Virginia Law

Article 13. General Provisions.

All matters relating to the organization, discipline and government of the Virginia National Guard, not otherwise provided for by law or by regulations, shall be decided by the custom and usage of the United States army, air force or navy, as appropriate. In addition, all members of the Virginia Defense Force and the unorganized militia on training duty or state active duty shall be subject to military discipline. Infractions of military discipline for the Virginia National Guard shall be punishable under the provisions of §§ 44-40 and 44-40.01 and Article 4 (§ 44-42 et seq.). Infractions of military discipline for the Virginia Defense Force and unorganized militia shall be punishable under the provisions of §§ 44-40 and 44-40.01.

1930, p. 970; Michie Code 1942, § 2673(100); 1964, c. 227; 1984, c. 765; 1989, c. 414; 2011, cc. 572, 586; 2015, c. 221; 2016, c. 339.

Repealed by Acts 2011, cc. 572 and 586, cl. 2.

The officers of the Virginia Military Institute, the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin College, the Fishburne Military School, the Massanutten Military Academy, and the Commandant of Cadets and Assistant Commandants of Cadets of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University shall be commissioned officers of the Virginia militia, unorganized, and subject to the orders of the Governor and the same rules and regulations as to discipline provided for other commissioned officers of the military organizations of the Commonwealth. The Governor is authorized and directed to issue commissions to the professors, assistant professors and other officers of the Virginia Military Institute, the Fishburne Military School, the Massanutten Military Academy, and the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin College, according to the rank prescribed by those institutions; and to the Commandant of Cadets and Assistant Commandants of Cadets of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Such persons shall be eligible to receive and to continue to hold such commissions, regardless of age, for so long as they continue to be officers, professors or assistant professors of the Virginia Military Institute, the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin College, the Fishburne Military School, the Massanutten Military Academy, or the Commandant of Cadets or Assistant Commandants of Cadets of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The governing boards of each institution shall recommend to the Governor the rank to which such eligible persons shall be commissioned, but the following determination of such rank shall be made by the Governor. Commissions in such militia issued such persons by the Governor shall not entitle any person holding the same to any pay or emolument by reason thereof unless he be assigned to duty by order of the Governor with the Virginia National Guard; and in such event, the rank of such officer shall be relatively inferior to that of all other officers of the same grade in the Virginia National Guard.

1930, p. 970; Michie Code 1942, § 2673(102); 1958, c. 393; 1978, c. 384; 2001, c. 77; 2006, c. 123; 2007, c. 818.

Repealed by Acts 1958, c. 393.

There shall be a retired list of officers, warrant officers and enlisted persons of the Virginia National Guard.

The following persons, upon their written applications through regular military channels to the Adjutant General, may be placed on the retired list of the Virginia National Guard:

1. Former Adjutant Generals who have resigned or been relieved;

2. Officers or enlisted persons in the guard who have been honorably discharged and have served for at least ten years in active service of the guard, or ten years computing the period served in the Virginia National Guard and the period of active service in the United States armed forces.

Officers who have served honorably and efficiently in the Virginia National Guard or the Virginia militia shall be commissioned on the retired list of the Virginia militia, unorganized, in their respective grade, or the highest grade held by them in the military service of the Commonwealth, except that officers who have to their credit fifteen years or more of exemplary service may, at the discretion of the Adjutant General, be retired with commission of the next higher grade to the highest grade held by them in the military service of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Warrant officers and noncommissioned officers shall be placed on the retired list with the highest rank held by them in the Virginia National Guard.

Reentry into the active military service of the Commonwealth or of the United States shall discharge officers, warrant officers and enlisted persons from the retired list, and for any future retirement new application shall be made.

1930, p. 971; Michie Code 1942, § 2673(104); 1958, c. 393; 1983, c. 157; 2015, c. 221.

