"S" designations?

[Walt's Daughter]

Whilst browsing I found this and wondered what you meant by "S" designations. I saw what you meant once I opened the topic.

I was, of course, hurt by the fact that you don't have S-6 represented. Just remember, the three pillars of a functioning unit are to shoot, move, and communicate! Can't do much of the first two without the third!!

 

Something else one might hear is "G" sections. These are for Division sized units and up (commanded by a general [thus "G"]). I work in the G-6 (communications) section for II MEF.

 

Something that is a little more recent in nature (I believe) is the "J" designator. They correspond to the meanings of the S and G sections, but are the designations for joint commands (composed of individuals from multiple service branches.)

 

Ah, the only reason that was left out, because it didn't exist in the army records from NARA from WWII. Records were provided for S-1, S-2, S-3, and S-4. Sorry there soldier!

[CaptO]

Drat it all!

 

I started looking up S/G-6 to see if I could find out when it began and had no luck so far. I did find that on the Wikipedia entry on staff positions that G stood for "ground" vice "general" as it was a designation for Army and Marine. It also said that was NATO so I don't know.

 

Oh, well. Perhaps I can try to look back in books and records and find out when the term was first coined.

[roque_riojas]

Drat it all!

 

I started looking up S/G-6 to see if I could find out when it began and had no luck so far. I did find that on the Wikipedia entry on staff positions that G stood for "ground" vice "general" as it was a designation for Army and Marine. It also said that was NATO so I don't know.

 

Oh, well. Perhaps I can try to look back in books and records and find out when the term was first coined.

CaptO,! Shoot-Move-Communicate,, can't do much without the third,,,hmm

When you are getting shot at, you don't holler you shoot back,then you communicate--

--I GOT THE B-----TRD, THEN YOU COMMUNICATE AND MOVE. i think,it works thataway.

just thinkingback64yrs rjr this should bring back a retort from someone !!!!

[armored infantry]

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Many of you probably wondered what things like S-1 meant when you saw it regarding Army records, etc. Well this should help you.

 

S-1 Adjutant

S-2 Intelligence

S-3 Operations

S-4 Supply

 

Also

 

XO - Executive Officer

CO - Commanding Officer</span>

 

Marion,

 

The G-1/S-1 designation referred to the Personnel Officer during WWII, to my knowledge there were no adjutants below division level.

 

Higher headquarters starting at the Army level used, for example, G-5 (Civil Affairs/Military Government) and additional designations as the need arose.

 

Hope this helps clarify matters a little.

 

Jim

 

 

 

[Walt's Daughter]

Hi Jim:

 

Ah, they did have adjutants at the battalion/regimental level. To my knowledge, G designations begin at divisional level and S designations were below.

[armored infantry]

Hi Jim:

 

Ah, they did have adjutants at the battalion/regimental level. To my knowledge, G designations begin at divisional level and S designations were below.

 

 

Marion,

 

You are correct. That will teach me to work off the top of my head when I should go check the records. The S-1 was indeed the Adjutant, and at the battalion level was also the commander of the battalion headquarters company. I assume this is the same for the regimental level.

 

I was not confused about the difference between the G and S levels. I simply assumed that was a given.

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

Jim

[armored infantry]

Marion,

 

You are correct. That will teach me to work off the top of my head when I should go check the records. The S-1 was indeed the Adjutant, and at the battalion level was also the commander of the battalion headquarters company. I assume this is the same for the regimental level.

Hi Jim:

 

This confusion over the words "Personnel" vs "Adjustant" appears to stem from the terminology found in the FMs themselves. For example the FM for the armored infantry battalion uses the term "Personnel Adjutant." I suppose the term has simply been shortened to "Personnel" in some of the official and non-official literature. Hence the interchangeability of these two terms.

 

I was not confused about the difference between the G and S levels. I simply assumed it was a given.

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

Jim

[armored infantry]

Hello everyone.

 

Since I had never seen the term "Adjutant" used to designate the G-1/S-1 in any of the primary source documents I've read over the years I decided to look a little further into the matter.

 

Here is a little more information about the use of the term "Personnel" to refer to the G-1/S-1 staff position.

 

338.3.1 Records of European Theater of Operations U.S. Army

(ETOUSA)/U.S. Forces European Theater (USFET)

Textual Records (reallocated to RG 498): Decimal correspondence, interrogation reports, personnel rosters, awards files, and other records, 1941-47, of the General Staff Secretary; the following general staff sections: G-1 (Personnel), G-2 (Intelligence), G-3 (Operations), and G-4 (Logistics); the following special staff sections for administrative matters: Adjutant General (including the Postal Division), Civil Affairs, Finance, Historical, Judge Advocate General, Provost Marshal, and Public Relations; the following special staff sections for technical matters: Engineer, Ordnance, Quartermaster, Signal, Surgeon General (Medical), and Transportation; the General Board; the General Purchasing Agency; Theater Service Forces European Theater; and Communications Zone ETOUSA. Escape and evasion reports of the MIS-X (Military Intelligence Service, Escape and Evasion Section) Detachment, 1943-45.

 

[url="http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/338.html#338.3.1"[/url]

 

A check of the glossaries contained in several US Army in WWII publications of the US Army Center of Military History ("Green Books") shows the use of the term "Personnel" for the G-1 staff position for divisional and higher headquarters.

 

Of course, the S-1 term is the same as the G-1, but for units small than divisions.

 

Hopefully this clarifies that "Personnel" was the standard term for G-1/S-1 rather than "Adjutant."

 

 

 

 

[Walt's Daughter]

Always great to have further clarification. My forum members like to stay on top of things.