---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 1479"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "1479"
heading: "Death gratuity: delegation of determinations, payments"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/1479"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 75 — Deceased Personnel"
  - "Subchapter II — Death Benefits"
---

# §1479. Death gratuity: delegation of determinations, payments


For the purpose of making immediate payments under [section 1475 of this title](/usc/10/1475.md), the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5) shall—

- (1) authorize the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of a territorial command, installation, or district in which a survivor of a [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) covered by that section is residing to determine the beneficiary eligible for the death gratuity; and
- (2) authorize a disbursing or certifying official of each of those commands, installations, or districts to make the payments to the beneficiary, or certify the payments due them, as the case may be.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 85–861, § 1(32)(A), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1455; amended Pub. L. 97–258, § 2(b)(1)(A), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1052.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 1479 | 38:1132. | Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 837, § 302, 70 Stat. 868. |

The word “territorial” is substituted for the words “military or naval”, since the subsection could only apply to that type of command, installation, or district. Clause (2) is substituted for 38:1132(2).

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1982—Par. (2). Pub. L. 97–258 substituted “official” for “officer”.