10 U.S.C. § 823: Art. 23. Who may convene special courts-martial

any person who may convene a general court-martial; the commanding officer of a district, garrison, fort, camp, station, Air Force or Space Force military installation, auxiliary air field, or other place where members of the Army, the Air Force, or the Space Force are on duty; the commanding officer of a brigade, regiment, detached battalion, or corresponding unit of the Army; the commanding officer of a wing, group, or separate squadron of the Air Force or a corresponding unit of the Space Force; the commanding officer of any naval or Coast Guard vessel, shipyard, base, or station; the commanding officer of any Marine brigade, regiment, detached battalion, or corresponding unit; the commanding officer of any Marine barracks, wing, group, separate squadron, station, base, auxiliary air field, or other place where members of the Marine Corps are on duty; the commanding officer of any separate or detached command or group of detached units of any of the armed forces placed under a single commander for this purpose; or the commanding officer or officer in charge of any other command when empowered by the Secretary concerned. If any such officer is an accuser, the court shall be convened by superior competent authority, and may in any case be convened by such authority if considered advisable by him. A commanding officer shall not be considered an accuser solely due to the role of the commanding officer in convening a special court-martial to which charges and specifications were referred by a special trial counsel in accordance with this chapter.