((a)) ** .—** There is a director of admissions of the Naval Academy. The director of admissions shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall perform such duties as the Superintendent of the Naval Academy may prescribe with the approval of the Secretary of the Navy.

((b)) ** .—**

((1)) Subject to paragraph (2), a person appointed as director of admissions of the Naval Academy has the regular grade of commander in the Navy or lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps.

((2)) A person serving as director of admissions shall have the regular grade of captain in the Navy or colonel in the Marine Corps upon the earlier of—

((A)) the date on which such person completes six years of service as the director of admissions; and

((B)) the date on which such person would have been promoted had the person been selected for promotion from among officers in the promotion zone.

((c)) ** .—** The President may detail any officer of the Navy or the Marine Corps in a grade above lieutenant or captain, respectively, to perform the duties of director of admissions without appointing the officer as director of admissions. Such a detail does not affect the position of the officer on the active-duty list.