NOMINATIONS AND PROMOTIONS FOR JOINT SPECIALTY OFFICERS.

SEC. 521. NOMINATIONS AND PROMOTIONS FOR JOINT SPECIALTY OFFICERS. (a) Selection of Officers for the Joint Speciality.—Paragraph (2) of section 661(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking “The Secretaries” and all that follows through “officers—” and inserting “Each officer on the active-duty list on the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 who has not before that date been nominated for the joint specialty by the Secretary of a military department, and each officer who is placed on the active-duty list after such date, who meets the requirements of subsection (c) shall automatically be considered to have been nominated for the joint specialty. From among those officers considered to be nominated for the joint specialty, the Secretary may select for the joint specialty only officers—”. (b) Promotion Rate for Officers With the Joint Specialty.—Paragraph (2) of section 662(a) of such title is amended by striking “promoted at a rate” and inserting “promoted— “(A) during the three-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002, at a rate not less than the rate for officers of the same armed force in the same grade and competitive category; and “(B) after the end of the period specified in subparagraph (A), at a rate”.