(70 ILCS 705/16.08a) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 37.08a)

Sec. 16.08a. (a) Persons who were engaged in the military or naval service of the United States for a period of at least one year and who were honorably discharged therefrom, or who are now or may hereafter be on inactive or reserve duty in such military or naval service shall be preferred for appointments to offices, positions, and places of employment in a fire department of a district subject to Sections 16.01 through 16.18.

(b) The board of fire commissioners shall give preference for original appointment to persons designated in subsection (a) whose names appear on any register of eligibles resulting from an examination for original entrance in the classified service of the fire department of any such district by adding to the final grade average which they receive or will receive as the result of any examination held for original entrance, 5 points. The numerical result thus attained shall be applied by the board of fire commissioners in determining the position of such persons on any eligibility list which has been created as the result of any examination for original entrance for purposes of preference in certification and appointment from such eligibility list.

(c) Every member of the classified service of the fire department of any such district who was engaged in military or naval service of the United States at any time for a period of at least one year and who was honorably discharged therefrom, who is now or who may hereafter be on inactive or reserve duty in such military or naval service, not including, however, persons who were convicted by court-martial of disobedience of orders where such disobedience consisted in the refusal to perform military service on the ground of alleged religious or conscientious objections against war, and whose name appears on existing promotional eligibility registers or any promotional eligibility register that may hereafter be created as provided by this Act, shall be preferred for promotional appointments of the fire department of any such district.

(d) No person entitled to preference or credit for military or naval service under this Section shall be required to claim such preference or credit before an examination is held. Such preference shall be given after the posting or publication of the eligibility list or register at the written request of such person before any certification or appointments are made from the eligibility register. To qualify for such preference, applicants who are eligible for military credit shall make a claim in writing within 10 days after the posting of the eligibility list or such claims shall be deemed waived. Applicants shall also furnish evidence of an honorable discharge and proof of such service.

(Source: P.A. 86-562.)