Us Code § 777a - Wearing of insignia of higher grade before appointment to a grade above major general or rear admiral (frocking): authority; restrictions

Full text of Us Code United States Code § 777a — Wearing of insignia of higher grade before appointment to a grade above major general or rear admiral (frocking): authority; restrictions, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 777a. Wearing of insignia of higher grade before appointment to a grade above major general or rear admiral (frocking): authority; restrictions

(a) Authority.—An officer serving in a grade below the grade of lieutenant general or, in the case of the Navy, vice admiral, who has been selected for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general or general, or, in the case of the Navy, vice admiral or admiral, and an officer serving in the grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral who has been selected for appointment to the grade of general or admiral, may be authorized, under regulations and policies of the Department of Defense and subject to subsection (b), to wear the insignia for that higher grade for a period of up to 14 days before assuming the duties of a position for which the higher grade is authorized. An officer who is so authorized to wear the insignia of a higher grade is said to be "frocked" to that grade.

(b) Restrictions.—An officer may not be authorized to wear the insignia for a grade as described in subsection (a) unless—

(1) the Senate has given its advice and consent to the appointment of the officer to that grade;

(2) the officer has received orders to serve in a position outside the military department of that officer for which that grade is authorized;

(3) the Secretary of Defense (or a civilian officer within the Office of the Secretary of Defense whose appointment was made with the advice and consent of the Senate and to whom the Secretary delegates such approval authority) has given approval for the officer to wear the insignia for that grade before assuming the duties of a position for which that grade is authorized; and

(4) the Secretary of Defense has submitted to Congress a written notification of the intent to authorize the officer to wear the insignia for that grade.


(c) Benefits Not to Be Construed as Accruing.—(1) Authority provided to an officer as described in subsection (a) to wear the insignia of a higher grade may not be construed as conferring authority for that officer to—

(A) be paid the rate of pay provided for an officer in that grade having the same number of years of service as that officer; or

(B) assume any legal authority associated with that grade.


(2) The period for which an officer wears the insignia of a higher grade under such authority may not be taken into account for any of the following purposes:

(A) Seniority in that grade.

(B) Time of service in that grade.


(d) Limitation on Number of Officers Frocked.—The total number of officers who are authorized to wear the insignia for a higher grade under this section shall count against the limitation in section 777(d) of this title on the total number of officers authorized to wear the insignia of a higher grade.

(Added Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, §505(a)(1), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4208.)

CHAPTER 47—UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE

 
Subchapter Sec.Art.
I. General Provisions 801 1
II. Apprehension and Restraint 807 7
III. Non-Judicial Punishment 815 15
IV. Court-Martial Jurisdiction 816 16
V. Composition of Courts-Martial 822 22
VI. Pre-Trial Procedure 830 30
VII. Trial Procedure 836 36
VIII. Sentences 855 55
IX. Post-Trial Procedure and Review of Courts-Martial 859 59
X. Punitive Articles 877 77
XI. Miscellaneous Provisions 935 135
XII. United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces 941 141

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title IX, §924(c)(3)(B), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2832, substituted "United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces" for "Court of Military Appeals" in item for subchapter XII.

1989—Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title XIII, §1304(a)(1), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1576, added item for subchapter XII.

1983—Pub. L. 98–209, §5(h)(1), Dec. 6, 1983, 97 Stat. 1400, substituted "IX. Post-Trial Procedure and Review of Courts-Martial" for "IX. Review of Courts-Martial".

1958—Pub. L. 85–861, §33(a)(6), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1564, substituted 801, 807, 815, 816, 822, 830, 836, 855, 859, 877 and 935 for 1901, 1913, 1929, 1931, 1943, 1959, 1971, 2009, 2017, 2053 and 2169, respectively.

SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL PROVISIONS

 
Sec.Art. 
801. 1. Definitions.
802. 2. Persons subject to this chapter.
803. 3. Jurisdiction to try certain personnel.
804. 4. Dismissed officer's right to trial by court-martial.
805. 5. Territorial applicability of this chapter.
806. 6. Judge advocates and legal officers.
806a. 6a. Investigation and disposition of matters pertaining to the fitness of military judges.
806b. 6b. Rights of the victim of an offense under this chapter.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2013—Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title XVII, §1701(a)(2), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 953, added item 806b.

1989—Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title XIII, §1304(a)(2), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1576, added item 806a.

About This Section

10 U.S.C. § 777a is part of Title 10 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.

This section may be cited in legal writing as 10 U.S.C. § 777a. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.

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Source: official Us Code text · Last verified 2026-08-27

Frequently Asked Questions About Us Code § 777a

What does United States Code § 777a cover?

Section 777a ("Wearing of insignia of higher grade before appointment to a grade above major general or rear admiral (frocking): authority; restrictions") is part of the United States Code, the codified statutory law of Us Code. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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