The number of general officers on active duty in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, and the number of flag officers on active duty in the Navy, after December 31, 2022, may not exceed the number specified for the armed force concerned as follows:

(1) For the Army, 220.

(2) For the Navy, 151.

(3) For the Air Force, 187.

(4) For the Marine Corps, 62.

Unless the Secretary of Defense determines that a lower number is in the best interest of the Department of Defense, the minimum number of officers serving in positions designated under paragraph (1) for each armed force shall be as follows:

(1) In general.— The Secretary of Defense may designate up to 232 general officer and flag officer positions that are joint duty assignments for purposes of chapter 38 of this title for exclusion from the limitations in subsection (a).

Unless the Secretary of Defense determines that a lower number is in the best interest of the Department of Defense, the minimum number of officers serving in positions designated under paragraph (1) for each armed force shall be as follows:

(A) For the Army, 75.

(B) For the Navy, 53.

(C) For the Air Force, 68.

(D) For the Marine Corps, 17.

The limitations of this section do not apply to—

(1) an officer of an armed force in the grade of brigadier general or above or, in the case of the Navy, in the grade of rear admiral (lower half) or above, who is on leave pending the retirement, separation, or release of that officer from active duty, but only during the 60-day period beginning on the date of the commencement of such leave of such officer; or

(2) an officer of an armed force who has been relieved from a position designated under section 601(a) of this title or by law to carry one of the grades specified in such section, but only during the 60-day period beginning on the date on which the assignment of the officer to the first position is terminated or until the officer is assigned to a second such position, whichever occurs first.

The limitations in subsection (a) do not apply to a general officer or flag officer assigned to a temporary joint duty assignment designated by the Secretary of Defense.

(1) In general.— The limitations in subsection (a) do not apply to a general officer or flag officer assigned to a temporary joint duty assignment designated by the Secretary of Defense.

(2) Duration of exclusion.— A general officer or flag officer assigned to a temporary joint duty assignment as described in paragraph (1) may not be excluded under this subsection from the limitations in subsection (a) for a period of longer than one year.

The limitations in subsection (a) do not apply to an officer released from a joint duty assignment, but only during the 60-day period beginning on the date the officer departs the joint duty assignment. The Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military department to extend the 60-day period by an additional 120 days, except that not more than three officers on active duty from each armed force may be covered by the additional extension at the same time.

In paragraph (1), the term “baseline” for an armed force means the lower of—

(1) Notice and wait requirements.— If the Secretary of a military department proposes an action that would increase above the baseline the number of general officers or flag officers of an armed force under the jurisdiction of that Secretary who would be on active duty and would count against the statutory limit applicable to that armed force under subsection (a), the action shall not take effect until after the end of the 60-calendar day period beginning on the date on which the Secretary provides notice of the proposed action, including the rationale for the action, to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In paragraph (1), the term “baseline” for an armed force means the lower of—

(A) the statutory limit of general officers or flag officers of that armed force under subsection (a); or

(B) the actual number of general officers or flag officers of that armed force who, as of January 1, 2023, counted toward the statutory limit of general officers or flag officers of that armed force under subsection (a).

In paragraph (1), the term “baseline” means the lower of—

(1) Notice and wait requirement.— If the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff proposes an action that would increase above the baseline the number of general officers and flag officers of the armed forces in joint duty assignments who count against the statutory limit under subsection (b)(1), the action shall not take effect until after the end of the 60-calendar day period beginning on the date on which such Secretary or the Chairman, as the case may be, provides notice of the proposed action, including the rationale for the action, to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In paragraph (1), the term “baseline” means the lower of—

(A) the statutory limit on general officer and flag officer positions that are joint duty assignments under subsection (b)(1); or

(B) the actual number of general officers and flag officers who, as of January 1, 2023, were in joint duty assignments counted toward the statutory limit under subsection (b)(1).

Not later than March 1 each year, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report specifying the following:

(1) The numbers of general officers and flag officers who, as of January 1 of the calendar year in which the report is submitted, counted toward the service-specific limits of subsection (a).

(2) The number of general officers and flag officers in joint duty assignments who, as of such January 1, counted toward the statutory limit under subsection (b)(1).

(Added Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title V, § 501(h)(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2100.)