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20 (c) The Secretary of Defense shall, by regulation, provide for the equitable distribution of appointments in cases where more than 121/^ percent of the graduating class of any Academy request appointment in armed forces not under the jurisdiction of the military department administering that Academy. § 555. Warrant officers: grades (a) The regular warrant officer grades in each armed force corresponding to the pay grades prescribed for warrant officers by section 232 (a) of title 37 are as follows: Warrant officer grade: Pay Grade Chief warrant officer, W-4 Chief warrant officer, W-3 Chief warrant officer, W-2 Warrant officer, W-1
W-4 W-3 W-2 W-1
(b) Appointments of regular chief warrant officers of the Army and the Air Force shall be made by warrant by the Secretary concerned. Permanent appointments of regular chief warrant officers of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard shall be made by commission by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Permanent appointments of regular warrant officers, W - 1, shall be made by warrant by the Secretary concerned. § 556. Warrant officers: original appointment; service credit For the purposes of promotion, persons originally appointed in regular warrant officer ^ a d e s under section 555 of this title shall be credited with such service as the Secretary concerned may prescribe. However, such a person may not be credited with a period of service greater than the period of active service performed in the grade, or pay grade corresponding to the grade, in which so appointed, or in any higher grade or pay grade. § 557. Warrant officers: promotion; qualifications (a) The promotion of permanent regular warrant officers to permanent regular warrant officer grades shall be governed by such regulations relating to physical, moral, and professional qualifications as the Secretary concerned may prescribe. However, the physical qualifications for promotion must be the same as those prescribed for retention on active duty. (b) A regular warrant officer who is selected for promotion to the next higher regular warrant officer grade under this chapter, but who, within such time as may be prescribed by the Secretary concerned, fails to meet the moral and professional qualifications prescribed by the Secretary under subsection (a), shall be treated as if he had twice failed of selection for promotion. § 558. Warrant officers: promotion; selection boards (a) Whenever the Secretary concerned determines that the needs of the service so require, but at least once a year, he shall appoint selection boards to consider permanent regular warrant officers for promotion to permanent regular warrant officer grades. Each board shall be composed of at least five officers of the armed force concerned who hold a permanent regular grade above major or lieutenant commander.
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