(a) Requests for provision of counsel, provision of bail, or payment of expenses will ordinarily be made by the defendant or accused through appropriate channels to the officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction over him. This officer shall determine whether the request meets the criteria prescribed herein and, based upon such determination, shall take final action approving or disapproving the request. Within their geographical areas of responsibility, major commands in the interest of obtaining prompt and effective legal service may appoint as approval authority, instead of the officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction, any subordinate officer having responsibility in a particular country for personnel subject to foreign criminal jurisdiction.

(b) Notwithstanding the criteria prescribed below, an officer exercising approved authority may, in his discretion, deny a request for the provision of counsel, provision of bail or payment of expenses, where the otherwise eligible requestor is in an absent without leave or deserter status at the time of the request, or otherwise is not then subject to United States military control, and there is no reasonable basis for the belief that the requestor will return to United States military control at the conclusion of the proceedings of service of an adjudged sentence, if any.