10 U.S.C. § 939: Art. 139. Redress of injuries…

Summary

When a commanding officer gets a complaint that service members purposely damaged or took someone's property, the officer can form an investigation board of one to three commissioned officers under rules the Secretary sets. The board can call witnesses, take sworn statements and documents, and decide how much the person lost. The commanding officer must approve the amount, and it is taken from the pay of those found responsible and paid to the injured person. If the exact offenders can't be found but their unit is known, the approved loss can be fairly split among unit members who were at the scene, based on the board's findings.

Title 10, §939

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whenever complaint is made to any commanding officer that willful damage has been done to the property of any person or that his property has been wrongfully taken by members of the armed forces, he may, under such regulations as the Secretary concerned may prescribe, convene a board to investigate the complaint. The board shall consist of from one to three commissioned officers and, for the purpose of that investigation, it has power to summon witnesses and examine them upon oath, to receive depositions or other documentary evidence, and to assess the damages sustained against the responsible parties. The assessment of damages made by the board is subject to the approval of the commanding officer, and in the amount approved by him shall be charged against the pay of the offenders. The order of the commanding officer directing charges herein authorized is conclusive on any disbursing officer for the payment by him to the injured parties of the damages so assessed and approved.

(b)If the offenders cannot be ascertained, but the organization or detachment to which they belong is known, charges totaling the amount of damages assessed and approved may be made in such proportion as may be considered just upon the individual members thereof who are shown to have been present at the scene at the time the damages complained of were inflicted, as determined by the approved findings of the board.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 939(a)939(b)50:735(a).50:735(b).May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 1 (Art. 139), 64 Stat. 144. In subsection (a), the words “Secretary concerned” are substituted for the words “Secretary of the Department”. The word “under” is substituted for the words “subject to”. The words “or affirmation” are omitted as covered by the definition of the word “oath” in section 1 of title 1. The words “it has” are substituted for the words “shall have” in the second sentence. The word “is” is substituted for the words “shall be” before the words “subject” and “conclusive”. The word “commissioned” is inserted for clarity. In subsection (b), the word “If” is substituted for the word “Where”. The word “considered” is substituted for the word “deemed”.

§939 Art. 139. Redress of Injuries to Property

Summary

Title 10, §939

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Citations & Metadata