Public Law 83–57

That enlisted personnel of the Army of the United States, the United States Navy, the Air Force of the United States, the United States Marine Corps, and the United States Coast Guard, and the reserve components thereof, may, upon selection by the Secretaries of the departments concerned, be designated by the Post Office Department as Army postal clerks and assistant Army postal clerks, Navy postal clerks, and assistant Navy postal clerks, Air Force postal clerks and assistant Air Force postal clerks, Marine Corps postal clerks and assistant Marine Corps postal clerks, and Coast Guard postal clerks and assistant Coast Guard postal clerks, as appropriate, who shall be authorized to receive and open all pouches and sacks of mail addressed to Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard post offices, stations, vessels, and installations, to make proper deliveries of such mail, to receive matter for transmission in the mails, to receipt for registered matter (keeping an accurate record thereof), to keep and have for sale an adequate supply of postage stamps, to make up and dispatch mails and to perform any other postal duties as may be authorized by the Postmaster General, and in accordance with such rides and regulations as may be prescribed by the appropriate Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard authority. Each postal clerk or assistant postal

Oath of office.

clerk mentioned herein shall take the oath of office prescribed for members of the postal service, and shall give bond to the United States

Bond.

in such penal sum as the Postmaster General may deem sufficient for the faithful performance of his duties as such postal clerk or assistant postal clerk: Provided, That the Secretary concerned may waive the giving of bond in the case of such postal clerks and assistant postal clerks.

Sec. 2.

The Post Office Department shall be reimbursed annually by

Reimbursement.

Losses by unbonded clerk.

the department concerned, in an amount of money equal to the funds and the value of other accountable postal stock embezzled by, or lost through the negligence, errors, or defalcations on the part of unbonded postal clerks, unbonded assistant postal clerks, persons acting in those capacities, or commissioned or warrant officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard who have been designated custodians of postal effects by the appropriate commanding officer, and funds expended by the Post Office Department in payment of claims arising from negligence, errors, losses, or defalcations by such unbonded postal clerks, assistant postal clerks, persons acting in those capacities, or commissioned or warrant officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard who have been designated custodians of postal effects by the appropriate commanding officer.

Sec. 3.

Postal clerks and assistant postal clerks appointed under this

Regulations.

Act, shall be amenable in all respects to the discipline of their respective services, except that, as to their duties as such clerks, the commanding officer having jurisdiction over the post office, station, vessel, or installation at or on which they are stationed, and who exercises jurisdiction over such clerks, shall require them to be governed by the Postal Laws and Regulations of the United States and such supplemental postal directives and regulations as may be prescribed by appropriate authorities. Whenever necessity arises therefor, any assistant postal clerk may be required by the appropriate commanding officer to perform the duties of a postal clerk.

Sec. 4.

Any bond given by Army, Navy, or Coast Guard mail clerks

Termination of bond.

or assistant mail clerks or by Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard postal clerks or assistant postal clerks, may be terminated by the Secretary of the Department concerned, but such termination shall not affect the liability of any person or surety thereunder for losses or shortages occurring prior to such termination.

Sec. 5.

Sec. 6.

The Act of August 21, 1941 (ch. 392, 55 Stat. 656), as amended

Repeals.

by the Act of June 30, 1947 (ch. 170, 61 Stat. 211; 39 U. S. C. 138); paragraph 23 of the heading, Fourth Assistant Postmaster General, of the Act of May 27, 1908 (ch. 206, 35 Stat. 417–418), as amended (39 U, S. C. 134); section 3 of the Act of August 24, 1912 (ch. 389, 37 Stat. 554), as amended (39 U. S. C. 135), and all other laws or parts of laws to the extent that they may be inconsistent or in conflict with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed.