§893a — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

Summary

It bans certain military leaders and recruiters from having sexual contact with new or trainee service members. Anyone under military law who is an officer, a noncommissioned officer, or a petty officer must not have that kind of contact with a junior member they train or lead. Military recruiters must not have that kind of contact with people applying to join or with enlistees in a delayed entry program. Saying the other person agreed is not a defense. The law uses a few defined words. "specially protected junior member" means recruits, trainees, cadets, midshipmen, officer candidates, or others in initial training, including delayed entry enlistees. "training leadership position" means drill instructors and other leaders in basic training, officer candidate schools, ROTC, and academy faculty and staff. "applicant for military service" means someone applying to join. "military recruiter" means a person whose main job is recruiting. "prohibited sexual activity" means sexual contact the military’s rules say is inappropriate in these situations.

Title 10, §893a

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any person subject to this chapter—

(1)who is an officer, a noncommissioned officer, or a petty officer;

(2)who is in a training leadership position with respect to a specially protected junior member of the armed forces; and

(3)who engages in prohibited sexual activity with such specially protected junior member of the armed forces;

(b)Any person subject to this chapter—

(1)who is a military recruiter and engages in prohibited sexual activity with an applicant for military service; or

(2)who is a military recruiter and engages in prohibited sexual activity with a specially protected junior member of the armed forces who is enlisted under a delayed entry program;

(c)Consent is not a defense for any conduct at issue in a prosecution under this section (article).

(d)In this section (article):

(1)The term “specially protected junior member of the armed forces” means—

(A)a member of the armed forces who is assigned to, or is awaiting assignment to, basic training or other initial active duty for training, including a member who is enlisted under a delayed entry program;

(B)a member of the armed forces who is a cadet, a midshipman, an officer candidate, or a student in any other officer qualification program; and

(C)a member of the armed forces in any program that, by regulation prescribed by the Secretary concerned, is identified as a training program for initial career qualification.

(2)The term “training leadership position” means, with respect to a specially protected junior member of the armed forces, any of the following:

(A)Any drill instructor position or other leadership position in a basic training program, an officer candidate school, a reserve officers’ training corps unit, a training program for entry into the armed forces, or any program that, by regulation prescribed by the Secretary concerned, is identified as a training program for initial career qualification.

(B)Faculty and staff of the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, and the United States Coast Guard Academy.

(3)The term “applicant for military service” means a person who, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned, is an applicant for original enlistment or appointment in the armed forces.

(4)The term “military recruiter” means a person who, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned, has the primary duty to recruit persons for military service.

(5)The term “prohibited sexual activity” means, as specified in regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned, inappropriate physical intimacy under circumstances described in such regulations.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on Jan. 1, 2019, as designated by the President, with implementing

Regulations

and provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328 and Ex. Ord. No. 13825, set out as notes under section 801 of this title.

§893a Art. 93a. Prohibited Activities with Military Recruit or Trainee by Person in Position of Special Trust