10 USC § 8301 - Delegation of power to award

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s8301"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 8301 - Delegation of power to award"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "8301"
section_name: "Delegation of power to award"
chapter_number: 837
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: "(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 391, § 6251; renumbered § 8301, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(b)(13), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1836.)"
---


# § 8301. Delegation of power to award

The President may delegate, under such conditions as he prescribes, to flag and general officers who are commanders-in-chief or commanding on important independent duty, his authority to award the Navy cross, the distinguished-service medal, the silver star medal, or the Navy and Marine Corps Medal.

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 391, § 6251; renumbered § 8301, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(b)(13), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1836.)

| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6251 | 34 U.S.C. 364 (less 10th, and last 47 words). | Feb. 4, 1919, ch. 14, § 9 (less applicability to regulations), 40 Stat. 1057; renumbered § 11 and amended Aug. 7, 1942, ch. 551, § 1, 56 Stat. 745. |

The term “flag officers” is used generically in . Officers of the Marine Corps who meet the duty requirements, if in the equivalent grades, are, therefore, within its terms and the authority to make the awards has been delegated to such officers.

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 8301, acts , ; , , ; , , , provided for, in addition to method prescribed in , promotion to captain, major, or lieutenant colonel of officers with special qualifications, whenever there are vacancies on Air Force promotion list in regular grade of captain, major, or lieutenant colonel and Secretary of Air Force considers that there are or will be too few officers in any of those grades with special qualifications, prior to repeal by , , , effective .

### Amendments

2018— renumbered  as this section.

## 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 .