Federal · Title 10 — Armed Forces

10 U.S.C. § 899: Art. 99. Misbehavior before the enemy

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

A member of the armed forces commits a military crime by running away, abandoning duty, endangering command safety, casting away weapons, engaging in cowardly conduct, plundering, causing false alarms, or failing to engage the enemy or assist allied forces in battle.

Read the full statutory text
runs away; shamefully abandons, surrenders, or delivers up any command, unit, place, or military property which it is his duty to defend; through disobedience, neglect, or intentional misconduct endangers the safety of any such command, unit, place, or military property; casts away his arms or ammunition; is guilty of cowardly conduct; quits his place of duty to plunder or pillage; causes false alarms in any command, unit, or place under control of the armed forces; willfully fails to do his utmost to encounter, engage, capture, or destroy any enemy troops, combatants, vessels, aircraft, or any other thing, which it is his duty so to encounter, engage, capture, or destroy; or does not afford all practicable relief and assistance to any troops, combatants, vessels, or aircraft of the armed forces belonging to the United States or their allies when engaged in battle;

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.