United States Armed Forces Protection Act of 1996

United States Armed Forces Protection Act of 1996 - States certain congressional findings and policy concerning the placement of U.S. armed forces under United Nations (UN) operational or tactical control.

Prohibits Department of Defense funds from being obligated or expended for activities of any element of the armed forces that is placed under UN operational or tactical control, unless: (1) the President, at least 15 days before UN control is to become effective (or not later than 48 hours afterwards in an emergency), certifies to the Congress that such action is in the national security interests; or (2) such placement is specifically authorized by law or is part of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation.

Specifies information to be submitted with the President's certification, including: (1) information on the national security interests to be advanced; (2) the mission, size, and composition of the U.S. forces involved; (3) the command and control relationship of the U.S. forces with the UN command structure and with the U.S. unified command for the region; (4) the exit strategy for, and withdrawal authority of, U.S. forces; and (5) the anticipated monthly incremental cost of U.S. participation and the percentage that such cost represents of the total anticipated monthly incremental costs of all nations expected to participate in the operation.

Provides that this Act shall not apply to activities of the armed forces carried out as part of specified ongoing activities of the UN Preventive Deployment Force in Macedonia or the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, and Western Sirmium in Croatia.

Requires that members of the armed forces be informed of their unit's mission and their chain of command in any operation to which their unit is assigned.

Prohibits U.S. military personnel from being required to wear UN insignia except when such insignia is specifically authorized by law with respect to a particular UN operation.