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Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§2261 Presentation of Recognition Items for Recruitment and Retention Purposes

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART IV — SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROPERTY › CHAPTER 134 — MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › SUBCHAPTER II — MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY › § 2261

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Under rules the Secretary of Defense sets, appropriated funds can be used to buy small recognition items to help recruit or keep service members. These items can be given to service members and to family members or others who provide support that substantially helps a member’s service. Recognition items include things like coins, medals, trophies, badges, flags, posters, or paintings worth less than $50 each. For the rules in section 520c, giving these items counts as a recruiting activity, and people who get them are treated as targets of recruiting efforts.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §2261

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Expenditures for Recognition Items.—
Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, appropriated funds may be expended—
(1)to procure recognition items of nominal or modest value for recruitment or retention purposes; and
(2)to present such items—
(A)to members of the armed forces; and
(B)to members of the families of members of the armed forces, and other individuals, recognized as providing support that substantially facilitates service in the armed forces.
(b)Provision of Meals and Refreshments.—
For purposes of section 520c of this title and any regulation prescribed to implement that section, functions conducted for the purpose of presenting recognition items described in subsection (a) shall be treated as recruiting functions, and recipients of such items shall be treated as persons who are the objects of recruiting efforts.
(c)Recognition Items of Nominal or Modest Value.—
In this section, the term “recognition item of nominal or modest value” means a commemorative coin, medal, trophy, badge, flag, poster, painting, or other similar item that is valued at less than $50 per item and is designed to recognize or commemorate service in the armed forces.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2006—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–364 struck out heading and text of subsec. (d). Text read as follows: “The authority under this section shall expire December 31, 2007.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 2261

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110