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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§9402 Enlisted members of Air Force or Space Force: schools

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle D— - Air Force and Space Force › Part PART III— - TRAINING › Chapter CHAPTER 951— - TRAINING GENERALLY › § 9402

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Enlisted members of the Air Force and Space Force are allowed to take classes to improve their military skills and to get ready for civilian jobs, as long as it does not conflict with their training or duties and follows rules set by the Secretary of the Air Force and approved by the President. Some of the training can be vocational, like farming or mechanical trades, and civilian teachers can be hired to help. Every air base where Air or Space Force personnel are stationed must keep schools that teach basic subjects, including United States history. The Secretary can assign service members to run these schools, and the base commander must provide a suitable room or building for classes and religious activities.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §9402

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)So far as consistent with the requirements of military training and service, and under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Air Force with the approval of the President, enlisted members of the Air Force and enlisted members of the Space Force shall be permitted to study and receive instruction to increase their military efficiency and to enable them to return to civilian life better equipped for industrial, commercial, and business occupations. Part of this instruction may be vocational education in agriculture or the mechanic arts. Civilian teachers may be employed to aid Air Force officers and Space Force officers in this instruction.
(b)Schools for the instruction of enlisted members of the Air Force or the Space Force in the common branches of education, including United States history, shall be maintained at all air bases at which members of the Air Force or the Space Force are stationed. The Secretary may detail members of the Air Force or the Space Force to carry out this subsection. The commander of each air base where schools are maintained under this subsection shall provide a suitable room or building for school and religious purposes.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 9302(a)9302(b)10:1176.10:1172.June 3, 1916, ch. 134, § 27 (last par.), 39 Stat. 186. R.S. 1231. In subsection (a), the first 12 words are substituted for 10:1176 (1st 5, and last 18, words). The words “and the Secretary of the Army shall have the power at all times to suspend, increase, or decrease the amount of such instruction offered” are omitted as surplusage. In subsection (b), the words “garrisons, and permanent camps” are omitted as covered by the word “posts”. The word “including” is substituted for the words “and especially in”. The word “members” is substituted for the words “officers and enlisted men”. The words “as may be necessary”, “It * * * be the duty”, and “or garrison” are omitted as surplusage.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 117–81 substituted “Enlisted members of Air Force or Space Force: schools” for “Enlisted members Air Force or Space Force: schools” in section catchline. Pub. L. 116–283, § 923(d)(2)(B), amended section catchline generally. Prior to amendment, catchline read as follows: “Enlisted members of Air Force: schools”. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–283, § 923(d)(2)(A)(i), inserted “and enlisted members of the Space Force” after “members of the Air Force” and “and Space Force officers” after “Air Force officers”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–283, § 923(d)(2)(A)(ii), inserted “or the Space Force” after “Air Force” wherever appearing. 2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 9302 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.

Executive Documents

Delegation of Functions Functions of President under subsec. (a) of this section delegated to Secretary of Defense, see section 1(6) of Ex. Ord. No. 11390, Jan. 22, 1968, 33 F.R. 841, set out as a note under section 301 of Title 3, The President.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 9402

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73