The officers, judicial and executive, of the government of the United States and the State of North Carolina, persons in the military or naval service of the United States, customhouse clerks, persons employed by the United States in the transmission of mail, artificers and personnel employed in the armories, arsenals and navy yards of the United States, pilots, and mariners actually employed in the sea service of any citizen or merchant within the United States shall be exempt from duty with the militia without regard to age, and all persons who, because of religious beliefs, claim exemption from duty with the militia, if the conscientious holding of the belief by that person is established under the regulations prescribed for exemption from service with the Armed Forces of the United States, shall be exempted from militia service in a combatant capacity; but no person so exempted shall be exempt from militia service in any capacity that shall be declared noncombatant for the Armed Forces of the United States. (1917, c. 200, s. 5; C.S., s. 6795; 1975, c. 604, s. 2; 2011-195, s. 1(a).)