Heads of Staff Departments: retirement

§ 5205. Heads of Staff Departments: retirement An officer who is retired while serving as head of a staff department of the Marine Corps, or who, after serving at least two and one-half years as head of a staff department, is retired after completion of that service while serving in a lower grade or rank, may, in the discretion of the President be retired with the grade equivalent to the highest grade or rank held by him as head of a staff department and with retired pay based on his retired grade.