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History and Role of the Texas Adjutant General's Office

By: Dick Smith and Laurie E. Jasinski

Revised by: Michael Ritchie

Published: 1952

Updated: March 11, 2026

The present-day state office of the adjutant general was established by the Twenty-ninth Texas Legislature in 1905. A similar office existed under the Republic of Texas but was abolished by the Fifth Congress in 1841 with its duties being given to the secretary of war. It was reestablished as a state office in 1846, but activities were limited to the verification of veterans' land claims. The office operated intermittently from 1846 until 1905. The adjutant general, appointed by the governor for a two-year term, heads the Texas military forces. He is assisted by two deputy adjutants general, who are appointed by the governor upon his recommendation. All three officials must have previous military service and at least fifteen years' experience as commissioned officers in the U.S. armed forces, served in active duty or active duty training with the U.S. armed forces, be in an active unit of the Texas National Guard, and hold a rank of no less than colonel. The adjutant general serves as the governor's aide in supervising the military department of the state. Responsibilities include providing military aid to state civil authorities and furnishing trained military personnel from the Texas military forces in case of national emergency or war. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries these included the Texas Army, the Texas Navy, and the Texas Rangers. The modern-day Texas military forces are comprised of the Texas State Guard, the Texas Army National Guard, and the Texas Air National Guard. The Adjutant General’s Department, rebranded as the Texas Military Department in 2015, is located at Camp Mabry in Austin. In 2025 the annual operating budget totaled more than $100 million when considering both state and federal funds.

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Bibliography:

Adjutants General of Texas, Texas Military Forces Museum (https://texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/1940/adjgen2.htm), accessed February 18, 2026. Seymour V. Connor, "A Preliminary Guide to the Archives of Texas," Southwestern Historical Quarterly 59 (January 1956). Office of the Adjutant General, Texas Military Department (https://tmd.texas.gov/office-of-the-adjutant-general), accessed February 18, 2026. Texas Constitution and Statutes: Government Code Chapter 437 (https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=GV&chapter=GV.437&artSec=437.001), accessed February 18, 2026.

The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.

Dick Smith and Laurie E. Jasinski, Revised by Michael Ritchie, “Adjutant General,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed April 11, 2026, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/adjutant-general.

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Original Publication Date:
1952
Most Recent Revision Date:
March 11, 2026