Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§9655 Arms and ammunition: agencies and departments of United States

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle D— - Air Force and Space Force › Part PART IV— - SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROCUREMENT › Chapter CHAPTER 971— - ISSUE OF SERVICEABLE MATERIAL OTHER THAN TO ARMED FORCES › § 9655

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If needed to protect government money or property, the Secretary of the Air Force can lend weapons and their gear, and give ammunition, to a U.S. department or independent agency when that agency's leader asks. The agency head can name an officer to receive the items, and that officer must be responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force for them. Items that are not used up must be returned when they are no longer needed. The agency that received the items must send money to the Air Force to pay four kinds of costs: (1) ammunition given out; (2) replacing weapons and gear that are lost, destroyed, or cannot be fixed; (3) repairing weapons and gear that are returned; and (4) the Air Force’s shipping and receiving costs.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §9655

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whenever required for the protection of public money and property, the Secretary of the Air Force may lend arms and their accouterments, and issue ammunition, to a department or independent agency of the United States, upon request of its head. Property lent or issued under this subsection may be delivered to an officer of the department or agency designated by the head thereof, and that officer shall account for the property to the Secretary of the Air Force. Property lent or issued under this subsection and not properly expended shall be returned when it is no longer needed.
(b)The department or agency to which property is lent or issued under subsection (a) shall transfer funds to the credit of the Department of the Air Force to cover the costs of—
(1)ammunition issued;
(2)replacing arms and accouterments that have been lost or destroyed or cannot be repaired;
(3)repairing arms and accouterments returned to the Department of the Air Force; and
(4)making and receiving shipments by the Department of the Air Force.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 9655(a)9655(b)50:61 (less proviso).50:61 (proviso).Mar. 3, 1879, ch. 183 (2d par. under “Miscellaneous”); restated Apr. 14, 1937, ch. 79, 50 Stat. 63. In subsection (a), the word “lend” is substituted for the word “issue”, with respect to arms and accouterments, since the property must be returned when the necessity for its use has expired. The words “and not properly expended” are inserted for clarity. The words “United States” are substituted for the word “Government”. The word “their” is substituted for the words “suitable * * * for use therewith”. The words “it is no longer needed” are substituted for the words “the necessity for their use has expired”. In subsection (b), the words “hereafter”, “borrowed”, and “under the authority of this section” are omitted as surplusage.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 9655

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73