---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 872"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "872"
heading: "Art. 72. Vacation of suspension"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/872"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 47 — Uniform Code of Military Justice"
  - "Subchapter IX — Post-Trial Procedure and Review of Courts-Martial"
---

# §872. Art. 72. Vacation of suspension

- (a) Before the vacation of the suspension of a special court-martial sentence which as approved [includes](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-4) a bad-conduct discharge, or of any general court-martial sentence, the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) having special court-martial jurisdiction over the probationer shall hold a hearing on the alleged violation of probation. The special court-martial convening authority may detail a [judge advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13), who is certified under [section 827(b) of this title](/usc/10/827.md?p=b) (article 27(b)), to conduct the hearing. The probationer shall be represented at the hearing by counsel if the probationer so desires.
- (b) The [record](/usc/10/801.md?p=14) of the hearing and the recommendation of the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) having special court-martial jurisdiction shall be sent for action to the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) exercising general court-martial jurisdiction over the probationer. If the [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) exercising general court-martial jurisdiction vacates the suspension, any unexecuted part of the sentence, except a dismissal, shall be executed, subject to applicable restrictions in [section 857 of this title](/usc/10/857.md) (article 57). The vacation of the suspension of a dismissal is not effective until approved by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5).
- (c) The suspension of any other sentence may be vacated by any authority competent to convene, for the command in which the accused is serving or assigned, a court of the kind that imposed the sentence.

## Source credit

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 63; Pub. L. 114–328, div. E, title LIX, § 5335, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2936.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 872(a)<br>872(b) | 50:659(a).<br>50:659(b). | May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 1 (Art. 72), 64 Stat. 131. |
| 872(c) | 50:659(c). |  |

In subsection (a), the word “Before” is substituted for the words “Prior to”.

In subsection (b), the words “be effective * * * to” are omitted as surplusage.

The second sentence is restated to make it clear that the execution of the rest of the court-martial sentence is not automatic. The word “is” is substituted for the words “shall * * * be” in the last sentence. The word “sent” is substituted for the word “forwarded”. The words “Secretary concerned” are substituted for the words “Secretary of the Department”.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2016—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–328, § 5335(a), (b)(1), inserted “The special court-martial convening authority may detail a judge advocate, who is certified under section 827(b) of this title (article 27(b)), to conduct the hearing.” after first sentence and substituted “if the probationer so desires” for “if he so desires” in last sentence.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–328, § 5335(b)(2), substituted “If the officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction” for “If he” and “section 857 of this title (article 57)” for “section 871(c) of this title (article 71(c))”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2016 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 114–328 effective on Jan. 1, 2019, as designated by the President, with implementing regulations and provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328 and Ex. Ord. No. 13825, set out as notes under section 801 of this title.