PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Punishes any armed forces member who, before or in the presence of the enemy, does one of nine wrong acts. These include running away; abandoning or surrendering a unit, post, or military property; endangering them by disobeying or neglect; throwing away arms or ammo; acting cowardly; leaving duty to loot; causing false alarms; willfully failing to fight, capture, or destroy the enemy when required; or not giving practical help to friendly forces in battle. They can be punished by death or other penalties a military court orders.

Title 10, §899

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Any member of the armed forces who before or in the presence of the enemy—

(1)runs away;

(2)shamefully abandons, surrenders, or delivers up any command, unit, place, or military property which it is his duty to defend;

(3)through disobedience, neglect, or intentional misconduct endangers the safety of any such command, unit, place, or military property;

(4)casts away his arms or ammunition;

(5)is guilty of cowardly conduct;

(6)quits his place of duty to plunder or pillage;

(7)causes false alarms in any command, unit, or place under control of the armed forces;

(8)willfully fails to do his utmost to encounter, engage, capture, or destroy any enemy troops, combatants, vessels, aircraft, or any other thing, which it is his duty so to encounter, engage, capture, or destroy; or

(9)does not afford all practicable relief and assistance to any troops, combatants, vessels, or aircraft of the armed forces belonging to the United States or their allies when engaged in battle;

shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 89950:693.May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 1 (Art. 99), 64 Stat. 137.

§899 Art. 99. Misbehavior Before the Enemy

Summary

Title 10, §899

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Citations & Metadata