Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§1131 Purple Heart: limitation to members of the armed forces

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 57— - DECORATIONS AND AWARDS › § 1131

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §1131

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The decoration known as the Purple Heart (authorized to be awarded pursuant to Executive Order 11016) may only be awarded to a person who is a member of the armed forces at the time the person is killed or wounded under circumstances otherwise qualifying that person for award of the Purple Heart.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Executive Order 11016, referred to in text, is Ex. Ord. No. 11016, Apr. 25, 1962, 27 F.R. 4139, which is set out as a note under section 1129 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title V, § 571(b), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1756, provided that: “Section 1131 of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to persons who are killed or wounded after the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 18, 1997].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 1131

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73