10 USC § 20501 - Authority to establish procedures to consider the separation of officers for substandard performance of duty and for certain other reasons

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s20501"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 20501 - Authority to establish procedures to consider the separation of officers for substandard performance of duty and for certain other reasons"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "20501"
section_name: "Authority to establish procedures to consider the separation of officers for substandard performance of duty and for certain other reasons"
chapter_number: 2011
chapter_name: "SEPARATION OF OFFICERS FOR SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE OF DUTY OR FOR CERTAIN OTHER REASONS"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "SPACE FORCE"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1719, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 659.)"
---


# § 20501. Authority to establish procedures to consider the separation of officers for substandard performance of duty and for certain other reasons

**(a)** **Procedures for Review of Record of Officers Relating to Standards of Performance of Duty.—**

**(1)** The Secretary of the Air Force shall prescribe, by regulation, procedures for the review at any time of the record of any commissioned officer (other than a retired officer) of the Space Force in a space force active status to determine whether the officer shall be required, because of a reason stated in paragraph (2), to show cause for the officer’s retention in a space force active status.

**(2)** The reasons referred to in paragraph (1) are the following:

**(A)** The officer’s performance of duty has fallen below standards prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

**(B)** The officer has failed to satisfy the standards and qualifications established under section 20403 of this title by the Secretary of the Air Force.

**(b)** **Procedures for Review of Record of Officers Relating to Certain Other Reasons.—**

**(1)** The Secretary of the Air Force shall prescribe, by regulation, procedures for the review at any time of the record of any commissioned officer (other than a retired officer) of the Space Force in a space force active status to determine whether the officer should be required, because of a reason stated in paragraph (2), to show cause for the officer’s retention in a space force active status.

**(2)** The reasons referred to in paragraph (1) are the following:

**(A)** Misconduct.

**(B)** Moral or professional dereliction.

**(C)** The officer’s retention is not clearly consistent with the interests of national security.

**(c)** **Secretary of Defense Limitations.—** Regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Air Force under this section are subject to such limitations as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1719, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 659.)