10 USC § 7251 - Presentation of United States flag upon retirement

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s7251"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 7251 - Presentation of United States flag upon retirement"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "7251"
section_name: "Presentation of United States flag upon retirement"
chapter_number: 733
chapter_name: "MISCELLANEOUS RIGHTS AND BENEFITS"
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. 105–261, div. A, title VI, § 644(a)(1), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2048, § 3681; amended Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VI, § 652(e), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 666; renumbered § 7251, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 808(b)(9), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1838.)"
---


# § 7251. Presentation of United States flag upon retirement

**(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.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title VI, § 644(a)(1), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2048, § 3681; amended Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VI, § 652(e), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 666; renumbered § 7251, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 808(b)(9), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1838.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018— renumbered  as this section.

1999—Subsec. (b).  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 .”

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see , set out as a note preceding .

### Effective Date

> “Sections 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
> 
> .”

, , , provided that: