---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 10173"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "10173"
heading: "Marine Forces Reserve"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/10173"
units:
  - "Subtitle E — Reserve Components"
  - "Part I — Organization and Administration"
  - "Chapter 1006 — Reserve Component Commands"
---

# §10173. Marine Forces Reserve

- (a) **Establishment.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of the Navy, with the advice and assistance of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, shall establish in the Marine Corps a command known as the Marine Forces [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6).
- (b) **Commander.—** The Marine Forces [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) is commanded by the Commander, Marine Forces [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6). The Commander, Marine Forces [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6), reports directly to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
- (c) **Assignment of Forces.—** The Commandant of the Marine Corps—
  - (1) shall assign to the Marine Forces [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) the forces of the Marine Corps [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) stationed in the continental [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) other than forces assigned to the unified combatant command for special operations forces established pursuant to [section 167 of this title](/usc/10/167.md); and
  - (2) except as otherwise directed by the [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of Defense in the case of forces assigned to carry out functions of the [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of the Navy specified in [section 8013 of this title](/usc/10/8013.md), shall assign to the combatant commands (through the Marine Corps component commander for each such command) all such forces assigned to the Marine Forces [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) under [paragraph (1)](#c-1) in the manner specified by the [Secretary](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) of Defense.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XII, § 1211(a)(1), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2690; amended Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 809(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1840.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “section 8013” for “section 5013”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.