An adjutant general is a military official who is in charge of allocating personnel and resources on behalf of a specific unit or army. Adjutant generals are also in charge of keeping track of military personnel’s records, such as registration, evaluation, and discharge papers. The top military figure in a regional force, such as the state National Guard in the United States, is also referred to by this term. In the event of natural or man-made disasters, terrorism, invasion, or overseas conflicts, regional adjutant generals work with political leaders to organize forces.
The adjutant general of the United States Army is given the rank of Lieutenant General, which is equivalent to other military services’ adjutant generals. The adjutant general reports directly to the Army Chief of Staff, who is in charge of overseeing the military’s administrative concerns. Adjutant generals are often referred to as Assistant Chiefs of Staff and are in charge of carrying out day-to-day operations on behalf of the Chief of Staff. Shifting personnel, ensuring adequate space for transferred soldiers, and assessing equipment needs in the event of active operations are all part of these operational responsibilities.
Adjutant generals may be assigned to individual divisions and battalions within an army to help organize limited resources. This official assesses munitions, emergency supplies, and food reserves with the divisional chief of staff. To avoid inefficiencies, these resource assessments are shared with adjutant generals in other units in the region. An army division’s adjutant general works with the army’s Adjutant General Corps to coordinate personnel transfers, discharges, and training. Training officers for human resources and administrative positions within the Chief of Staff’s office are also part of an adjutant general’s responsibilities.
Adjutant generals are in charge of keeping track of personnel transfers and advancements across the army. The Chief of Staff’s office employs personnel to sort through high volumes of incoming documents and review registration materials and personnel evaluations for clarity, accuracy, and completion. An adjutant general is also in charge of storing sensitive documents, such as discharge papers for officers and enlisted personnel. These records are increasingly being digitized in many military organizations, though printed documents are still kept in storage to protect against computer hacking.
The adjutant general of the United States National Guard is appointed by the governor in most cases and is in charge of each state’s National Guard unit. Units in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands were under the command of 54 Adjutant Generals as of January 2011. When operational assistance is required at home or abroad, these military leaders may receive orders from the President of the United States and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. With events hosted by the Adjutants General Association of the United States, adjutant generals in the United States National Guard stay current on the needs of personnel under their command.