Army Ground Forces - Origins

Origins

Army Ground Forces traces their origins back to General Headquarters, United States Army (GHQ), which were activated on 26 July 1940. Although inactive before this date, GHQ had long featured in mobilization plans as far back as 1921 as a headquarters for directing US field armies overseas, similar to that of the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. This was not realized in practice because the war was fought in many theaters, so overall direction was exercised by the War Department General Staff. Nor did GHQ become the equivalent of a theater command for the Zone of Interior; administrative authority was exercised by G-4 of the War Department General Staff through the Corps Area Commands. Instead, GHQ was drawn into the enormous task of raising and training a mass army.

Nominally, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General George C. Marshall, was the commanding general of GHQ, while his Chief of Staff was Lieutenant General Lesley J. McNair, who had been Commandant of the Command and General Staff School. However since General Marshall saw him infrequently and seldom visited GHQ, located at the Army War College, it was in practice General McNair who directed GHQ.

In March 1942, there was a sweeping reorganization of the Army that reduced the number of officers reporting to the Chief of Staff. Under Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department" of 28 February 1942 and War Department Circular No. 59 of 2 March 1942, GHQ became Headquarters, Army Ground Forces, and opened at the Army War College on 9 March 1942. The posts of the chiefs of the four traditional combat arms – Infantry, Cavalry, Field Artillery, and Coast Artillery – were abolished and their functions, duties, and powers were transferred to the Army Ground Forces. McNair also became responsible for four new 'pseudo-arms' – airborne, armor, anti-aircraft and tank destroyer. He had the power to reorganize the ground army, cutting across traditional lines without branch rivalries.

Since later commands, such as the Continental Army Command and Forces Command were redesignations of their predecessors, they celebrated their birthday as 9 March 1942, the day Army Ground Forces were established.