Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73
§8172 Marine Corps organizations on vessels: authority of officers
Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle C— - Navy and Marine Corps › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 821— - OFFICERS IN COMMAND › § 8172
Summary
When a Marine unit is aboard a ship but not part of its crew, its officers have the same authority they would have at a Navy base. The ship’s commanding officer still stays in charge of the ship and everyone on it.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §8172
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
When an organization of the Marine Corps is embarked in any vessel, not as part of the authorized complement of the vessel, the authority of the officers of that organization is the same as though the organization were serving at a naval station. However, this section does not impair the paramount authority of the commanding officer of a vessel over the vessel and all persons embarked in it.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 595234 U.S.C. 623c.May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 7(b), 64 Stat. 145. The words “organization of the Marine Corps” are substituted for “force of marines” for clarity. The words “or vessels”, “and powers”, “on shore”, and “under his command” are omitted as surplusage.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 5952 of this title as this section.
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.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 8172
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73