The Secretary of the Air Force may detail members of the Air Force and members of the Space Force as students at such technical, professional, and other civilian educational institutions, or as students, observers, or investigators at such industrial plants, hospitals, and other places, as are best suited to enable them to acquire knowledge or experience in the specialties in which it is considered necessary that they perfect themselves.

An officer, other than one of the Regular Air Force on the active-duty list, or one of the Space Force in a space force active status not on sustained duty, who is detailed under subsection (a) shall be ordered to additional active duty immediately upon termination of the detail, for a period at least as long as the detail. However, if the detail is for 90 days or less, the officer may be ordered to that additional duty only with his consent and in the discretion of the Secretary.

No Reserve of the Air Force or member of the Space Force in a space force active status not on sustained duty may be detailed as a student, observer, or investigator, or ordered to active duty under this section, without the member’s consent and, if a member of the Air National Guard of the United States, without the approval of the governor or other appropriate authority of the State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands of whose Air National Guard the Reserve is a member.

The Secretary may require, as a condition of a detail under subsection (a), that an enlisted member accept a discharge and be reenlisted in his component for at least three years.

The total length of details of an enlisted member of the Air Force or the Space Force under subsection (a) during one enlistment period may not exceed 50 percent of that enlistment.

At no time may more than 8 percent of the authorized strength in commissioned officers, 8 percent of the authorized strength in warrant officers, or 2 percent of the authorized strength in enlisted members, of the Regular Air Force or of Space Force members on sustained duty, or more than 8 percent of the actual strength in commissioned officers, 8 percent of the actual strength in warrant officers, or 2 percent of the actual strength in enlisted members, of the total of reserve components of the Air Force or of Space Force members in an active status not on sustained duty, be detailed as students under subsection (a). For the purposes of this subsection, the actual strength of each category of Reserves includes both members on active duty and those not on active duty.

Expenses incident to the detail of members under this section shall be paid from any funds appropriated for the Department of the Air Force.