Army Service Forces

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Army Service Forces


caption=Army Service Forces Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
country=USA
allegiance=Federal
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dates=9 March 1942 – 11 June 1946
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notable_commanders=Lieutenant General Brehon B. Somervell
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The Army Service Forces was one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. It was created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department" [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=16227] , and War Department Circular No.59, dated March 2, 1942.

Origins

In March 1942, there was a sweeping reorganization of the Army. This was the result of dissatisfaction with the existing structure, with the Army Air Forces in particular seeking greater autonomy. However, the main driver was the Chief of Staff, who felt overwhelmed by the large number of officers and agencies — at least 61 — with direct access to him.

The Chief of Staff wanted no more than three commands reporting to him, so everything which did not fit into the Army Ground Forces or Army Air Forces became part of the Services of Supply, which was renamed the Army Service Forces on 12 March 1943, as it was felt that the term 'supply' did not accurately describe its broad range of activities.

Army Service Forces brought together elements of five different components of the Army: elements of the War Department General Staff, especially its G-4 component; the Office of the Under Secretary of War; the eight administrative bureaux; the nine corps areas, which became the service commands; and the six supply arms and services, which became known as the technical services.

Technical Services

Six Technical Services found themselves part of Army Service Forces when it was formed in 1942: the Corps of Engineers, Signal Corps, Ordnance Department, Quartermaster Corps, Chemical Warfare Service and Medical Department. A seventh technical service, the Transportation Corps was established as the Transportation Division 28 February 1942 under Executive Order 9082. It was renamed the Transportation Service in April 1942 and became a corps in its own right on 31 July 1942. The Transportation Corps took over control of the ports of embarkation, regulating points and railways.

Unlike the chiefs of the combat arms, who had their offices abolished and their authority transferred to the Chief of Army Ground Forces, neither the duties nor the structure of the technical services was altered by their becoming part of the Army Service Forces, but their status changed, and the chiefs no longer had direct access to the Chief of Staff or the Secretary of War.

Each of the Technical Services ran its own procurement and field depots.

ervice Commands

References