Staff

The staff of an army consists of a body of skilled officers whose duty it is to combine and give vitality to the movements and mechanical action of the several regiments and drilled bodies composing the force. The distinction between an officer on the staff of an army and a regimental officer is that the latter is concerned with his own regiment alone, while the former deals with his army (of course under the orders of his commanding officer), or section of an army, and regulates the combined action of the several arms and bodies of men. A good staff is all-important to the succe of a military enterprise. In the British service the general staff of an army comprises the general in actual command, with the subordinate generals commanding the several divisions and brigades; as a istants to these the officers of the adjutant-general’s department,— i.e. , the adjutant-general, his deputy, a istants, and deputy-a istants, if the army be large enough to require them all. Similarly, the officers of the quartermaster-general’s department; the brigade-major; the provost-marshal, and the judge-advocate. In the U. S. service the general staff consists of the officers of the several military bureaux, such as of the adjutant-general’s department, the quartermaster’s department, etc. For the officers comprising these corps, see appropriate headings throughout this work. The general staff of the British army consists at present of a field-marshal commanding-in-chief, whose headquarters are at London; under him, of a lieutenant-general commanding-in-chief in Ireland. This command includes, of course, the general officer commanding in each military district of the United Kingdom and in each colony; each of these generals having the usual subordinate staff subject to his orders. India forms a nearly independent command, under a commander-in-chief, whose headquarters are at Bengal. There are subordinate commanders-in-chief in Bombay and Madras; and in each presidency there are several military divisions. The personal staff consists of the aides-de-camp and military secretaries to the respective general officers. These officers, who are treated of separately in this work, are appointed within certain limits by the generals whom they serve, and their appointments expire on those generals ceasing to command. The garrison staff consists of the officers governing in fortre es and garrisons; as commandants, fort-majors, town-majors, fort-adjutants, and garrison-adjutants. The civil or department staff includes those non-combatant officers who have to provide for the daily requirements of the troops. These are the commi aries, barracks, medical, chaplains, purveyors, store, and veterinary departments. The recruiting staff consists of inspecting field-officers, district paymasters, district adjutants, and superintending officers. The pensioner staff includes only the staff-officers of the enrolled force.