Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§165 Combatant Commands: Administration and Support

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART I — ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL MILITARY POWERS › CHAPTER 6 — COMBATANT COMMANDS › § 165

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must make sure forces in each combatant command get the needed administration and support. The Secretary gets help and advice from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The secretaries of the military departments must support the forces they assign to a combatant command, while following the Secretary of Defense and the combatant commanders under section 164(c). The Secretary of Defense can give some or all of those support duties to other DOD parts (for example, Defense Agencies or combatant commands). Those parts must follow the Secretary of Defense and the combatant commanders under section 164(c).

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §165

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In General.—

The Secretary of Defense, with the advice and assistance of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall provide for the administration and support of forces assigned to each combatant command.

(b)Responsibility of Secretaries of Military Departments.—

Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense and subject to the authority of commanders of the combatant commands under section 164(c) of this title, the Secretary of a military department is responsible for the administration and support of forces assigned by him to a combatant command.

(c)Assignment of Responsibility to Other Components of DOD.—

After consultation with the Secretaries of the military departments, the Secretary of Defense may assign the responsibility (or any part of the responsibility) for the administration and support of forces assigned to the combatant commands to other components of the Department of Defense (including Defense Agencies and combatant commands). A component assigned such a responsibility shall discharge that responsibility subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense and subject to the authority of commanders of the combatant commands under section 164(c) of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 165

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110