Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73
§9453 Cadets: degree and commission on graduation
Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle D— - Air Force and Space Force › Part PART III— - TRAINING › Chapter CHAPTER 953— - UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY › § 9453
Summary
Superintendent may grant a B.S. under Air Force Secretary rules; cadets who complete the course may become second lieutenants in the Regular Air Force (sec. 531) or Space Force (sec. 531 or 20201).
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §9453
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Superintendent of the Academy may, under such conditions as the Secretary of the Air Force may prescribe, confer the degree of bachelor of science upon graduates of the Academy.
(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a cadet who completes the prescribed course of instruction may, upon graduation, be appointed a second lieutenant in the Regular Air Force under section 531 of this title or a second lieutenant in the Space Force under section 531 or 20201 of this title.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
1956 Act Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 9353(a) 9353(b)10:486a (less last sentence).10:506c(f) (1st sentence, less last 43 words).May 25, 1933, ch. 37 (less last sentence); restated Aug. 9, 1946, ch. 932 (less last sentence); restated Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, § 13; restated Aug. 18, 1949, ch. 476 (less last sentence), 63 Stat. 615. Aug. 7, 1947, ch. 512, § 506(f) (1st sentence, less last 43 words), 61 Stat. 892. In subsection (a), the last 27 words are substituted for 10:486a (last sentence). The words “rules and” and “from and after the date of the accrediting of said Academy” are omitted as surplusage. The word “conditions” is substituted for the word “
Regulations
”. In subsection (b), the words “except section 541 of this title” are inserted to reflect the authority to appoint graduates of one service academy as officers of another service. 1958 Act Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 9353(b)10 App.:1850c(e) (1st sentence).
July 20, 1956, ch. 646, § 203(e) (1st sentence), 70 Stat. 585. It is unnecessary to include a reference to section 541 of title 10, since that section does not derogate from the authority granted in this section. The change reflects the opinion of the Judge Advocate General of the Air Force (
July 19, 1957) that the words “from and after the date of the accrediting of said academies” in the source law for section 9353(a) (Act of
May 25, 1933, ch. 37 (48 Stat. 73), as amended) were a condition precedent to the authority to grant degrees and should not have been omitted.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2023—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 118–31 struck out “or in the equivalent grade in the Regular Space Force” after “Regular Air Force” and inserted before period at end “or a second lieutenant in the Space Force under section 531 or 20201 of this title”. 2021—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–283 inserted “or in the equivalent grade in the Regular Space Force” after “Regular Air Force”. 2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 9353 of this title as this section. 1997—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–85 substituted “The” for “After the date of the accrediting of the Academy, the”. 1980—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–513 inserted “under section 531 of this title” after “Regular Air Force”. 1958—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 85–861, § 33(a)(43), permitted conferring of degrees only after date of accrediting of Academy. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 85–861, § 1(201), struck out “except section 541 of this title” after “provision of law”.
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.
Effective Date
of 1958 AmendmentAmendment by section 33(a)(43) of Pub. L. 85–861 effective Aug. 10, 1956, see section 33(g) of Pub. L. 85–861, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 9453
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73