Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110
§657 Prohibition on Service in the Armed Forces by Individuals Convicted of Certain Sexual Offenses
Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 37 — GENERAL SERVICE REQUIREMENTS › § 657
Summary
People convicted of certain sexual felonies under federal or state law cannot join the armed forces as enlisted members or be moved forward to become commissioned officers. The rule covers felony convictions for rape or sexual assault, forcible sodomy, incest, and attempts to commit any of those crimes.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §657
Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Prohibition on Commissioning or Enlistment.—
A person who has been convicted of an offense specified in subsection (b) under Federal or State law may not be processed for commissioning or permitted to enlist in the armed forces.
(b)Covered Offenses.—
An offense specified in this subsection is any felony offense as follows:
(1)Rape or sexual assault.
(2)Forcible sodomy.
(3)Incest.
(4)An attempt to commit an offense specified in paragraph (1) through (3), as punishable under applicable Federal or State law.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 657
Title 10, Armed Forces
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110