---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 120"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "120"
heading: "Department of Defense executive aircraft controlled by Secretaries of military departments"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/120"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part I — Organization and General Military Powers"
  - "Chapter 2 — Department of Defense"
---

# §120. Department of Defense executive aircraft controlled by Secretaries of military departments

- (a) **In General.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall ensure that the Chief of the Air Force Special Air Mission Office is given the responsibility for coordination of scheduling all [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense executive aircraft controlled by the [Secretaries](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8) in order to support required use travelers.
- (b) **Responsibilities.—**
  - (1) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of each of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8) shall execute a memorandum of understanding with the Air Force Special Air Mission Office regarding oversight and management of executive aircraft controlled by that [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6).
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall establish [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) for prioritizing access to executive aircraft controlled by the [Secretaries](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8) among authorized users of such aircraft within the Federal Government.
  - (3) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall assign a career appointee (as that term is defined in [section 3132(a) of title 5](/usc/5/3132.md?p=a)) in the Senior Executive Service of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense to coordinate the efficient tasking of executive aircraft controlled by the [Secretaries](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8) and compliance with rules, regulations, policies, and guidance relating to such aircraft, including the [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) established under [paragraph (2)](#b-2). The career appointee shall, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, have knowledge and experience relating to executive aircraft, including familiarity with the executive aircraft fleets controlled by the [Secretaries](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8) and procedures for the prioritization of executive aircraft users.
  - (4) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) shall maintain overall authority for scheduling the required use travelers of that [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) on executive aircraft controlled by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3). When an executive aircraft controlled by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) is not supporting required use travelers of that [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) shall make such executive aircraft available for scheduling of other required use travelers.
- (c) **Limitations.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may not establish a new command and control organization to support aircraft.
  - (2) No executive aircraft controlled by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) may be permanently stationed at any location without a required use traveler without the approval of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense.
- (d) **Definitions.—** In this section:
  - (1) The term “required use traveler” has the meaning given such term in [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense directive 4500.56, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this section.
  - (2) The term “executive aircraft” has the meaning given such term in [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense directive 4500.43, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this section.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title X, § 1051(a), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1590; amended Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title I, § 161(b)(1), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 767.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The date of the enactment of this section, referred to in subsecs. (b) and (d), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 116–92, which was approved Dec. 20, 2019.

### Amendments

2025—Subsec. (b)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 119–60 added pars. (2) and (3), redesignated former par. (3) as (4), and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “The Secretary of Defense shall be responsible for prioritizing travel when requests exceed available executive airlift capability.”

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Timelines

Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title I, § 161(b)(2), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 768, provided that: “The Secretary of Defense shall— establish the standards required by paragraph (2) of such section 120(b) (as amended by this section) not later than December 1, 2025; and assign the career appointee required by paragraph (3) of such section 120(b) (as amended by this section) not later than January 1, 2026.”