---
type: "LegalText"
title: "10 U.S.C. § 1169"
description: "Regular enlisted members: limitations on discharge"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
chapter_number: "59"
chapter_name: "SEPARATION"
section: "1169"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 1169"
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/s1169"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-10/usc10.xml"
source_hash: "4a865fbe1fa9e3e34c09a1f26fb5dacab1823672e3bd1f68005d0fc65ee51bbe"
raw_snapshot_hash: "06a2679d38355c44f4219c983fdad34009233205d6ba271593a4c1b17a739ec1"
text_hash: "d42c49759fb61a8e08e17368b137e3b20e434e94569e466d68c80cb36c2b39ac"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 10 U.S.C. § 1169 - Regular enlisted members: limitations on discharge

## Text

No regular enlisted member of an armed force may be discharged before his term of service expires, except—

(1) as prescribed by the Secretary concerned;

(2) by sentence of a general or special court martial; or

(3) as otherwise provided by law.

(Added Pub. L. 90–235, § 3(a)(1)(A), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 757.)