(a)(1) To be eligible to command an aircraft carrier or an aircraft tender, an officer must be an officer in the line of the Navy who is designated as a naval aviator or naval flight officer and who is otherwise qualified.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to command of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that has been inactivated for the purpose of permanent decommissioning and disposal.
(b) To be eligible to command a naval aviation school, a naval air station, or a naval aviation unit organized for flight tactical purposes, an officer must be an officer in the line of the Navy designated as a naval aviator or naval flight officer.
(c) To be eligible to command a Marine Corps aviation school, a Marine Corps air station, or a Marine Corps aviation unit organized for flight tactical purposes, an officer must be an officer of the Marine Corps designated as a naval aviator or naval flight officer.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 371, § 5942; Pub. L. 91–198, § 1(1), Feb. 26, 1970, 84 Stat. 15; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title V, § 507, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3357; renumbered § 8162, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(b)(5), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1834.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large)
5942(a)34 U.S.C. 735 (5th par.).June 24, 1926, ch. 668, § 3 (5th par.), 44 Stat. 767.
5942(b)34 U.S.C. 735 (4th par.).June 24, 1926, ch. 668, § 3 (4th par.), 44 Stat. 767.
5942(c)34 U.S.C. 735 (7th par.).June 24, 1926, ch. 668, § 3 (7th par.), 44 Stat. 767.
The last proviso of § 8 of the Act of July 12, 1921, ch. 44 (34 U.S.C. 734), was superseded by paragraphs 4, 5, and 7 of § 3 of the Act of June 24, 1926, ch. 668 (34 U.S.C. 735), insofar as ships and activities mentioned in those paragraphs are concerned. The requirements of this section are stated as conditions of eligibility for clarity.
Editorial Notes
Amendments2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 5942 of this title as this section.
2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–291 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).
1970—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 91–198 substituted “naval flight officer” for “naval aviation observer”.
Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 91–198 inserted “or naval flight officer” after “naval aviator”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.