Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 62 Part 1.djvu/401

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62 STAT.] 80TH CONG. , 2D SESS.-CH. 449-JUNE 12, 1948 TITLE III AIR FORCE SEC. 301. All laws or parts of laws which now or hereafter authorize enlistments, and appointments of commissioned and warrant officers in the Regular Air Force shall, subject to the provisions of this title, be construed to include authority to enlist and appoint women in the Regular Air Force. SEC. 302. The authorized commissioned, warrant, and enlisted strengths of female persons in the Regular Air Force shall, from time to time, be determined by the Secretary of the Air Force, within the authorized commissioned, warrant, and enlisted strengths of the Regular Air Force, but shall not exceed 2 per centum of such authorized Regular Air Force strengths, respectively: Provided, That for a period of two years immediately following the date of this Act, the actual number of women in the Regular Air Force shall at no time exceed three hundred commissioned officers, forty warrant officers and four thousand enlisted women, and such number of commissioned female officers shall be appointed in increments of not to exceed 40 per centum, 20 per centum, 20 per centum, and 20 per centum at approxi- mately equally spaced intervals of time during the said period of two years. SEC. 303. (a) Commissioned female officers of the Regular Air Force shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from female citizens of the United States who have attained the age of twenty-one years and who possess such quali- fications as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Air Force. (b) Except as modified or otherwise provided in this title or by other express provisions of law, original appointments of female offi- cers of the Regular Air Force shall be made in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by law for male persons in the Regular Air Force except as may be necessary to adapt said provisions to such female officers. (c) Female officers shall be permanently commissioned in the Regu- lar Air Force in grades from second lieutenant to lieutenant colonel, inclusive. The authorized number in permanent grade of lieutenant colonel shall be such as the Secretary of the Air Force shall from time to time prescribe but shall not exceed 10 per centum of the total author- ized female commissioned strength. (d) The provisions of section 509 of the Officer Personnel Act of 1947 shall not be applicable to promotion of female officers to the grade of lieutenant colonel. Female officers shall be appointed in the permanent grade of lieutenant colonel only when a vacancy exists in the number of lieutenant colonels authorized by the Secretary of the Air Force for female officers and only when selected and recommended for that grade by a selection board under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Air Force. (e) As soon as practicable after completion of the appointments provided for in section 308 of this title, the name of each such female commissioned officer shall be entered on the Air Force promotion list in such position among officers of her grade as may be determined by a board of general officers appointed for this purpose by the Secretary of the Air Force and under such regulations as he may prescribe: Provided,That all such female officers shall be placed on the Air Force promotion list without change among themselves in their relative positions then held on the interim promotion list established under the provisions of section 309 of this title. (f) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Air Force, any selection board convened to consider and recommend female offi- Enlistments and appointments. Determination of authorized strength. Limitation on num- ber for two years. Appointment by President. Original appoint- ments. Grades. 61 Stat. 894. 10 U. 8. O., Supp. I, § 559c. Ante, p. 358 . Lieutenant colonels. Promotion list. Pos, p. 373. Pot,p . 374.