Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§1599b Employees abroad: travel expenses; health care

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 81— - CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES › § 1599b

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense may give civilian employees who are working abroad and their family members benefits like the ones the Secretary of State gives to Foreign Service staff and their families. The Defense Department can pick who is eligible. It can pay travel and related costs like those under section 901 of the Foreign Service Act (22 U.S.C. 4081), set up a health plan like the one under section 904 (22 U.S.C. 4084), and make agreements with other agencies to help pay costs and run the health plan. "Abroad" means outside the United States and its territories and possessions.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §1599b

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Defense may provide civilian employees, and members of their families, abroad with benefits that are comparable to certain benefits that are provided by the Secretary of State to members of the Foreign Service and their families abroad as described in subsections (b) and (c). The Secretary may designate the employees and members of families who are eligible to receive the benefits.

(b)The Secretary of Defense may pay travel expenses and related expenses for purposes and in amounts that are comparable to the purposes for which, and the amounts in which, travel and related expenses are paid by the Secretary of State under section 901 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081).

(c)The Secretary of Defense may establish a health care program that is comparable to the health care program established by the Secretary of State under section 904 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4084).

(d)The Secretary of Defense may enter into agreements with the heads of other departments and agencies of the Government in order to facilitate the payment of expenses authorized by subsection (b) and to carry out a health care program authorized by subsection (c).

(e)In this section, the term “abroad” means outside—

(1)the United States; and

(2)the territories and possessions of the United States.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 1599b

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73