Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110
§7251 Presentation of United States Flag Upon Retirement
Title 10 › Subtitle B — Army › PART II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 733 — MISCELLANEOUS RIGHTS AND BENEFITS › § 7251
Summary
When an Army member leaves active duty to retire, the Secretary of the Army must give them a United States flag. They cannot get another flag if they already received one for release from active duty for retirement under this or any other law. The flag must be given free of charge.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §7251
Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Presentation of Flag.—
Upon the release of a member of the Army from active duty for retirement, the Secretary of the Army shall present a United States flag to the member.
(b)Multiple Presentations Not Authorized.—
A member is not eligible for a presentation of a flag under subsection (a) if the member has previously been presented a flag under this section or any other provision of law providing for the presentation of a United States flag incident to release from active service for retirement.
(c)No Cost to Recipient.—
The presentation of a flag under this section shall be at no cost to the recipient.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 3681 of this title as this section. 1999—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–65 substituted “under this section or any other provision of law providing for the presentation of a United States flag incident to release from active service for retirement.” for “under this section or section 6141 or 8681 of this title or section 516 of title 14.”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of
Amendments
and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.
Effective Date
Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title VI, § 644(e), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2049, provided that: “section 3681, 6141, and 8681 [now 7251, 8261, and 9251] of title 10, United States Code (as added by this section), and section 516 [now 2748] of title 14, United States Code (as added by subsection (d)), shall apply with respect to releases from active duty described in those sections on or after October 1, 1998.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 7251
Title 10, Armed Forces
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110