---
type: "LegalText"
title: "10 U.S.C. § 643"
description: "Chaplains: discharge or retirement upon loss of professional qualifications"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
chapter_number: "36"
chapter_name: "PROMOTION, SEPARATION, AND INVOLUNTARY RETIREMENT OF OFFICERS ON THE ACTIVE-DUTY LIST"
section: "643"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 643"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc10@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s643"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-10/usc10.xml"
source_hash: "1bf3c1d820f2fd4805fde7c2b339e0b171cd2550dbda4ba45d60aea441a0627a"
raw_snapshot_hash: "06a2679d38355c44f4219c983fdad34009233205d6ba271593a4c1b17a739ec1"
text_hash: "7cb40bb4acb8244884d5f0efa687ef7d5411e749836d013c30188ae6a4723345"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 10 U.S.C. § 643 - Chaplains: discharge or retirement upon loss of professional qualifications

## Text

Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, a commissioned officer on the active-duty list of the Army, Navy, or Air Force who is appointed or designated as a chaplain may, if he fails to maintain the qualifications needed to perform his professional function, be discharged or, if eligible for retirement, may be retired.

(Added Pub. L. 96–513, title I, § 105, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2867.)

## Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection effective Sept. 15, 1981, but the authority to prescribe regulations under this section effective on Dec. 12, 1980, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as an Effective Date of 1980 Amendment note under section 101 of this title.