It shall be unlawful for any person, not an officer, warrant officer or enlisted person in the armed forces of the United States, to wear the duly prescribed uniform thereof, or any distinctive part of such uniform, or a uniform any part of which is similar to a distinctive part of the duly prescribed uniform of the armed forces of the United States.

The foregoing provision shall not be construed so as to prevent officers, warrant officers or enlisted persons of the National Guard, nor to prevent members of the organization known as the Boy Scouts of America, or such other organizations as the Secretary of Defense may designate, from wearing their prescribed uniforms; nor to prevent persons who in time of war have served honorably as officers of the armed forces of the United States and whose most recent service was terminated by an honorable discharge, muster out, or resignation, from wearing, upon occasions of ceremony, the uniform of the highest grade they have held in such service; nor to prevent any person who has been honorably discharged from the armed forces of the United States from wearing his uniform from the place of his discharge to his home, within three months after his discharge; nor to prevent the members of military societies composed entirely of honorably discharged officers and enlisted persons, or both, of the armed forces of the United States from wearing, upon occasions of ceremony, the uniform duly prescribed by such societies to be worn by members thereof; nor to prevent the instructors and members of the duly organized cadet corps of any educational institution offering a regular course in military instruction from wearing the uniform duly prescribed by appropriate respective authority to be worn by instructors and members of such cadet corps; nor to prevent the instructors and members of such duly organized cadet corps of such institution of learning offering a regular course in military instruction and at which an officer, warrant officer or enlisted person of the armed forces of the United States is lawfully detailed for duty as instructor in military science and tactics, from wearing the uniform duly prescribed by appropriate authority to be worn by instructors and members of such cadet corps; nor to prevent civilians attending a course of military instruction authorized and conducted by the military authorities of the United States from wearing while attending such a course the uniform authorized and prescribed by such military authorities to be worn during such course of instruction; nor to prevent any person from wearing the uniform of the armed forces of the United States, in any playhouse or theater or in motion picture films or television while actually engaged in representing therein a military character not tending to bring discredit or reproach upon the armed forces of the United States.

The uniform worn by members of military societies, or the instructors and members of the cadet corps referred to in the preceding paragraph, shall include some distinctive mark or insignia approved by the Secretary of Defense, to distinguish such uniforms from the uniform of the armed forces of the United States. The members of the military societies and the instructors and members of the cadet corps hereinbefore mentioned shall not wear the insignia of rank prescribed to be worn by the officers of the armed forces of the United States, or any insignia of rank similar thereto, unless otherwise authorized.

Any person who offends against the provisions of this section shall, on conviction, be punished by a fine not exceeding $100, or by imprisonment not exceeding 30 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

1930, p. 971; Michie Code 1942, § 2673(105); 1958, c. 393; 2011, cc. 572, 586.

Virginia military medals and decorations shall be made in the United States. Existing stocks of Virginia military medals and decorations which are of foreign origin may be consumed without violating the provisions of this act. All Virginia military medals and decorations shall have the words "Made in the USA" stamped on the reverse side. This act shall not limit the country of origin of United States military medals and decorations that are presented to members of the Virginia National Guard.

1999, c. 22.

There is hereby established the Commonwealth's Twenty marksmanship award to recognize the top 20 marksmen in Virginia. These top 20 marksmen shall be chosen from the Virginia state residents who compete at the annual Virginia State Championship matches sanctioned by the Virginia Shooting Sports Association (the Association). The award shall be administered by the Association and shall consist of (i) an enamel metal tab pin with gray background and white lettering, similar in style, shape, and size to the "President's Hundred" pin awarded by the United States Army; (ii) a fabric patch with hook and loop backing with a green background and black letters, similar in style, shape, and size to the "President's Hundred" patch awarded by the United States Army; and (iii) a certificate.

2015, c. 747; 2017, c. 224.

Repealed by Acts 2009, c. 108, cl. 1.

This chapter may be cited as the "Military Laws of Virginia."

1930, p. 973; Michie Code 1942, § 2673(107).