Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73
§8287 United States Marine Band; United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps: composition; appointment and promotion of members
Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle C— - Navy and Marine Corps › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 835— - BANDS › § 8287
Summary
The Marine Corps must have a Marine Band made up of one director, two assistant directors, and whatever other members and ranks the Secretary of the Navy decides are needed. The Marine Drum and Bugle Corps must have one commanding officer and whatever other members and ranks the Secretary of the Navy decides. The Secretary of the Navy sets the rules for hiring and promoting members. The President can appoint members up to the rank of captain (and may give that power only to the Secretary of Defense). Any appointment above captain needs the President and the Senate. If a member retires, they get the retired rank and pay based on the highest rank they held under these rules that the Secretary of the Navy says they served in satisfactorily, unless they are entitled to a higher retired rank and pay. The Secretary of the Navy can cancel an appointment. If a commissioned appointment ends, the member can choose to leave the Marine Corps or return to the rank and status they had before that appointment.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §8287
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The band of the Marine Corps shall be composed of one director, two assistant directors, and other personnel in such numbers and grades as the Secretary of the Navy determines to be necessary.
(b)The drum and bugle corps of the Marine Corps shall be composed of one commanding officer and other personnel in such numbers and grades as the Secretary of the Navy determines to be necessary.
(c)(1)The Secretary of the Navy shall prescribe regulations for the appointment and promotion of members of the Marine Band and members of the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps.
(2)The President may from time to time appoint members of the Marine Band and members of the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps to grades not above the grade of captain. The authority of the President to make appointments under this paragraph may be delegated only to the Secretary of Defense.
(3)The President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, may from time to time appoint any member of the Marine Band or of the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps to a grade above the grade of captain.
(d)Unless otherwise entitled to higher retired grade and retired pay, a member of the Marine Band or Marine Drum and Bugle Corps who holds, or has held, an appointment under this section is entitled, when retired, to be retired in, and with retired pay based on, the highest grade held under this section in which the Secretary of the Navy determines that such member served satisfactorily.
(e)The Secretary of the Navy may revoke any appointment of a member of the Marine Band or Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. When a member’s appointment to a commissioned grade terminates under this subsection, such member is entitled, at the option of such member—
(1)to be discharged from the Marine Corps; or
(2)to revert to the grade and status such member held at the time of appointment under this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
1956 Act Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 622234 U.S.C. 701 (less proviso).Mar. 4, 1925, ch. 536, § 11 (less proviso), 43 Stat. 1274;
June 29, 1946, ch. 523, § 1(c), 60 Stat. 343; Oct. 12, 1949, ch. 681, § 517(a), 63 Stat. 833. In subsection (b) the second sentence is substituted for the two references to the Career Compensation Act of 1949 and for the words “and with the same number of cumulative years of service”. 1958 Act Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 6222(a)6222(b)34 App.:701.34 App.:701–1(a).
July 24, 1956, ch. 686, 70 Stat. 628. 6222(c)34 App.:701–1(b). 6222(d)34 App.:701–2. 6222(e)34 App.:701–3. 6222(f)34 App.:701–4. 6222(g)34 App.:701–5. In subsection (a), the words “and appropriate” are omitted as covered by the word “necessary”. The words “and ranks” are omitted as covered by the word “grades”. The second sentence of 34 App.:701 is omitted as covered by section 6224 of this title. In subsection (b), the words “United States” and “or the United States Marine Corps Reserve” are omitted as unnecessary in view of the definition of “Marine Corps” in section 5001(a)(2) of this title. The words “as authorized by sections 701 to 701–5 of this title” are omitted as surplusage. In subsection (e), the words “from the United States . . . as provided by law” are omitted as surplusage. In subsection (f), the words “a member who holds, or has held” are substituted for the words “Directors and assistant directors of the Marine Band and former directors and assistant directors who have held”.
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
Prior sections 8287 to 8289 were repealed by Pub. L. 96–513, title II, § 204, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2880, effective Sept. 15, 1981. section 8287, acts Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 508; Aug. 21, 1957, Pub. L. 85–155, title III, § 301(6), 71 Stat. 386; Sept. 2, 1958, Pub. L. 85–861, § 1(169), 72 Stat. 1517; Sept. 30, 1966, Pub. L. 89–609, § 1(28), 80 Stat. 854, provided service credit for a person originally appointed in a commissioned grade in Regular Air Force, other than a person appointed as a medical or dental officer, for purpose of determining grade, position on a promotion list, seniority in his grade in Regular Air Force, and eligibility for promotion, with appointment and service credit restrictions on persons who were cadets at the United States Air Force, Military, or Naval Academies but were not graduated, and a disallowance of service credit under this section for persons who graduated from one of these Academies. See section 533 of this title. section 8288, acts Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 508; Aug. 2, 1957, Pub. L. 85–155, title III, § 301(7), 71 Stat. 387; Sept. 2, 1958, Pub. L. 85–861, § 1(170), 72 Stat. 1518, provided for determination of grade of a person originally appointed as a commissioned officer in Regular Air Force, other than persons appointed as medical or dental officers. See section 533 of this title. section 8289, act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 509, provided that no person be originally appointed as a first lieutenant in Regular Air Force with a view to designation as a medical officer until he passes an examination of his professional fitness before an examining board composed of at least three medical officers designated by Secretary of Air Force. See section 532 of this title.
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 6222 of this title as this section. 2006—Pub. L. 109–364 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, section consisted of subsecs. (a) to (f) relating to composition of the United States Marine Band, designation of its director and assistant directors, grades upon initial appointment, promotion, retirement, and revocation of appointments. 1980—Subsecs. (e) to (g). Pub. L. 96–513 redesignated subsecs. (f) and (g) as (e) and (f), respectively. 1970—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 91–197 struck out provision that the grade of the director be no higher than lieutenant colonel and that the grades of the assistant directors be no higher than captain. 1962—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 87–649 repealed subsec. (e) which related to pay and allowances of members who accepted a commission under this section. See section 207 and 424 of Title 37, Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services. 1958—Pub. L. 85–861 substituted “United States Marine Band” for “United States Marine Corps Band”, and “director; assistant director” for “pay and allowances of leader and second leader” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 85–861 authorized one director and two assistant directors instead of one leader and one second leader. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 85–861 substituted provisions relating to designation of director and assistant directors for provisions which prescribed the pay and allowances of the leader and second leader. Subsecs. (c) to (g). Pub. L. 85–861 added subsecs. (c) to (g).
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 Dec. 12, 1980, see section 701(b)(3) of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1962 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 87–649 effective Nov. 1, 1962, see section 15 of Pub. L. 87–649, set out as an
Effective Date
note preceding section 101 of Title 37, Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services.
Executive Documents
Delegation of Functions Functions of President under subsec. (c)(2) delegated to Secretary of Defense, without authority for Secretary to redelegate, see Ex. Ord. No. 13598, §§ 1(c), 2, Jan. 27, 2012, 77 F.R. 5371, set out as a note under section 301 of Title 3, The President.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 8287
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73