33 U.S.C. § 569c: Services of volunteers

The United States Army Chief of Engineers may accept the services of volunteers and provide for their incidental expenses, including expenses relating to uniforms, transportation, lodging, and the subsistence of those volunteers, to carry out any activity of the Army Corps of Engineers except policy-making or law or regulatory enforcement. Such volunteers shall not be employees of the United States Government except for the purposes of (1) chapter 171 of title 28, relating to tort claims, and (2) chapter 81 of title 5, relating to compensation for work injuries. The Secretary [of the Army] may recognize a volunteer providing services under the heading ‘Department of Defense—Civil—Department of the Army—Corps of Engineers—Civil—General Provisions’ in chapter IV of title I of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1983 ( 33 U.S.C. 569c ) through an award or other appropriate means, except that such award may not be in the form of a cash award. The Secretary shall establish a process to carry out subsection (a).”