CHIEF AND ASSISTANT CHIEF OF ARMY NURSE CORPS AND AIR FORCE NURSE CORPS.

Sec. 502. CHIEF AND ASSISTANT CHIEF OF ARMY NURSE CORPS AND AIR FORCE NURSE CORPS. (a) Army Nurse Corps.— (1) Subsection (b) of section 3069 of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (A) in the first sentence, by striking out “major” and inserting in lieu thereof “lieutenant colonel”; (B) by inserting after the first sentence the following: “An appointee who holds a lower regular grade shall be appointed in the regular grade of brigadier general”; and (C) in the last sentence, by inserting “to the same position” before the period at the end. (2) Subsection (c) of such section is amended by striking out “major” in the first sentence and inserting in lieu thereof “lieutenant colonel”. (3) The heading of such section is amended to read as follows: “§3069. Army Nurse Corps: composition; Chief and assistant chief; appointment; grade (b) Air Force Nurse Corps.— Chapter 807 of such title is amended by inserting after section 8067 the following new section: “§ 8069. Air Force nurses: Chief and assistant chief; appointment; grade “(a) Positions of Chief and Assistant Chief.— There are a Chief and assistant chief of the Air Force Nurse Corps. “(b) Chief.— The Secretary of the Air Force shall appoint the Chief from the officers of the Regular Air Force designated as Air Force nurses whose regular grade is above lieutenant colonel and who are recommended by the Surgeon General. An appointee who holds a lower regular grade shall be appointed in the regular grade of brigadier general. The Chief serves during the pleasure of the Secretary, but not for more than three years, and may not be reappointed to the same position. “(c) Assistant Chief.— The Surgeon General shall appoint the assistant chief from the officers of the Regular Air Force designated as Air Force nurses whose regular grade is above lieutenant colonel.”. (c) Clerical Amendments.— (1) The item relating to section 3069 in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 307 of such title is amended to read as follows: “3069. Army Nurse Corps: composition; Chief and assistant chief; appointment; grade.”. (2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 807 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 8067 the following new item: “8069. Air Force Nurse Corps: Chief and assistant chief; appointment; grade.”.