The word “rank” is substituted for the words “take precedence” throughout the section for uniformity of expression.

In subsection (a) the first sentence is broadened to include officers of the Marine Corps and officers not on a lineal list. Inclusion of the Marine Corps is possible because the sentence reflects the rule referred to by the Attorney General (25 Op. Atty. Gen. 517) as “an unwritten law of the Army and Navy” as to relative rank between officers in different services. Officers not on a lineal list may properly be included since the statement is consistent with the provisions for assigning lineal position to such officers when they become entitled to be placed on a list.

2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 5508 of this title as this section.

1980—Pub. L. 96–513 struck out designation “(a)” before “Except for an officer”, substituted “an active-duty list” for “a lineal list”, struck out sentence which had provided that a staff corps officer with the same date of rank as his running mate ranked above all line and staff corps officers junior to his running mate, and struck out subsec. (b) which had provided for a hierarchy of 9 categories of officers of the Navy to be used in ranking officers of the Navy on active duty serving in the same grade and having the same date of rank in that grade.

1967—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 90–179 added par. (6) and renumbered former pars. (6), (7), and (8) as pars. (7), (8), and (9), respectively.

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–513 effective Sept. 15, 1981, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.