Vacancies on the active-duty list of the Marine Corps in the grade of second lieutenant shall be filled, so far as practicable, first, from members of the graduating class of the Naval Academy; second, from meritorious noncommissioned officers of the Regular Marine Corps; and third, from other persons.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 324, § 5585; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 503(29), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2913; renumbered § 8135, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(b)(4), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1834.)