GENERAL STAFF CORPS. The Gen eral Staff Corps of the United States Army, created in conformity to the act of Congress in 1903 is composed of the grades and number specified in said act, detailed for service in said corps for a period of four years unless sooner relieved, under rules of selection pre scribed by the President. Upon being relieved from duty in the General Staff Corps officers return to the branch of the army in which they hold permanent commissions and except in case of emergency or in time of war are not eligible to further detail therein until they have served for two years with the branch of the army in which commissioned. This ineligibility does not apply to any officer who has been re lieved prior to the expiration of four years' duty with the corps; but such officer becomes ineligible as soon as he shall have completed a total of four years of said duty. While serv ing in the General Staff Corps officers may be temporarily assigned to duty with any branch of the army. The law establishes the General Staff Corps as a separate and distinct staff organization, the chief of which has supervision, tinder superior authority, over all branches of the military service, line and staff, except such as are exempted therefrom by law or regula tions, with a view to their co-ordination and harmonious co-operation in the execution of authorized military policies.
The General Staff Corps, under the direction of the Chief of Staff, is charged with the duty of investigating and reporting upon all ques tions affecting the efficiency of the army, and its state of preparation for military operations, and to this end considers and reports upon all questions relating to organization, distribution, equipment, armament and training of the mili tary forces (regulars, volunteers and militia), proposed, legislative enactments and general and special regulations affecting the army, trans portation, communications, quarters and sup plies; prepares projects for manoeuvres; re vises estimates for appropriations for the sup port of the army and advises as to disburse ment of such appropriations; exercises super vision over inspections, military education and instruction, examinations for the appointment and promotion of officers, efficiency records, details and assignments and all orders and in structions originating in the course of adminis tration in any branch of the service which has relation to the efficiency of the military forces; prepares important orders and correspondence embodying the orders and instructions of the President and Secretary of War to the army; reviews the reports of examining and retiring boards and acts upon such other matters as the Secretary of War may determine.
The General Staff Corps 'under like direc tion is further charged with the duty of pre paring plans for the national defense and for the mobilization of the military forces (in cluding the assignment to armies, corps, divi sions and other headquarters of the necessary quota of general staff and other staff officers), and incident thereto with the study of possible theatres of war and of strategic questions in general; with the collection of military infor mation of foreign countries and of our own; the preparation of plans of campaign, of re ports of campaigns, battles, engagements and expeditions and of technical histories of mili tary operations of the United States. To offi cers of the General Staff Corps are committed the further duties of rendering professional aid and assistance to the Secretary of War and to general officers and other superior com manders and of acting as their agents in in forming, and co-ordinating the action of, all the different officers who are subject under the provisions of law to the supervision of the Chief of Staff. They perform such other mili tary duties not otherwise assigned by law as may from time to time be prescribed by the President.
Officers of the General Staff Corps assigned to duty with commanders of armies, divisions, separate brigades and territorial departments are collectively denominated the General Staff serving with troops. They serve under the immediate orders of such commanders; those not so assigned perform duty under the im mediate direction of the Chief of Staff and con stitute the War Department General Staff. To facilitate the performance of its duties this lat ter is arranged in sections, each under the direction of an officer of the General Staff Corps designated by the Chief of Staff. Such committees are designated in the sections from time to time as may be necessary to facilitate the transaction of business in hand. The War Department General Staff in its several sec tions and committees stands in an advisory re lation to the Chief of Staff in the performance of the duties herein devolved upon him. The distribution of duties to the several sections and committees is regulated by the Chief of Staff.