Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§165 Combatant commands: administration and support

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART I— - ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL MILITARY POWERS › Chapter CHAPTER 6— - COMBATANT COMMANDS › § 165

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must provide the management and support for forces in each combatant command, with advice from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Military department secretaries must manage and support the forces they assign, but they operate under the Secretary of Defense and the combatant commanders under section 164(c); after consulting the service secretaries, the Secretary of Defense may give those duties to other DoD components (including Defense Agencies and combatant commands).

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §165

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Defense, with the advice and assistance of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall provide for the administration and support of forces assigned to each combatant command.

(b)Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense and subject to the authority of commanders of the combatant commands under section 164(c) of this title, the Secretary of a military department is responsible for the administration and support of forces assigned by him to a combatant command.

(c)After consultation with the Secretaries of the military departments, the Secretary of Defense may assign the responsibility (or any part of the responsibility) for the administration and support of forces assigned to the combatant commands to other components of the Department of Defense (including Defense Agencies and combatant commands). A component assigned such a responsibility shall discharge that responsibility subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense and subject to the authority of commanders of the combatant commands under section 164(c) of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 165

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73