Pub. L. 84-737, tit. I, sec. 103

Sec. 103. (a) For the purpose of determining grade, position on a promotion list, seniority in his grade in the Regular Army, and eligibility for promotion, a person appointed in a commissioned grade in the Regular Army may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Army, be credited at the time of his appointment with the active commissioned service in the Army after December 6, 1941, that he performed after becoming twenty-one years of age and before his appointment, and, in addition, if applicable, not more than one of the following periods: (1) Three years, if appointed in the Veterinary Corps, a Chaplain, or the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. (2) Three years, if appointed in the Medical Service Corps ( for a person who holds a degree of doctor of philosophy or comparable degree recognized by the Surgeon General m a science allied to medicine). (3) A period (not to exceed eight years), for a person who is a commissioned officer on active duty on the effective date of this Act, which is equal to the number of days, months and years of his commissioned service creditable in the computation of his 70 Stat. 583basic pay which is in excess of his years of active commissioned service and which when added to his years of active commissioned service, equals the number of days, months and years by which his age at time of appointment exceeds age 27. (4) A period (not to exceed eight years) equal to the days, months and years by which his age exceeds twenty-seven, for not more than two hundred appointees who— (A) are outstanding specialists in a critical field in accordance with criteria prescribed by the Secretary of the Army and approved by the President; and (B) are appointed within two years after the effective date of this Act. (5) A period (not to exceed two year’s) equal to the days, months and years by which his age exceeds twenty-seven. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person who was a cadet at the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy or the United States Air Force Academy may be originally appointed in a commissioned grade in the Regular Army before the date on which his classmates at that Academy are graduated and appointed as officers. No person who was a cadet at, but did not graduate from, an Academy may be credited, upon appointment as a commissioned officer of the Regular Army, with longer service than that credited to any member of his class at that Academy whose service in the Army has been continuous since graduation. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a cadet at the United States Military Academy who completes the prescribed course of instruction may, upon graduation, be appointed a second lieutenant in the Regular Army. Whenever such an appointment or the appointment in the Regular Army, upon graduation, of a graduate of the United States Naval Academy or the United States Air Force Academy, results in there being a number of active-list commissioned officers in the Regular Army in excess of the authorized strength in those officers, that strength is temporarily increased as necessary for that appointment. Rank among the graduates of each class at such an Academy who, upon graduation, are appointed in the Regular Army shall be fixed under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Army. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, or the United States Air Force Academy who is appointed as a second lieutenant in the Regular Army is not entitled to any service credit under this title.