1116 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [On. 490

in the National Guard of the Ignited States and of the State
of Maryland upon which I am about to enter, so help me God."

17. All officers shall be appointed and commissioned by the
Governor and shall not be recognized as such under any of the
provisions of this Act unless they shall have been selected from
the following classes and shall have taken and subscribed to
the oath of office prescribed in the preceding section of this
Act; officers or enlisted men of the National Guard; officers,
active or retired, reserve officers, and former officers of the
Army, Navy or Marine Corps; enlisted men and former en-
listed men of the Army, Xavy or Marine Corps who have re-
ceived an honorable discharge therefrom, graduates of the
United States Military and Xaval Academies; and graduates
of schools, colleges, universities and officers' training camps,
where they have received military instruction under the super-
vision of an officer of the Regular Army who certified their
fitness for appointment as commissioned officers; and for the
technical branches or Staff Corps and departments, such other
civilians as may be specially qualified for duty therein. Pro
vided that, before such appointment, officers shall be recom-
mended as follows: Commanding officers of units comprising a
brigade by the brigade commander; all other officers by the
commanding officers of the respective units or chiefs of their re-
. spective staff corps or departments. A general officer and a
colonel at the time of appointment must be an officer in the Na-
tional Guard of the State of a grade of field officer, or have been
in active service in the Army, !S"avy or Marine Corps or Na-
tional Guard with a higher grade than captain. A lieutenant-
colonel or major of the line at the time of appointment must
have had active service as an officer for two years in the Army,
Navy, Marine Corps or National Guard. Provided further,
that staff officers, including officers of the Pay, Inspection, Sub-
sistence, and Medical Departments, shall have had previous mil-
itary experience and shall hold their positions until they shall
have reached the age of sixty-four years, unless retired prior
to that time by reason of resignation, disability or for cause
to be determined by a court-martial legally convened for that
purpose, and that vacancies among- said officers shall be filled
by appointment from the officers of the militia of the -State of
Marvland.

t,

18. Officers shall take rank from the date of their commis-
sions and in such manner as provided by the Regulations of