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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§7401 Members of Army: detail as students, observers, and investigators at educational institutions, industrial plants, and hospitals

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle B— - Army › Part PART III— - TRAINING › Chapter CHAPTER 751— - TRAINING GENERALLY › § 7401

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Army can send soldiers to civilian schools, factories, hospitals, or other places so they can learn skills they need. Officers who are not Regular Army active-duty must be ordered to extra active duty after their detail for at least the same length of time. If the detail is 90 days or less, that extra duty can only happen with the officer’s OK and the Secretary’s choice. Reservists cannot be sent or ordered to duty under this rule without their consent and, for members of the Army National Guard of the United States, without the approval of their governor or other appropriate local authority (State, Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands). An enlisted soldier may need to take a discharge and reenlist for at least three years as a condition of a detail. No single enlistment may spend more than 50 percent of its time on detail. At any time, students detailed under this rule may not exceed 8 percent of authorized commissioned officers, 8 percent of authorized warrant officers, or 2 percent of authorized enlisted in the Regular Army; and no more than 8 percent of commissioned officers, 8 percent of warrant officers, or 2 percent of enlisted of the total reserve components. The Army pays the costs from its appropriation.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §7401

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of the Army may detail members of the Army 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.
(b)An officer, other than one of the Regular Army on the active-duty list, 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.
(c)No Reserve of the Army may be detailed as a student, observer, or investigator, or ordered to active duty under this section, without his consent and, if a member of the Army 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 Army National Guard he is a member.
(d)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.
(e)The total length of details of an enlisted member of the Army under subsection (a) during one enlistment may not exceed 50 percent of that enlistment.
(f)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 Army, 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 Army, 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.
(g)Expenses incident to the detail of members under this section shall be paid from any funds appropriated for the Department of the Army.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 4301(a)4301(b) 4301(c)4301(d) 4301(e) 4301(f)4301(g)10:535 (1st 75 words).10:535 (less 1st 75 words, and less provisos).10:535 (1st proviso).10:535 (words of 2d proviso before semicolon).10:535 (words of 2d proviso after semicolon).10:535 (last proviso).10:535a.
June 3, 1916, ch. 134, § 127a (13th par.); added
June 4, 1920, ch. 227, subch. I, § 51 (13th par.); restated
June 8, 1926, ch. 495;
May 13, 1941, ch. 113;
June 30, 1941, ch. 262 (4th proviso under “Finance Department”); restated
June 19, 1948, ch. 501, § 1, 62 Stat. 477.
June 19, 1948, ch. 501, § 2, 62 Stat. 478. In subsection (a), the words “members of the Army” are substituted for the words “personnel of the Army of the United States, without regard to component”. In subsection (b), the words “is detailed under subsection (a)” are substituted for the words “receives such instruction”. The words “as long as the detail” are substituted for the words “equal to the duration of his period of instruction”. The words “However, if the detail is for” are substituted for the words “except that where the duration of such training is”. The words “other than one of the Regular Army on the active list” are inserted, since members of the Regular Army on the active list are on continuous active duty. The word “additional” is inserted, since the detail under this section is active duty. The words “the officer may be ordered to that additional duty” are substituted for the words “such subsequent active duty may * * * the officer concerned”. In subsection (c), the words “of whose Army National Guard he is a member” are substituted for the words “whichever is concerned”. In subsection (d), the words “as a condition of a detail under subsection (a)” are substituted for the words “prior to his detail pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph”. The words “accept a discharge” are substituted for the words “be discharged”. In subsection (e), the words “during one enlistment” are inserted for clarity. In subsection (f), the last sentence is substituted for 10:535 (words within parentheses of last proviso). In subsection (g), the words “under this section” are substituted for 10:535a (9th through 41st words).

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 4301 of this title as this section. 2006—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–163 substituted “State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands” for “State or Territory, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia”. 1988—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–456 struck out “the Canal Zone,” after “Puerto Rico,”. 1980—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–513 substituted “active-duty list” for “active list” in first sentence. 1973—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 93–169 struck out provisions which limited to four years the maximum period for which an officer detailed for additional active duty upon termination of detail is required to serve.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1980 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–513 effective Sept. 15, 1981, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 7401

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73