Humanitarian and civic assistance provided in conjunction with military operations
10 U.S.C. § 401
in effect(a)(1) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department may carry out humanitarian and civic assistance activities in conjunction with authorized military operations of the armed forces in a country if the Secretary concerned determines that the activities will promote—(A) the security interests of both the United States and the country in which the activities are to be carried out; and (B) the specific operational readiness skills of the members of the armed forces who participate in the activities. (2) Humanitarian and civic assistance activities carried out under this section shall complement, and may not duplicate, any other form of social or economic assistance which may be provided to the country concerned by any other department or agency of the United States. Such activities shall serve the basic economic and social needs of the people of the country concerned. (3) Humanitarian and civic assistance may not be provided under this section (directly or indirectly) to any individual, group, or organization engaged in military or paramilitary activity.
(b) Humanitarian and civic assistance may not be provided under this section to any foreign country unless the Secretary of State specifically approves the provision of such assistance.
(c)(1) Expenses incurred as a direct result of providing humanitarian and civic assistance under this section to a foreign country shall be paid for out of funds specifically appropriated for such purpose. [(2), (3) Repealed. Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title XII, § 1203(a)(3), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2413.] (4) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to preclude the incurring of minimal expenditures by the Department of Defense for purposes of humanitarian and civic assistance out of funds other than funds appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1), except that funds appropriated to the Department of Defense for operation and maintenance (other than funds appropriated pursuant to such paragraph) may be obligated for humanitarian and civic assistance under this section only for incidental costs of carrying out such assistance.
(d) The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report, not later than March 1 of each year, on activities carried out under this section during the preceding fiscal year. The Secretary shall include in each such report—(1) a list of the countries in which humanitarian and civic assistance activities were carried out during the preceding fiscal year; (2) the type and description of such activities carried out in each country during the preceding fiscal year; and (3) the amount expended in carrying out each such activity in each such country during the preceding fiscal year.
(e) In this section, the term “humanitarian and civic assistance” means any of the following:(1) Medical, surgical, dental, and veterinary care provided in areas of a country that are rural or are underserved by medical, surgical, dental, and veterinary professionals, respectively, including education, training, and technical assistance related to the care provided. (2) Construction of rudimentary surface transportation systems. (3) Well drilling and construction of basic sanitation facilities. (4) Rudimentary construction and repair of public facilities.
Source: OLRC USLMURL: https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/95/xml_usc10@119-95.zipFetched: 6/3/2026