Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§9276 Silver star: award

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle D— - Air Force and Space Force › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 937— - DECORATIONS AND AWARDS › § 9276

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President may award a Silver Star to Air/Space Force members cited for bravery below Medal of Honor or Air Force Cross: against a U.S. enemy; against an opposing foreign force; or with friendly forces when United States is not a belligerent.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §9276

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The President may award a silver star of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the Air Force or the Space Force, is cited for gallantry in action that does not warrant a medal of honor or Air Force cross—
(1)while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
(2)while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
(3)while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 874610:1412.July 9, 1918, ch. 143 (words after 2d semicolon of 12th par. under “Ordnance Department”); restated Jan. 24, 1920, ch. 55, § 1 (last sentence); restated Dec. 15, 1942, ch. 736, 56 Stat. 1052. The words “may award” are inserted to conform to other sections of this chapter. The words “if the person earned” are inserted for clarity. The words “commanded by” are omitted as surplusage.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 116–283 inserted “or the Space Force” after “the Air Force” in introductory provisions. 2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 8746 of this title as this section. 1963—Pub. L. 88–77 substituted provisions permitting the issuance of a silver star for gallantry while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party, and requiring it to be of appropriate design, for provisions which authorized the issuance of the silver star for gallantry in action and which required that the silver star be three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, the citation thereof be published in orders issued from the headquarters of a force that is the appropriate command of a general officer, and that it be worn as directed by the President.

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. § 9276

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73