Federal · Title 10 — Armed Forces
10 U.S.C. § 12301: Reserve components generally
Read the full statutory text
In time of war or of national emergency declared by Congress, or when otherwise authorized by law, an authority designated by the Secretary concerned may, without the consent of the persons affected, order any unit, and any member not assigned to a unit organized to serve as a unit, of a reserve component under the jurisdiction of that Secretary to active duty for the duration of the war or emergency and for six months thereafter. However a member on an inactive status list or in a retired status may not be ordered to active duty under this subsection unless the Secretary concerned, with the approval of the Secretary of Defense in the case of the Secretary of a military department, determines that there are not enough qualified Reserves in an active status or in the inactive National Guard in the required category who are readily available. At any time, an authority designated by the Secretary concerned may, without the consent of the persons affected, order any unit, and any member not assigned to a unit organized to serve as a unit, in an active status in a reserve component under the jurisdiction of that Secretary to active duty for not more than 15 days a year. However, units and members of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States may not be ordered to active duty under this subsection without the consent of the governor of the State (or, in the case of the District of Columbia National Guard, the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard). So far as practicable, during any expansion of the active armed forces that requires that units and members of the reserve components be ordered to active duty as provided in subsection (a), members of units organized and trained to serve as units who are ordered to that duty without their consent shall be so ordered with their units. However, members of those units may be reassigned after being so ordered to active duty. At any time, an authority designated by the Secretary concerned may order a member of a reserve component under his jurisdiction to active duty, or retain him on active duty, with the consent of that member. However, a member of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States may not be ordered to active duty under this subsection without the consent of the governor or other appropriate authority of the State concerned. The period of time allowed between the date when a Reserve ordered to active duty as provided in subsection (a) is alerted for that duty and the date when the Reserve is required to enter upon that duty shall be determined by the Secretary concerned based upon military requirements at that time. The consent of a Governor described in subsections (b) and (d) may not be withheld (in whole or in part) with regard to active duty outside the United States, its territories, and its possessions, because of any objection to the location, purpose, type, or schedule of such active duty. A member of a reserve component may be ordered to active duty without his consent if the Secretary concerned determines that the member is in a captive status. A member ordered to active duty under this section may not be retained on active duty, without his consent, for more than 30 days after his captive status is terminated. The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. Such regulations shall apply uniformly among the armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary. A determination for the purposes of this subsection that a member is in a captive status shall be made pursuant to such regulations. In this section, the term “captive status” means the status of a member of the armed forces who is in a missing status (as defined in section 551(2) of title 37 ) which occurs as the result of a hostile action and is related to the member’s military status. to receive authorized medical care; to be medically evaluated for disability or other purposes; or to complete a required Department of Defense health care study, which may include an associated medical evaluation of the member. A member ordered to active duty under this subsection may, with the member’s consent, be retained on active duty, if the Secretary concerned considers it appropriate, for medical treatment for a condition associated with the study or evaluation, if that treatment of the member is otherwise authorized by law. A member of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States may be ordered to active duty under this subsection only with the consent of the Governor or other appropriate authority of the State concerned. The Secretary of Defense may provide, to a member of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who performs a period of covered service, housing for not fewer than 14 days immediately after the end of such period of covered service. The term ‘active service’ has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 10 , United States Code. The term ‘covered service’ means active service performed in response to the covered national emergency. The term ‘covered national emergency’ means the national emergency declared on March 13, 2020 , by the President under the National Emergencies Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) with respect to COVID–19.” The deployment of a unit of a reserve component of the Armed Forces described in paragraph (2) may not be cancelled during the 180-day period ending on the date on which the unit is otherwise scheduled for deployment without the approval, in writing, of the Secretary of Defense. A deployment of a unit of a reserve component described in this paragraph is a deployment whose cancellation as described in paragraph (1) is due to the deployment of a unit of a regular component of the Armed Forces to carry out the mission for which the unit of the reserve component was otherwise to be deployed. On approving the cancellation of deployment of a unit under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] and the Governor concerned a notice on the approval of cancellation of deployment of the unit. The Secretary concerned may not provide less than 120 days advance notice of an involuntary mobilization to a member of the reserve component of the Armed Forces described in paragraph (2) without the approval, in writing, of the Secretary of Defense. A member who is not assigned to a unit organized to serve as a unit. A member who is to be mobilized apart from the member’s unit. This subsection shall apply with respect to members who are mobilized on or after the date that is 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [ Dec. 26, 2013 ]. In this subsection, the term ‘Secretary concerned’ has the meaning given that term in section 101(a)(9) of title 10 , United States Code. This subsection shall cease to apply as of the date of the completion of the withdrawal of United States combat forces from Afghanistan. The Secretary of Defense may not delegate the approval of cancellations of deployments of units under subsection (a) or the approval of mobilization of Reserves without advance notice under subsection (b).” The Secretary of a military department shall ensure that a member of a reserve component under the jurisdiction of that Secretary who will be called or ordered to active duty for a period of more than 30 days in support of a contingency operation (as defined in section 101(a)(13) of title 10 , United States Code) receives notice in advance of the mobilization date. In so far as is practicable, the notice shall be provided not less than 30 days before the mobilization date, but with a goal of 90 days before the mobilization date. The Secretary of Defense may waive the requirement of subsection (a), or authorize shorter notice than the minimum specified in such subsection, during a war or national emergency declared by the President or Congress or to meet mission requirements. If the waiver or reduction is made on account of mission requirements, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report detailing the reasons for the waiver or reduction and the mission requirements at issue.”
Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text
Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.
MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.
This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.