The Surgeon General of the Navy shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term of four years, from officers on the active-duty list of the Navy in any corps of the Navy Medical Department.

The Surgeon General serves as the Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations on all health and medical matters of the Navy and the Marine Corps, including strategic planning and policy development relating to such matters.

(1) The Surgeon General serves as the Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations on all health and medical matters of the Navy and the Marine Corps, including strategic planning and policy development relating to such matters.

(2) The Surgeon General serves as the chief medical advisor of the Navy and the Marine Corps to the Director of the Defense Health Agency on matters pertaining to military health readiness requirements and safety of members of the Navy and the Marine Corps.

(3) The Surgeon General, acting under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of the Navy, shall recruit, organize, train, and equip, medical personnel of the Navy and the Marine Corps.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 286, § 5137; Pub. L. 89–288, § 4, Oct. 22, 1965, 79 Stat. 1050; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 503(10), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2912; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title V, § 506(b), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 296; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VII, § 702(b)(2)(A), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2195; renumbered § 8077, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(a)(2), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1834.)