AUTHORITY FOR MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OFFICERS OTHER THAN PHYSICIANS TO BE APPOINTED AS SURGEON GENERAL.

SEC. 506. AUTHORITY FOR MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OFFICERS OTHER THAN PHYSICIANS TO BE APPOINTED AS SURGEON GENERAL. (a) Surgeon General of the Army.— The third sentence of section 3036(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after “The Surgeon General” the following: “may be appointed from officers in any corps of the Army Medical Department and”. (b) Surgeon General of the Navy.— Section 5137 of such title is amended— (1) in the first sentence of subsection (a), by striking out “in the Medical Corps” and inserting in lieu thereof “in any corps of the Navy Medical Department”; and (2) in subsection (b), by striking out “in the Medical Corps” and inserting in lieu thereof “who is qualified to be the Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery”. (c) Surgeon General of the Air Force.— The first sentence of section 8036 of such title is amended by striking out “designated as medical officers under section 8067(a) of this title” and inserting in lieu thereof “in the Air Force medical department”.