1184
Authorized number of officers.
Promotion.
PUBLIC LAW 7 7 3 - S E P T. 3, 1954
[68
STAT.
(d) Temporary members of the Coast Guard Reserve are excluded from the provisions of this Act. SEC. 603. (a) The authorized number of officers in the Coast Guard Reserve in active status shall be six thousand. The actual number of Reserve officers in active status at any time shall not exceed these authorized numbers unless the Secretary shall determine that a greater number is necessary for planned mobilization requirements, or unless such excess shall result directly from the operation of mandatory provisions of this or other laws. (b) The authorized number of officers of the Coast Guard Reserve in active status in each of the grades below the grade of rear admiral shall be a percentage of the total number of such officers in active status below the grade of rear admiral, and shall be 0,6 per centum in the grade of captain, 3.5 per centum in the grade of commander, 25 per centum in the grade of lieutenant commander, 37 per centum in the grade of lieutenant, and 33.9 per centum in the combined grades of lieutenant (junior grade) and ensign, except that when the actual number of Coast Guard Reserve officers in active status in any grade is less than the number which is so authorized, the difference may be applied to increase the authorized number in any lower grade or grades. No Reserve officer shall be reduced in rank or grade solely because of a reduction in an authorized number provided in this subsection. The authorized number of Coast Guard Reserve officers in active status in the grade of rear admiral shall be two. (c) The Secretary may determine the number of Reserve officers in each grade who may be promoted annually under the provisions of this title. The number which shall be so determined for each grade shall be the number deemed to be necessary to provide equitable opportunity for promotion among succeeding groups of Reserve officers and an adequate continuing strength of Reserve officers in an active status, and shall not cause the number of Reserve officers in active status in any grade to exceed the number authorized in this section for that grade. SEC. 604. (a) Except as otherwise provided by law, all promotions of Reserve officers shall be effected pursuant only to the recommendation of a selection board. (b) Selection boards shall be convened from time to time so that Reserve officers in the promotion zone for a particular grade will receive consideration for promotion concurrently with, or as soon as practicable after, their running mates. Separate boards may be convened to consider officers in one or more grades; or one board may be convened to consider officers in all grades, whichever is most practicable, provided that all members of such boards shall be senior to all officers to be considered by the board. (c) Each selection board, from among those officers whose names are submitted to it as determined by section 607 of this title, and without regard to existing precedence or seniority, shall recommend for promotion those officers whom it considers to be qualified to assume the duties of the next higher grade. Such officers shall receive consideration in the order of their relative seniority and when the number of officers found to be qualified equals the number of vacancies to be filled, the board need not consider any officers junior to the last officer found to be qualified and recommended for promotion. (d) Any such junior officers not considered pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall not be considered to have failed of selection, and the names of such officers shall be again submitted to the next ensuing selection board. (e) The law and regulations now or hereafter existing relating to the selection for promotion of commissioned officers of the Coast
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