ARTICLE II.

APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION OF OFFICERS.

APPOINTMENTS.

5. Cavalry, Field Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps, and Infantry. Requirements and procedure in the case of applicants for appointment to the positions of second lieutenant, Cavalry, Field Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps, and Infantry:

1. Notice of appointments and letters of designation are issued by the War Department through The Adjutant General of the Army. Oaths of office of officers of the Army will be taken before some officer who is authorized by the law of the United States or by the local municipal law to administer oaths, before the judge advocate of a department, or of a courtmartial, or before the trial officer of a summary court.

Officers of the Army, other than those above specified, are not authorized by law to administer oaths.

APPOINTMENT AS SECOND LIEUTENANT OF THE LINE.

2. Vacancies in the grade of second lieutenant in the Cavalry, Field Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps, and Infantry occurring in any fiscal year will be filled by appointment as required by law: First, of cadets graduated from the United States Military Academy during that fiscal year; second, of enlisted men whose fitness for promotion shall have been determined by examination; third, of candidates from civil life between the ages of 21 and 27 years. Candidates from civil life will be selected by competitive examination from those designated by the War Department. No candidate will be designated who is married or who is not a citizen of the United States, and no candidate will be designated who is not eligible for appointment on date set for the examination.

3. All vacancies occurring after June 30, and not needed for the graduates of that fiscal year of the Military Academy, will be held for the next graduating class of the academy.

4. No person who has been a cadet at the United States Military Academy will, under any circumstances, receive a commission in advance of his class; nor will anyone who has been a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy receive a commission in advance of the class at the Military Academy corresponding to his class at the Naval Academy.

No cadet who has been expelled from the Military Academy for hazing will be commissioned until two years after the graduation of his class.

5. Applicants who are graduates of certain institutions (par. 36) will be entitled to exemption in certain subjects, as follows:

(a) Honor graduates of institutions which are designated as "distinguished colleges" will be exempt from the mental examination, but must undergo the physical test prescribed in paragraph 10 of this order.

(b) Honor graduates of institutions formerly classed as "distinguished institutions" will not be required to include any subject of Group III, paragraphs 21 or 23.

(c) Graduates of institutions rated as class MC or class C and graduates of recognized colleges or universities will not be required to include any of Group I, paragraphs 21 or 23.

Each applicant should state the branch of service for which he desires to compete, with second and third choice. Those desiring exemptions should submit to the War Department diplomas, certificates, or other evidence of such graduation when applying for the letter of designation or with the application referred to in paragraphs 8 and 28 of this order. If exempted, candidates will be so informed.

DUTIES OF EXAMINING Boards.

6. Boards for the examination of candidates for appointment as second lieutenant will be governed by the following: The duties of the medical officers shall be confined to inquiring into and reporting upon the physical qualifications of the applicants. The duties of the line officers shall be to pass upon the moral qualifications of each candidate, as far as prac ticable from all available data; to inquire into the general suitability of candidates, and the suitability for mounted service of candidates applying therefor; and to supervise the mental examination.

The physical examination will be first, the examination into the moral character and general qualifications next, and this will be followed by the mental examination, which will be written and will take place in the presence of the line officers of the board, at least one of whom must be present at all times during the examination. Each examination paper will contain a certificate from one of the line officers of the board that the candidate has undergone the examination in his presence and without assistance from anyone.

APPOINTMENTS OF SECOND LIEUTENANTS FROM THE ARMY.

7. A soldier to be eligible to compete for appointment to the grade of second lieutenant must be a citizen of the United States, unmarried, and under 30 years of age on the 1st day of July of the year in which he is to enter the competition, and must have served honorably not less than two years in the Army as an enlisted man on or before that date; he must also be physically sound and of good moral character before and after enlistment, and must be an enlisted man of the Army when he submits his application and when he appears for examination, and if appointed a second lieutenant must be an enlisted man at the date of his appointment.

APPLICATIONS.

8. An enlisted man who desires to appear for examination will submit, through military channels, an application so that it will reach his post commander on or before March 1, or if in Alaska or the Philippines, before January 1, of the year in which he desires to take the examination. Any applications received after those dates will not be considered unless it be shown that the delay was through no fault of the applicant. The application will be accompanied by the "Form for individual record of candidate" (p. 12), filled out and sworn to as indicated.

The applicant's immediate commander, in forwarding such application, will verify the statement of service as given, and will state specifically whether, in his opinion, the soldier fulfills each of the conditions hereinbefore required, adding his remarks in each case as to the aptitude of the applicant for the position sought, and whether, in the event of his appointment

as second lieutenant in the Army, he would object to the applicant's assignment to his organization, should a vacancy exist therein, giving his reasons, if any, for the objection.

FORM FOR INDIVIDUAL RECORD OF CANDIDATE.

(1) Give the exact date and place of your birth. (2) Are you married or single?

(3) Are you a citizen of the United States? If so, state whether native born or naturalized.

(4) What schools have you attended and for what periods? Answer explicitly, giving dates and designations of schools, as public schools, academies, district schools, colleges, manualtraining schools, night schools, etc. Give also names and present addresses of presidents, superintendents, commandants, principals, professors, or teachers under the supervision of whom you were while attending schools, academies, colleges, etc. (5) In what profession or occupation have you been employed? Answer explicitly, giving time, character of employment, etc.

(6) During what time have you supported yourself, totally or partially by your own labor?

(7) Have you ever served in the Volunteers or Organized Militia, or as a cadet at the United States Military Academy? Answer explicitly, giving State, arm of service, rank, dates, etc.

(8) State concisely your service in the Regular Army, giving organizations in which you have served and names of officers under whom you have served, with periods of such service (as near as possible) in each case.

(9) State the places of your residence since your twelfth birthday, giving dates between which you resided at each place. (10) State the name and present address of each person by whom you were employed since your twelfth birthday, giving in each instance the nature of the employment and date of its beginning and ending. (Signature with full name, rank, etc.) Sworn to and subscribed before me

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION FOR APPOINTMENT AS SECOND LIEUTENANT FROM THE ARMY.

GENERAL PROVISIONS.

9. The commanding officer of each post where applications are received will convene a board, consisting of at least one medical and two line officers, exclusive of the immediate commander of any applicant, to conduct the preliminary examination. Should the appointment of such board be impracticable, or should the applicant be not serving at a post, the application will be forwarded through military channels to the commander of the district, territorial department, or division (if in the field), who will designate the board before which the candidate is to appear. These boards will be convened as soon as practicable after March 1, or, if in the Philippines or Alaska, after January 1.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION.

10. Each applicant will be first subjected to a rigid physical examination, and if any cause of disqualification is found to exist it will be specified in the report, and the applicant will be rejected and his examination will cease, unless, in the opinion of the medical officers of the board, the physical defects are temporary in nature and such as may be overcome by the time the applicant is to appear for final examination, in which case the physical defects and the reasons which influenced the board to continue the examination, notwithstanding such defects, will be fully set forth in the report. Examination as to physical qualifications will conform to the standard required of recruits, except that any applicant whose degree of vision is less than 20/40 in either eye or who is color blind for red, green, or violet, will be rejected.

The physical examination will be made complete in each case, even though a disqualifying defect be discovered, so as to ascertain whether any other defects exist. It is highly desirable that where a candidate is rejected for any physical cause, the cause of rejection should be so clearly established as to be conclusive of the reasonableness and propriety of the rejection, and in cases where physical fitness appears doubtful the board may require the production of such testimony as to the medical history of the candidate and of his family as may be obtainable.