10 USC § 1131 - Purple Heart: limitation to members of the armed forces

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s1131"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 1131 - Purple Heart: limitation to members of the armed forces"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "1131"
section_name: "Purple Heart: limitation to members of the armed forces"
chapter_number: 57
chapter_name: "DECORATIONS AND AWARDS"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "PERSONNEL"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title V, § 571(a)(1), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1756.)"
---


# § 1131. Purple Heart: limitation to members of the armed forces

The decoration known as the Purple Heart (authorized to be awarded pursuant to Executive Order 11016) may only be awarded to a person who is a member of the armed forces at the time the person is killed or wounded under circumstances otherwise qualifying that person for award of the Purple Heart.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title V, § 571(a)(1), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1756.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Executive Order 11016, referred to in text, is Ex. Ord. No. 11016, , 27 F.R. 4139, which is set out as a note under .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

> “
> 
> , United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to persons who are killed or wounded after the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [
> 
> ].”

, , , provided that: