 661(d)(2)(B) of such title shall apply with respect to positions designated under the first sentence of section 661(d)(2)(A) of that title as critical joint duty assignment positions which become vacant after January 1, 1989.

"(b) Joint Specialty.-

"(1) Initial selections.-(A) In making the initial selections of officers for the joint specialty under section 661 of title 10, United States Code (as added by section 401 of this Act), the Secretary of Defense may waive the requirement of either subparagraph (A) or (B) (but not both) of subsection (c)(1) of such section in the case of any officer in a grade above captain or, in the case of the Navy, lieutenant.

"(B) In applying such subparagraph (B) to the initial selections of officers for the joint specialty, the Secretary may in the case of any officer-

"(i) waive the requirement that a joint duty assignment be served after the officer has completed an appropriate program at a joint professional military education school;

"(ii) waive the requirement for the length of a joint duty assignment in the case of a joint duty assignment begun by an officer before January 1, 1987, if the officer served in that assignment for a period of sufficient duration (which may not be less than 12 months) to have been considered a full tour of duty under the policies and regulations in effect on September 30, 1986; or

"(iii) consider as a joint duty assignment any tour of duty begun by an officer before October 1, 1986, that involved significant experience in joint matters (as determined by the Secretary) if the officer served in that assignment for a period of sufficient duration (which may not be less than 12 months) for his service to have been considered a full tour of duty under the policies and regulations in effect on September 30, 1986.

"(C) A waiver under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph or under any provision of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph may only be made on a case-by-case basis.

"(D) The authority of the Secretary of Defense to grant a waiver under subparagraph (A) or (B) of this paragraph may be delegated only to the Deputy Secretary of Defense.

"(2) Requirement for high standards.-In exercising the authority provided by paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the highest standards of performance, education, and experience are established and maintained for officers selected for the joint specialty.

"(3) Sunset.-The authority provided by paragraph (1) shall expire on October 1, 1989.

"(c) Career Guidelines.-The career guidelines required to be established by section 661(e) of such title, the procedures required to be established by section 665(a) of such title, and the personnel policies required to be established by section 666 of such title (as added by section 401) shall be established not later than the end of the eight-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 1, 1986]. The provisions of section 665(b) of such title shall be implemented not later than the end of such period."