615
615 armament, and equipment of the Army National Guard. Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Air Force may prescribe, funds allotted by him for the Air National Guard may be spent for the compensation of competent persons to care for material, armament, and equipment of the Air National Guard. A caretaker employed under this subsection may also perform clerical duties incidental to his employment and other duties that do not interfere with the performance of his duties as caretaker. (b) Enlisted members of the National Guard and civilians may be employed as caretakers under this section. However, if a unit has more than one caretaker, one of them '^ ust be an enlisted member. Compensation under this section is in addition to compensation otherwise provided for a member of the National Guard. (c) Under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary concerned, material, armament, and equipment of the Army National Guard or Air National Guard of a State or Territory, Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, or the District of Columbia may be placed in a common pool for care, maintenance, and storage. Not mere than 15 caretakers may be employed for each of those pools. (d) Under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary concerned, one commissioned officer of the National Guard in a grade below major may be employed for each pool set up under subsection (c) and for each squadron of the Air National Guard. Commissioned officers may not be otherwise employed under this section. (e) Funds appropriated by Congress for the National Guard are in addition to funds appropriated by the several States and Territories, Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, and the District of Columbia for the National Guard, and are available for the hire of caretakers and clerks. (f) The Secretary concerned shall fix the salaries of clerks and caretakers authorized to be employed under this section, and shall designate the person to employ them. § 710. Reports of survey (a) All military property issued by the United States to the National Guard remains the property of the United States. (b) If property issued to the National Guard is lost, damaged, or destroyed, or becomes unserviceable or unsuitable, a survey of the circumstances thereof shall be made by a disinterested commissioned officer of the Regular Army or the Army National Guard detailed by the Secretary of the Army, or by a disinterested commissioned officer of the Regular Air Force or the Air National Guard detailed by the Secretary of the Air Force, as the case may be. The report of the surveying officer shall be sent to the Secretary concerned or to an officer designated by him to receive those reports. (c) The Secretary concerned or his designated representative may relieve the State or Territory, Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, or the District of Columbia, whichever is concerned, or further accountability and pecuniary liability for the property. However, if it was lost, damaged, or destroyed through negligence, the money value of the property or the damage thereto shall be charged (1) to the State or Territory, Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, or the District of Columbia, whichever is concerned, to be paid from its funds or from any Pon-Federal funds; or (2) to the member to whom the loss, damage^ 81913 0 — 5 6
43
�
