Regular Navy and Regular Marine Corps: women

§ 5590. Regular Navy and Regular Marine Corps: women (a) Women may be appointed to the active list of the Navy in the line or in any staff corps or to the active list of the Marine Corps. Except as provided in subsection (b), original appointments under this section shall be made under the same conditions as prescribed in other sections of this title for appointments under those sections. (b) Original appointments to the active list of the Navy under this section shall be either in the grade of ensign or in the grade of lieutenant (junior grade) in the discretion of the President, and original appointments to the active list of the Marine Corps shall be either in the grade of second lieutenant or in the grade of first lieutenant in the discretion of the President. To be eligible for such an appointment a woman must— (1) be at least 21 and under 30 years of age on July 1 of the year in which appointed; and (2) have mental, moral, educational, professional, and physical qualifications satisfactory to the Secretary of the Navy. (c) This section does not authorize the appointment of officers in the Nurse Corps.