Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-102

§1031 Administration of Oath

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 53 — MISCELLANEOUS RIGHTS AND BENEFITS › § 1031

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President, the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, any commissioned officer, and people the Secretary of Defense names in the rules can give oaths. They can give any oath needed when someone joins or is appointed to the armed forces, and any other oath the law requires related to that joining or appointment.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §1031

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The President, the Vice-President, the Secretary of Defense, any commissioned officer, and any other person designated under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense may administer any oath—
(1)required for the enlistment or appointment of any person in the armed forces; or
(2)required by law in connection with such an enlistment or appointment.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 103110:19.34:217a–2.May 22, 1950, ch. 193, § 1, 64 Stat. 187. The words “(including the reserve component)” are omitted, since the words “any component of an armed force” include the reserve components. The words “any oath required for the enlistment or appointment of any person” are substituted for the words “the oath required for the enlistment of any person, the oath required for the appointment of any person to commissioned or warrant officer grade, and any other oath required by law in connection with the enlistment or appointment of any person”.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2006—Pub. L. 109–364 substituted “The President, the Vice-President, the Secretary of Defense, any commissioned officer, and any other person designated under

Regulations

prescribed by the Secretary of Defense may administer any oath” for “Any commissioned officer of any component of an armed force, whether or not on active duty, may administer any oath” in introductory provisions.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 1031

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102