equal to six percent of the number authorized by such paragraph. C Authorization of Appropriations 421. Military personnel (a) Authorization of appropriations Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2018 for the use of the Armed Forces and other activities and agencies of the Department of Defense for expenses, not otherwise provided for, for military personnel, as specified in the funding table in section 4401. (b) Construction of authorization The authorization of appropriations in subsection (a) supersedes any other authorization of appropriations (definite or indefinite) for such purpose for fiscal year 2018. V Military Personnel Policy A Officer Personnel Policy 501. Clarification of baselines for authorized numbers of general and flag officers on active duty and in joint duty assignments (a) Active-duty baseline Subsection (h)(2) of section 526 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking the lower of and all that follows and inserting the statutory limit of general officers or flag officers of that armed force under subsection (a). . (b) Joint duty assignment baseline Subsection (i)(2) of such section is amended by striking the lower of and all that follows and inserting the statutory limit on general officer and flag officer positions that are joint duty assignments under subsection (b)(1). . 502. Authority of promotion boards to recommend officers of particular merit be placed at the top of the promotion list (a) Authority of promotion boards To recommend officers of particular merit Be placed at top of promotion list Section 616 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (g) (1) In selecting the officers to be recommended for promotion, a selection board may, when authorized by the Secretary of the military department concerned, recommend officers of particular merit, from among those officers selected for promotion, to be placed at the top of the promotion list promulgated by the Secretary under section 624(a)(1) of