Members: required service

Each person who becomes a member of an armed force, other than a person deferred under the next to the last sentence of section 6(d)(1) of the Military Selective Service Act ( 50 U.S.C. 3806(d)(1) ), shall serve in the armed forces for a total initial period of not less than six years nor more than eight years, as provided in regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense for the armed forces under his jurisdiction and by the Secretary of Homeland Security for the Coast Guard when it is not operating as service in the Navy, unless such person is sooner discharged under such regulations because of personal hardship. Any part of such service that is not active duty or that is active duty for training shall be performed in a reserve component.

( Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041 , 70A Stat. 27 ; Pub. L. 85–861 , §§ 1(12), 36B(3), Sept. 2, 1958 , 72 Stat. 1440 , 1570; Pub. L. 89–718, § 5 , Nov. 2, 1966 , 80 Stat. 1115 ; Pub. L. 95–79, title VIII, § 803(a) , July 30, 1977 , 91 Stat. 333 ; Pub. L. 96–107, title VIII, § 805(b) , Nov. 9, 1979 , 93 Stat. 813 ; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 511(18) , Dec. 12, 1980 , 94 Stat. 2921 ; Pub. L. 98–94, title X, § 1022(b)(1) , Sept. 24, 1983 , 97 Stat. 670 ; Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, § 1704(b)(1) , Nov. 25, 2002 , 116 Stat. 2314 ; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title V, § 505 , Jan. 28, 2008 , 122 Stat. 96 ; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title X, § 1081(b)(1)(A)(iv) , Dec. 23, 2016 , 130 Stat. 2418 ; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title XVII, § 1731(a)(19) , Dec. 20, 2019 , 133 Stat. 1813 ; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 924(b)(17) , Jan. 1, 2021 , 134 Stat. 3823 ; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title X, § 1081(a)(11) , Dec. 27, 2021 , 135 Stat. 1920 ; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title V, § 509(a) , Dec. 22, 2023 , 137 Stat. 243 .)